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

April 4th, 2004 (4-4-4!)... Did you SPRING FORWARD this morning? Be sure to replace the batteries in those smoke detectors, too! CLICK HERE for an audio message from Mikey. And, what a beautiful spring God has given us!

We are now scheduled to take Mikey to Little Rock next week. Final plans should be made at this time for his next heart surgery that will be performed when school lets out. Everyone's prayers will be SO appreciated, as we go through this next surgery.

T.G.I.S... Thank God It's SONday, and we get to go to church today.. And our Easter drama is today, too.

April 11th, 2004... HAPPY EASTER! He arose and He's alive!
And it's a wonderful day today because He arose!

As you can see in today's picture, Mikey got to go to a car show (and kite flight) at the park the other day. He liked this little yellow number (pictured), and most of the BIG customized trucks. The weather was great, but it turned severe last night and there were several tornado touchdowns in our area.

We are now scheduled to take Mikey to Little Rock THIS week. Final plans should be made at this time for his next heart surgery that will be performed when school lets out. Everyone's prayers will be SO appreciated, as we go through this next surgery.

T.G.I.S... Thank God It's SONday.. Easter SONday, and we get to go to church today.. Mikey had his pacemaker checked last week, and we're going through the TEFRA medical review for his insurance again. Mikey is doing alright, although quite short of breath. We'll be going to Little Rock THIS week to discuss Mikey's impending open-heart surgery. His surgery will take place after school adjourns for summer break.

        

April 18th, 2004... Mikey was in Little Rock last week for testing, and final plans were made for his surgery which will take place next month. In the first picture, Mikey is resting before they complete his heart echo at the hospital. In the second picture, he is back home, but he is wearing a "Holter monitor". Five electrodes are attached to his chest and they transmit a continuous ekg that is recorded on a magnetic tape inside the monitor. The cardiology team can then read the tape at a later time.






Wendy (aka Diva LadyGator) went to visit her daughter Jodi (aka Diva AngelEyez). Jodi's hubby Donnie is stationed at the Sub Base in Groton Connecticut, The guys and gals aboard have "adopted" our Mikey, and here he is all togged out in the support packet they sent his way. Thanks, Wendy, for this wonderful match-up!! *VBS*





April 25th, 2004... Gone Fishin'! It's been a stormy week.. storms, tornadoes, large hail and flooding. Yesterday we finally got a little break from the storms, and went fishing for a little while. Mikey had been wanting to go for a long time. In the Arkansas River, the water was too high and the current too fast for any fish to be biting, but it was nice to get out there for a bit, and we'll try to go again before Mikey has to enter the hospital next month.

Well, the time is set now for Mikey's next open-heart surgery.. next month. We will have to be at the hospital a day early for tests, lab work, other pre-op stuff, and to meet with the surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Drummond-Webb. It will be a full day, then we need to be there at 5:30am the next morning for final prep and anesthesia, before the surgery starts at 7am.

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

We returned from our last trip to 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!!!

            

There is another little angel, Billy, who needs extra prayers RIGHT NOW!!
Click below to visit Billy.

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