Mel’s Heart Journey

  Pink skies, hitting the homeland, man, everything feels so surreal now. Almost like some sort of movie. I am Home.  Thank you all for continuing to support me through this life changing time, words cant descrie how loved I feel, how I have impacted just a moment of someones life, you never really know how special you are till those moments come.  Now, the medical news, as of right now, I am deemed "too healthy" for a double transplant. This might sound confusing to you, but to me and my family, it's a huge relief. All I had asked for was some more time with my old heart before the unknown had begun.  The time I get to spend with my loved ones, friends, and even the nice strangers who helped me along the way. Time. What an interesting concept when it comes down to it, really.  But man, am I joyed to have just a little more of it.  This doesn't mean transplant isn't forseen in the near future, but for now, my stubborn ass isn't going anywhere. My doctors an...

Where do I begin.... October 8th- Now that the immediate family and friends have been notified. I am being admitted to Mass General Hospital on Friday to continue transplant evaluations and treatments at this time. I don’t have a timeline for how long I’ll be or what the plan is next, but I should be learning of that soon. I haven’t had time to write any blog posts due to scrambling to get things together in such a short time, but I promise to update everyone when I know what’s going on myself. Please keep sending positive vibes and thoughts as I start the next leg of the transplant journey. October 14th- Heading in for a Cardiac Catheterization this morning around 10:00am, hopefully we get some answers and a game plan after! Wish me luck! October 17th- Little update, I’ve made it a week so far, lots of needles, blood work, testing, CT scans, X-rays, the whole shebang. As for today, heading back in for another cardiac cath to see if putting a stent in will help my oxygen levels rise a...

 Hello all, another update Mass General Hospital called me to set up the evaluation date for my liver transplant, which will be on October 20, and another all-day appointment. I am hoping that having two transplant teams doesn't get as confusing as it sounds, but I'm glad I am in very capable hands.  We went over just the basics for that appointment, which will require me to meet with the transplant surgeon, nurses, and doctors, as well as the coordinator and social worker. So it's very similar to the steps of the heart transplant, but very different at the same time, so it'll be an experience. As of right now, I am scheduled for quite a bit of my time in Massachusetts.  So if anybody has any idea of good soups, pasta, and or home comfort food while I'm down there, let me know. At this point, I'll eventually become a Bostonian, but we're not there yet. 

   Hello all,    Just an update for everyone who follows this blog. I had my stress test done at Maine Medical Center on September 15th, as well as a pulmonary function test. Those tests are required for my evaluation for transplant, so they had to be done, and I'll probably have to do a few more of those as time goes on. I got a call from my first cardiac catheterization, which they will be doing to see if they can close up any of those collateral vessels in my left lung, so that when surgery comes, not so many complications will happen. I will also be having a few more of those before the big surgery. It'll all depend on how I recover and recoup. Unfortunately, we are still a ways to go as I've only met half the specialists that I need to meet so far. Many people don't understand that transplant evaluations take a lot of time. So as I wait for those appointments, I try to continue to stay busy with little hobbies and projects on the side. I am unfortunately not wor...

       I don’t even know where to begin or to explain it’s still all so new and still so confusing. I had my first evaluation for transplant candidacy on August 7th (still waiting on the schedule for part two). These appointment days are longer and more exhausting, overwhelming, overloading. I could go on and on about it but I won’t because that in itself is exhausting.       My brain feels foggy af and words are harder to remember, it’s a really weird feeling, I use to be so quick and sharp… oh and such a smart ass. I think the hard part is watching these things fade away as I grow weaker by the day. But, I'm still managing on getting by each day. Positivity and projects have kept me going.       My evaluation day was long, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM an hour lunch, back to a different doctor, then to the lab that’s on the other side of the hospital (I’ve only seen one wing of Mass General Hospital and I’d get lost af in there) then ba...

Heres to 31- this may be one of my more challenging years yet, mentally, physically and medically. So strange to think this could be the last year with the old ticker.   As I get closer to more appointments the more it sets in; -am I anxious? Yes -am I excited? Yes -am I scared? Shit less, yes I’m scared  I still don’t know much yet, my official evaluation is on August 7th at Mass General.   I am meeting with my cardiologist on Friday to discuss a new issue- maybe   a medication adjustment? Feeling nauseous and dizzy when your BP gets high is definitely not a good sign.  Oops…. Let’s just hope it’s my panic disorder coming back….. kidding (kinda hehe)