Overwhelmed By the Response to My Last Post

Wow!  Yesterday's post lead to over 250+ hits on my blog.  Some of the credit I have to give to a FB friend, also a fellow CHDer who linked my blog on her FB page.  I'm sure from there it got passed to others and so on. 

I never in a million years thought my ramblings would lead to the response I received.  I am humbled and honored.  It's always been important for me to be an inspiration to my children but I never thought that I could make such an impact on the life of another CHD patient or the parent of a CHD patient.  I never thought I (yes, little 'ol me) could give hope to parents of children with CHD that their own children will live fairly normal lives.  When I was younger I was determined that I was going to be a wife and mother even if it meant adopting my kiddos.  Reading these words has really touched my heart and caused some joyful tears.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Here are some words of wisdom that I received via email or via reading them on fellow CHD friends FB page.  I hope they don't mind that I'm posting their words here.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW AWESOME IT IS TO SEE YOU DOING SO WELL AND SO HAPPY?  I love it!!  It was so inspiring to read your blog and you are exactly the way I hope my *J* will be."

"My daughter is going to be 2 next month and has HLHS...People like you give me such hope for her future...I have to be honest, you are the 'oldest' person I have ever found with HLHS."

"Stories like that give me hope for my daughter's future."

"Reading this blog I can't tell you...I'm in tears."

"Thank you so much for sharing this...It really means a lot to me to read her blog." 


I also wanted to add an important piece of info that I left out.  Not on purpose but it just didn't cross my mind at the time.  With my HLHS diagnosis, among my other heart problems, I was never a candidate for the Glenn or the Fontan procedure.  I have unrepaired HLHS.  I have 3 shunts, only 2 of them are currently working.  One closed off when I was about 21 or  22 yrs old after having been functioning since I was 8 days old.  That's one of the reasons I am so puzzling to congenital cardiologists because I never had the typical HLHS repairs done.  They can't figure out why someone so anatomically incorrect, without the major heart rerouting/reconstruction is functioning so well.  I can only thank God for that.  He knows what he's doing when it comes to me.

I'm going to be blogging a lot about my kids and hubby still, but I plan on adding more "me" content.  I have lots of good childhood stories to tell other CHD patients and CHD parents.  I'm even thinking about a Q&A blog post.  CHD parents or patients who want to know my life's experiences, limitations, etc.  I'm willing to give you first hand experience.  Granted each CHD patient is different but we have so many similarities.  So if you have a question, send me an email and I'll compile them and put together a post for sometime in the future.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog.