IF YOU WERE A CATHOLIC. . .

This is a running joke between us and our cardiologist, Dr. Gorham. At first he mentioned that he'd never known of anyone who voluntarily came in to have a treadmill test done. We patiently explained the process for serving a mission. He keeps assuring us that he will be able to "get us ready" for our mission. One visit, his nurse made the statement that if we were Catholic we wouldn't be going through all of this so it's become a running joke. He mentions it every visit. I told him that if Garth were Catholic, he'd probably be dead.

We've had another week from hell! Tuesday we spent the morning at the coumadin clinic and doctor's office on what we thought was a routine visit. Dr. Hourigan did a "heart trace" and we went home. We had a great day. On Wednesday morning, Garth felt really great and we were just making plans for our day and our future when the phone rang. Dr. Hourigan wanted Garth in Wenatchee as soon as we could get there because he needed to immediately have a pacemaker implanted because the nerve which receives the signal from his natural pacemaker had been compromised because of the surgery and was in danger of severing. It was very, very scary. With great fear and trepidation, we gathered up our things, Julirae and Dawniella, and hurried to Wenatchee. Jeff met us there and everyone was on pins and needles again. Because heart attack victims were filling up the emergency room, the device wasn't implanted until the next day.




Garth has responded very well to it and is doing just fine. Having a pacemaker installed, apparently, is nothing compared to what he'd already been through.

It's certainly been an adjustment--all of this. It's rather interesting to face your own mortality every time you go to the doctor. We're finding some interesting results of all this. One is that, for both of us, our internal thermometers have changed. Or maybe we've just synchronized. We've become much, much closer and we are always asking if the other's all right. I'm still having blood pressure problems, but we're making adjustments in my medication. We have become very aware of our health! Please, please look after yours as well.