Week 5

Yep! can you believe it?!
Adam had his surgery 5 weeks ago Monday.
He is healing well.
His scar is beginning to smooth out.
At the family gathering Monday the kids were very interested in seeing it.
My nephew Ramsey, has been very curious about how God can be in Adam's heart if they had to open it up.
He wondered if God would be at the cookout, since Adam was.
This whole thing is hard for grown ups to understand, let alone kids!
He met with his surgeon, Dr Schier, yesterday.
All went well.
I told him thank you for making Adam one of his miracles.
He blushed..but how does a mom express thanks for something so big?!
He sees his cardiologist tomorrow.
She will follow him for the rest of his life.
She will be the one giving him direction and making sure his blood levels are good.
They continue to improve as he regains strength.
He is supposed to have his PIC line pulled after his IV antibiotic tomorrow.
He can't wait!
He will be able to have a full shower and 'get his golf swing back.'
He will still need a culture drawn after 2 weeks to make sure he's in the clear.
Apparently bacteria 'likes' this type of valve.
We can do without 'friends' like that!
Next week he begins to 'work back into' work.
He is targeting 3 days next week, then 4, then 5.
I imagine he will be tired.
He still takes naps after working out at cardiac rehab.
I think now is when the reality of the past 6 weeks hits home.
The miracle of life is so precious!
Our God granted many prayers during this process.
I am not sure what he has in store for Adam, but I am sure it's special!
Your support has been life changing for both of us.
Thanks aren't enough, but I mean them sincerely.
Very appreciatively,
Val

wed afternoon

I just read Adam's blog.
Can you believe it?!
Our first post was in July- it is now September.
In some ways it feels like a lifetime (IE. new wrinkles, lack of sleep etc).
In other ways just a moment.
There are so many things to be thankful for!
Adam drove yesterday- after 2 months
Adam is sleeping 8-10 hours at a time
Adam and I had a good belly laugh this morning- without pain!
Adam is looking forward to returning to his life- a life we weren't sure he'd have a month ago.
And.. drum roll..
Adam's mom is GETTING MARRIED!
Can you stand it?!
My faithful, strong, loving and patient John proposed while we were in Boston.
Well,,, and HOT! as you can see by the picture above.
It was romantic and perfect, and a surprise to me.
I said YES!!!
There are no dates yet.
We are just soaking this all in.
It is such a gift!
I know this is a blog about Adam's health, but I wanted to share this good news with you faithful friends.
After such a dark time, I want to share some of our 'good stuff'.
God is so good!through it all.
Val

Finally the end in sight

Hey guys just wanted to update you all. I went to my IV and rehab today and I will officially have my picline pulled next Wednesday after IV therapy. This of course it good news because that means I can start working on my short game for golf next year. The doc is very optimistic about progress and will give me the clean bacteria bill of health after my appointment on the 23rd. I also meet next week with my surgeon Dr. Schier and my cardiologist Dr. Fetters so that they can release me. This is all in efforts to get me back to work by the week of the 14th. Again for those who do not know I am doing a heart walk on September 19th. It is one of those donation things so any help anyone would like to contribute would be great. The walk is 3 miles and it is downtown by the canal. As you all know I am trying to become more of an evangelist for heart help so tell everyone you know about my case. Well don't have a whole lot more to say other than the regular season opens in a week from Sunday and I am hoping for another solid year for the Colts. I will get to go to a few games this year and am stoked about that. Well see you all soon and I will try and update this a little more frequently because I know some of you are reading it a lot. Thanks again for the support and help.


Adam

Weekend Update

Things are finally good after the Wednesday scare. Mom is out of town in Boston and hopefully enjoying herself and the company of John and her friends. Grandma is here today and Danny in this week. I finally got the PS3 hooked up to the flat screen right and have been doing some serious gaming today. Health is doing well all but three stery strips are off the incision now and I am actually feeling good enough to do my hair in the mornings. All of your support has really been awesome and the food has helped us out tremendously. For those wondering I am still awaiting an updated INR and Hemoglobin probably next week sometime. Met a nice person at the IV today and it made the time go by quicker as grandma was reading her book. Well not much to report which is a good thing. Can't wait to get back into work on the 15th of September. See you all soon



Adam

Wed

Hey!
It is Wednesday evening.
Adam just took a shower, so we could show GJan how to waterproof his PIC line.
She is in charge for a couple of days, then Uncle Danny.
I am headed out of town for a long weekend.
Adam continues to do well.
He is upping his time on the treadmill, and lowering his pain meds.
He slept for 10 hours last night.
Healing sleep is such a gift!
The neighbor stopped us to say how much improvement they've seen in his walking.
His INR responded to the meds... a little too much.
We certainly have to be careful what we pray for!
So, now he skips the coumadin a couple of days and re- tests.
Because of his age, they say it may take a while to stabilize.
He has also had a couple of episodes of rapid heart rate.
Luckily, one of these happened while on the treadmill today.
The cardiac therapist was able to 'run a strip' so the cardiologist could read it.
They have started a new med to try to regulate his heart beat.
The MD says the irregular beat isn't dangerous, just tiring.
Luckily, he is in the MD daily for IV's and in rehab 3 X a week.
They are able to see even small responses to meds.
We are daily reminded of his excellent care, his incredible physicians, supportive friends and family (yes, still bringing in meals for us!)and God's grace.
We appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers!
Val
PS. the picture has NOTHING to do with Adam's progress..its even a couple of years old,but still fun..GO COLTS!

A new week begins

Back to the grind today and a second week of rehab. I started the morning with my normal IV an then headed over to rehab where they had me do 20 minutes two different times on the treadmill and 4 minutes on the boke. It is funny how your legs can get so dead so quickly. It seems like not that long ago I was able to max out a leg press machine and ride a bike for a good amount of time. Now four minutes is all I can muster. Things are good though my hempglobin is up to 10 and my INR is up to 1.9. Doctors are still optimistic which makes me just want to do more everyday. I asked today about when I would be able to golf, and to that my rehab coordinator laughed and said next spring. I however did get some exercises to loosen my shoulder stiffness and hope to beat her goal and play late this year. Mom leaves this weekend for Boston and I am finally cleared to go into public so that is a good thing. I got a haircut today and for those who know me, you know how I was chomping at the bit to get it cut. I am starting to feel better everyday with a few setbacks here or there. All is well in Indiana and it is starting to get to Chili weather. I have had lots of good food from you all and have had time to work some things that I had been meaning to try myself. I signed up for a grilling class that teaches some pitmasters barbecue secrets in Spetember and am excited about that. I am posting this picture for you who have not seen my wound. Scar is not bad and hopefully I will gain weight soon. Well thanks for tuning in to my life and ttyl.


Adam

Thursday

Hello!
Well, we did it again.
I thought Adam posted, he thought I did..
Go figure!
We had U Verse installed, G Jan came to visit and I had a job interview.
It was a big day!
Adam continues to progress.
He gets stronger every day.
His treadmill time is increasing.
He is making new 'friends' at rehab.
This morning he actually felt like shaving and using 'product' in his hair!
You KNOW he is beginning to feel like himself.
I am so thakful for all of your notes, comments, food and phone calls.
This has been rough journy..I am glad we aren't making it alone.
I hope you all know how much you mean to both of us!
Adam has some blood work tomorrow.
We are praying for an upswing in his INR.
That is a biggie for his new valves.
We will keep you posted.
Have a super day!
Val

First Day of Rehab

Okay so today was my forst day of rehab and it went well. I am not sure it is going to be good for my ego though because they continue to tell me how great I am doing. The old Adam is kind of coming back and sometimes I just wanna say of course I am do you know who I am lol. Body feels great and sleeping is getting longer every night. The only thing I really need to get a hold on now is my INR numbers. For those who don't speak doctor nerd that number is the one that has to do with how thin my blood is. I am currently at a 1.5 and they want me at a 3. So we are kind of perplexed about why this is happening. Other than that the ticker is doing good and I loved watching Tiger get housed yesterday in the open. I have been able to catch up with some old friends with all the downtime and that has been really nice. My playstation is getting a serious workout now because I just had to go and get the new Madden. I feel kind of old when I think about how far the graphics and gameplay have come on video games. It is kinda scary hopw much I get into them still, but at least it keeps me occupied. Well offer is still open for those who want to come and see me. When at rehab today I saw a packet for the heart walk on Spetember 19. I am going to ask tomorrow if I would be able to participate. Even though it is a fast lofy goal I think it is an important cause and would love to try and be part of it somehow. Well hope all is well with everyone and thanks for reading the blog today.



Adam

Saturday update

So its now Saturday and I have been home five days. I am starting to finally adjust and slowly be able to talk on the phone for longer than five minutes. I found out yesterday that I have about another week and a half or so of only being able to sleep for two to three hours at a time. This is sometimes frustrating but I am finding out that is almost perfect because the percocet makes me sweat at night. I think I can now recite almost the whole Michael Vick press conference or give anyone the views of both parties on the new health care reform. I am walking about a quarter mile a day now and very anxious for rehab to turn me loose a little more so that I can stretch it out. Dizziness is subsiding and pain is still in my chest but overall I am feeling so much better than even a few days ago. I talked to a lady today at my IV treatment who had surgery six weeks ago and she was very positive and told me to not get discouraged. It is funny how god puts your heart at a place where people you would normally brush off or not listen to you suddenly hang on their words and appreciate the support. I am going to try and setup or work with an organization for better child and young adult physicals and am currently thinking of ideas and ways to go about it. This experience has taught me so much not only about the heart but about myself and I really want to share that knowledge with everyone. I am figuring I should take it all one week at a time though and concentrate on my rehab and start doing something about it starting in a few weeks. If any of you know organizations that already advocate this it would be a great help if you shared them with me. Mom has been so great through all of this and I think she is happy to help, but if any of you have time to come relieve her or help her out I think she could use the free time. Even though I am the center of her world I sometimes think it can get to be a bit much. Again, I am sure I sound like a broken record, but I am so thankful for all of your support and prayers and look forward to being able to repay you all for your help. I think this whole experience has mad me more self aware and I just want to make an indelible impression (that is for you Cory) on the world so that everybody does not have to experience the nightmare I have had to go through. Well I hope to get to the store soon so that I can visit some co-workers and be proud to walk through the door under my own power. Until tomorrow thank you all and god bless.



Adam

Friday morn

Hi All!
We oops 'ed yesterday..I thought Adam posted and he thought I did.
All is still progressing well.
Our day starts with a trip to the infectious disease office.
He gets his antibiotics.
I used the time yesterday to run to the grocery.
It turns out he can't be alone for a few more weeks.
I guess its in case of potential falls, etc.
Needless to say, it's a challenge to keep up with the outside world.
Praise God! for folks who have come and 'spelled me.'
Uncle Dave and Friend Doris helped out this week.
Not only do I get to run to the store, Adam gets someone else to talk to.
He is pretty bored.
After the MD visit we usually take a quick walk.
He is supposed to walk 4 times a day- but not in over 80 degree weather.
It's August,find me a 70 degree day!
And, no public places..too many germs.
Adam trys to get a shower in somewhere.
He has to have me in the same room for another week.
Water on back only, antibacterial soap, scrub front- but no direct water on incision.. well you get the drift.
It's a lot to keep straight.
The website Friend Kathleen started has been an answer to prayer.
It's at www.whatfriendsdo.com, under Adam Hensley.
It allows friends to schedule dinners to be brought to the house.
It's kind of fun to see what we get.
It really helps me, as I am doing a lot of running up and down stairs right now.
Praises for friends, continued prayer support and continued healing..he gets stronger every day!
Continued prayers for patience, strength and restful sleep.
Neither of us are getting much sleep right now.
In the grand scheme, these are small things.
Thanks for the continued posts, prayers and support!
Val

New routine on day 2

So I have now been home for a day and am getting used to my new routine. The food is certainly much better and mom is pretty attentive sometimes maybe too much, but that is to be expected. This morning had a appointment to get my IV and sat next to a lady that hacked up a dew lungs. It was kind of interesting because they don't want me an many public places in fear of me getting sick. Hmmm but in an infectious disease clinic is cool. Still trying to get my bearings and sometimes it feels a little like jail. I know it is all for the best but it can still get old. Sleeping was an adventure last night because it is new to try and lay flat. Hoping that sometime soon I can get a release and maybe be able to go into public again. The cubs are great and all but after 20 food network shows and the cubs blowing another lead it gets really boring. Have yet to master the new football game yet though so maybe I will try that later today. Sorry again I have not called any of you but sometimes talking a lot gets tiring. Visitors are welcome over at the house now as long as you make an appointment with mom. lol I will try and post some more hospital pics as I get them. Here is one of me and my morphine pump. Strange how you don't feel pain when you get that every 6 minutes.

I am back in the real world

Hello all
I am finally back home and so stoked about it that I can't even put it into words. I have so far enjoyed an exciting day of watching ESPN and taking a nap. (Onyx was by my side) I am so thankful for all of you and your prayers through all of this. I am just starting my recovery and am very excited about that too. It seems wild that a little over a week ago we were all worried if I was going to be here and now in a few days I will be walking on a treadmill. My only real explanation can be god. I also want to let you all know how great school has been. I spoke with Renee early this week and they have credited me my classes and are granting me a leave while I get back on my feet. So as you can tell I am starting off this new chapter on a great foot. I will, in time, be able to call most of you back but it is a lot just to get up and down stairs for now. So thank you for your continued support and patience and I can't wait until I get back to me again. Until next time thanks again for the support and keep the prayers coming. P.S this pic is pre surgery when I was starting to feel my feet.




Adam

Tues

Adam is going home!
They are giving his last dose of antibiotic right now.
He is so psyched..so am I.
This begins his next phase of recovery.
He will do daily IV meds at Dr Bouchan office.
He will do 3 times a week cardiac rehab starting Monday.
His showers have to be on the back only- no direct water to the chest.
He can't lift more than 10 lbs.
To be honest, its a pretty long list.
But, at least it will be at home.
It has been a long, but blessed, road so far.
It's been amazing to watch Adam's impact on others.
I was just stopped in the cafeteria by a tech that saw him on admittance.
He wondered how he was doing and made some suggestions about home care.
It had been 2 weeks and probably 50 patients since he saw Adam!
This blog has made it easy to update folks far away.
Trying to maintain the phones was impossible.
I can't thank you enough for keeping an eye on his progress, and praying every day.
I will continue to post for a while.
They will still be limiting his visitors to a few day.
Apparently the risk of infection is a biggie over the next few weeks.
The blog is probably the easiest way to keep friends and family posted on progress.
God is Good!
Val

Mon morn

It's the beginning of a new week.
I slept at home last night.
I kept thinking, 'Why don't the nurses fix Adam's IV?'
It was my alarm clock.
My, how our world has changed!.
Adam had a rough night.
His BP was up and the nurses were concerned.
They came in to monitor him every 2 hours.
That started a cycle that probably helped drive it higher.
By this morning, he was wound pretty tight.
The MD came in.
He is feeling fine about everything.
Adam continues to progress.
His blood levels are starting to rise.
His appetite and activity levels are good.
He is gaining weight.
His night sweats are greatly reduced.
Th main reason for caution is the blood thinner.
They want to make sure it exactly where it should be for home maintenance.
The MD says a valve replacement is one of their most complex surgeries.
Two valves is incredibly complicated.
They want to be very cautious with Adam.
So, we wait.
He said probably Tues or Wed.
We continue to feel the prayer blanket surrounding us.
It is greatly appreciated.
Praise today for the blood levels finally coming up and for the gifted doctors that care for Adam.
The list of blessings is truly endless.
God is Good!
Val

Sun. Eve

Big Day!
Adam had his shower this evening!
He wasn't happy with the water pressure or the heat, but it was wet.
He has to stand with the water on his back and let the water run down.
He can't get direct water on his chest.
It sounds a little weird, but actually worked fine.
He certainly smells better.
We were introduced to what living with blood thinners will be like.
When we were walking Doris the the elevator, I noticed blood on his gown.
We pulled it up and noticed this stomach was bleeding.
He had a shot at noon today, and it just started bleeding again this 5 hours later.
I am just thankful things like that are happening while we are still here.
The nurses do a nice job of explaining everything to Adam so he knows what to expect.
John and I were able to get some of the stuff at the house done.
We cleaned and treated the pool (2 weeks!) and moved some furniture.
We had several storms so the yard needed some work.
I haven't slept at home since the surgery, so things were backing up.
My dear friends hired a cleaning lady.
What a treat! The whole house looks good.
Adam is doing so much better.
He is walking 300+ yards at a time, several times a day.
His pain is much better controlled.
I am planning to go home and sleep in my own bed tonight.
Like I said, big day!
We again had many milestones and many blessings.
Prayers continue to be answered and blessings granted.
Life is Good (my favorite clothing line) has a whole new meaning!
Adios!
Val

Sunday morning

Happy Sunday!
Adam is doing well.
He hit a wall lst night with the 'hospital food.'
I think he's just getting a bit stir crazy.
In my prayers this morning, I asked for the wire to come out easliy.
One of the nurses said, 'We don't want to tug too heard, because we might take a piece of the heart with it.'
Nice!
If it didn't come out, they were comfortable just cutting it off and leaving it there.
I wasn't!
They said it wasn't common, but it happens.
Dr Salerno came in this morning and pulled it right out.
Another blessing, another Praise God!
On the bummer side, it looks like he will be here until Tuesday.
They need to get his blood thinners figured out.
His blood went too thin with the first dose, and too thick with the second.
It sounds like the three bears and goldilocks.
We are looking for 'just right.'
He's bummed.
I'm gonna run and get him some food from the outside world.
We continue to count blessings.
My sister Charn and I were discussing it last night.
It feels like every day there is an obvious presence of God in this journey.
Every day there is another answer to prayer.
He is walking well, we are controlling the pain and getting taste buds back.
All blessings!
Thanks for the continued prayer.
God is Good!
Val

Sat Aft

It's been a good day so far.
Adam is eating and doesn't seem to have any more stomach problems.
He is doing his exercises and waking his 'laps.'
The nurse came in to pull his pacemaker leads this morning.
One came out easily.
The other was 'stuck,' and they didn't want to pull it.
She says sometimes they get 'stuck around a rib or something.'
It's not something you want to dwell on, or the 'yuck' factor gets too high.
They felt like walking around today might loosen it.
Isn't that a lovely thought?
We are really just coming off some pretty overwhelming thanksgiving right now.
It's been such a fast pace that it's all starting to sink in.
I just continue to feel this blanket of prayer covering Adam.
There is a whole new level of meaning to the word 'blessing' in my life.
There are more than can be counted, that's for sure.
Val

Sat morn

Happy Saturday!
Adam is progressing well.
They are taking off meds, stopping IV's and moving him around.
He is also beginning to taste food.
It's funny, but these are everyday things we used to take for granted.
As far as rehab, they are progress.
He walked the 'lap' this morning.
He needed to do that to go home.
He will now have 2 full days to gain strength and stability while he walks.
They are targeting Monday or Tuesday to release him.
We both got sleep last night.
There was an 8 hour stretch with only one interruption.
What a gift!
It's amazing how much energy that gives a person.
It's now about getting the right combo of meds, getting his blood count up, increasing activity and controlling the pain.
Those are easy things compared to what he has already overcome.
Praise God!
More later,
Val

Friday mid day

Hi!
I am banned from the room.
I figured I'd update the blog, because I am here alone and can't go far.
They are putting in a PIC line right now.
They approach it like a surgical procedure.
They sterilize the room and use ultrasound to make sure of the correct placement.
This will allow for a semi- permanent IV.
It can stay in for up to a year and will allow for blood draws, daily IV antibiotics and showers.
It's another step towards home.
He still isn't able to shower.
His pacemaker is gone, but the electrical lines are still in.
His blood is too thin to risk taking them out just yet.
They say there's no hurry..maybe Monday.
I can't imagine how good the first shower will feel.
It's been almost 2 weeks!
It's crazy the things we took for granted.
Maybe that is what we are supposed to be learning from all this.
Until later,
Val

Friday morning

Good Morning!
So far, Adam is tracking like they predicted.
The worst days were 2 and 3.
Yesterday was better, in that had 2 periods of time where he was up and walking.
He started taste food last night.
This morning he had cereal.
All of these are good things.
Adam had lost so much weight before surgery that his strength is diminished.
They really want him to eat to help get the energy back.
It also helps with the nausea.
It seems like when all of the meds are in his stomach at once, they churn too much.
Food help dilute all of that.
So, we hope today is progressively better.
His Cardiac Rehab folks were in yesterday.
He is walking more.
They've started talking about discharge plans.
It looks like probably Monday or Tuesday.
He is doing remarkably well, but they want a few more days to balance a few things.
His Md said 5 days fro bypass is speedy, 7 for valve replacement,
the fact that he had 2 replaced, makes them want to err on the more conservative side.
They still need to figure out pain meds, coumadin levels, blood count and nutrition.
Every day it all gets better, but not ready to be let go.
I am supportive of that.
Uncle Dave brought down a recliner yesterday.
Rehab says they are the most comfortable in the early weeks.
Adam is psyched because it has a cup holder for his remotes.
I had a wonderful surprise yesterday- non health related.
Lillie-my teen aged interpreter from our Mexico mission trip-called from Mexico.
Lillie started interpreting for me when she was 8.
She is fluent in Spanish and I am so not.
I was to have left with a team last Sunday.
It is a trip I've taken for several years.
We work with a sister church near Playa del Carmen.
Lillie updated me on the church, the people and the team.
It is going well.
I was so pleased to hear from them.
While I know I am needed more here, the mission had been on my mind.
What a blessing! to have that touch from afar.
Our Mexican church is in prayer for Adam too.
So many things to be thankful for today!
Blessings for Lynsey's safe travel home, Adam's returned taste buds, Adam's returning personality, our ZPC mission trip and family and friends who support us through this journey.
God is so good!
Until later.
Val