A Life Update

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably have an idea of what life has been like for our family the past month.  I want to preface this by saying that this is a very personal post and there may be some triggering details in it.  Now, I know some people may wonder why I’m even putting this all on here, so let’s clear that up.    Josh and I both agree that if we share this, it can hopefully help motivate you to get a check up that you may be putting off. I also need to address this in order to be at peace with this space and move forward with blogging and sharing everyday life with you all.

Let’s go back to August 23rd.  That was the day Josh had a heart attack.

I like to think that divine intervention caused the pieces to fall into place so that Josh was not alone when he had his heart attack.  Because of this he is alive today.  We never make plans for Sunday evenings during the school year.  And somehow, by chance, my friend Emma and I made casual, last minute plans.

I’m not going to go into too much detail because it’s something I don’t want to reflect on.  In short, Josh had a widow maker heart attack.  In this situation there are no warning signs (i.e. chest pain, shortness of breath.)  He was sitting and talking with us one minute and then completely gone the next.  Our friend Rob immediately gave him CPR while I called 911.  CPR is the only reason Josh is here alive with us now.  Josh spent almost a full week in a coma and was able to receive treatment to prevent major brain damage after being deprived of oxygen for so long.  Because of this he is functioning and not severely brain damaged.

At first his memory was a mess and he was so confused.  He is gradually getting his memory back and is doing great now.  While there are still challenges and his short term memory is very affected, it feels like we are on the right track.

In terms of why Josh had a heart attack, we do not know why.  He is adopted and we do not have his medical history.   What we do know is that it is not normal for someone in their 30’s to suffer a heart attack, let alone one so severe.  Our goal now is to get him better, determine what caused this and prevent it from happening to our children.

If you take anything away from this story let it be these two things:

First, get a physical, get a checkup, stay vigilant with your health.  Second, attend CPR training.

We both want to thank this community for the love, support and generosity you have shown our family.  The messages, prayers, meals, donations, all of it has been overwhelming in the best way.  We can never thank you enough.  And we promise to do our very best to pay it forward.

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