All photos, wav files, and plaintext copy courtesy of Mikey's Dad.
Thanks, Rick!! ~smile~

November 2nd, 2003... What a week.. Thank God it's Sunday and we can rest! We celebrated our 30th anniversary this week, "Beggar's Night", Mikey's buddy Patrick's birthday, and the opener for our UAFS Lions' Basketball season. Mikey dressed as the "Hulk" to pass out candy this year. Also pictured: Mikey watches as Sissy lights the candles on Patrick's cake.

With temps in the mid to upper 80s, it still feels like September here, but Mikey is loving it. Mikey is still feeling well.. Thank You, Lord!

November 9th, 2003... Mikey forgot to tell me about his awards ceremony this week, but he did remember to bring home one of his awards.. the "Citizen Of The Month" award (pictured).

Mikey is still feeling fine.. Thank You, Lord. Last night we had a nice meal at the church, followed by a good gospel music concert with "The Parnells". Cooler air has finally arrived.. and it feels good!

Special note from Peg:
Kathryn's sister-in-law Lois is having her kidney transplant Wednesday, November 12th. Kathryn's cousin Debbie is going to be the donor. We had asked Mikey and his family to remember them both in their prayers, and today I recieved this email from Rick:

Absolutely.. we will pray for both Lois and Debbie!

Mikey is home today (teacher's meetings) and he wanted to say something to ya, sooo... audio attached .... hehe.

Rick & Mikey

Peg note: Lois and Debbie came through the surgeries with flying colors. Debbie has already gone home, and Lois is up and walking and expected to go home Monday or Tuesday. Thank you all for your prayers. As Rick says, God is good. *VBS*

November 16th, 2003... Mikey is still feeling alright... thank You, Lord! We're still awaiting word from his heart doctors in Little Rock. We don't want to push.. we'd like to get through the holidays first, before WE call THEM.

In today's picture, Mikey is set to try out the new "Captain's Bed" he got this week. He likes the drawers underneath the bed and the bookcase headboard where he can keep his important things within reach during the night. We mowed lawn again this week, but the leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler now. God is good!

November 23rd, 2003... In today's picture, Mikey is showing off some more awards he got in school this week. They include the honor roll, the outstanding student award, and another academic achievement award! We're all tuckered out from doing an all-day garage sale with Sissy Saturday, but the weather was in the upper 70s and we made a little money, and cleaned out the garage and the attic. It's full-speed-ahead for Thanksgiving Day now, and we have a lot to be thankful for. And Mikey's sister-in-law, Tammy, is cooking for the family again. And that's a GOOD THING! Nobody does it better than Tammy.

Mikey is still feeling alright... thank You, Lord! We're still awaiting word from his heart doctors in Little Rock. We don't want to push.. we'd like to get through the holidays first, before WE call THEM.

     

November 30th, 2003... Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. In this first picture, Mikey is kickin' back in the recliner with Big Bubba, bellies full.. after an incredible feast prepared by Tammy. I'm still finishing up some of the sweet potato pie Tammy sent home with me. In our second picture (from last night), Mikey is helping me set up the nativity scene on our front patio.

Wow, tomorrow is the first of December. Mikey has been a little under the weather with a cold the last few days. It's sunny and in the 60s during the day, but it's been windy and cold at night. He started running a fever yesterday, and late last night his heart rate got too high and his oxygen saturation dropped, so we called the doctor and took him to the hospital. A flu swab came back negative and xrays showed his lungs were clear. After his fever dropped, his heart rate and oxygen returned to normal and he was released with antibiotics early this morning. Barring any further problems, we'll be treating him with antibiotics, children's Tylenol and prayer!

***** IMPORTANT NOTE: *****

We returned from Little Rock with bad news. We thought that this summer's stent placement had "bought" us a year or two, but the stent to open Mikey's homograft has failed, causing the homograft to fail.

Heart echoes were done to confirm what the xrays show. The stent is crimped and the wire mesh is broken, letting the already calcified and obstructed homograft collapse further.

It is not possible to remove or replace the stent. They think the only option is another open-heart surgery to start all over.

The cardiologist seemed surprised that Mikey is not showing any symptoms, but he was emphatic that Mikey has a very sick heart. I asked, if surgery is imperative, could it wait 6 or 7 months until the end of this school year, and the doctor said he could not say at this time. He sent us home and said that he would confer with other cardiologists and heart surgeons for their opinions.

He explained that, as of now, the only option is to open the chest, (disconnect, and) stop the heart, and place Mikey on a heart-lung machine until large gortex "piping" could be installed. The stopped heart would be kept "alive" by continuously circulating a special cold fluid through it. The old calcified and brittle homograft with the broken stent would be removed, and the new gortex pipe would be attached to the large pulmonary artery. The other end would then be sewn into the large hole in Mikey's heart and they would begin to warm and try to re-start his heart. Of course, he would come out of surgery on a ventilator and may be on the vent for some time.

We certainly had not expected this news when we went to Little Rock.

Mikey is home, feeling fine, laughing and smiling, full of life, full of energy and hugging everyone he can get his hands on. Same ol' Mikey. Showing no symptoms, other than lack of stamina and getting short of breath.

We don't know when Little Rock will get back to us, and we don't expect any immediate action. We just need y'all to keep Mikey in prayer, and we all will believe God for another miracle.

             

While you are here, Please sign Mikey's guestbook.
Thank you!!!