Chief of the Medical Staff

Rheese's heart surgeon, Dr. Michael Teodori, had this painting hanging in his office. When I saw it I felt a great sense of peace to know that the surgeon working on my son relied on Christ and knew that He was guiding him in his work. I had felt this way on the day of Rheese's 2nd surgery too. The plan for that surgery was to go in and make a wall between the 2 ventricles and also to switch them around because they were transposed. We waited in pre-op for over an hour past surgery time when Dr. Teodori finally came in to talk to us. He told us that the plan had changed because of new information from the heart catheterization they had done. They were now doing the Fontan. He told us that he had not felt good about the other plan but it was what made sense to do. He said that he finally felt good about the path they were taking Rheese on and it was the right thing to do. I knew that he was being led by the Spirit. I knew that our little boy was being watched over and protected by our Heavenly Father and that he would be ok.

A Beautiful Memorial

Rheese's headstone was placed on July 5, 2011. I am so happy with it. It is perfect. Everything about it says Rheese from the color of the granite to the pictures and the fonts. I smile whenever I see it : ).

How was Rheese really feeling?

I am reading a book called, "Before My Heart Stops", by Paul Cardall. He was born with a congenital heart defect that was opposite of Rheese. Paul had double-inlet left ventricle and Rheese had double-outlet right ventricle along with other things, but they both had the same repair, a Fontan. The book is his story as an adult waiting for a heart transplant. A lot of it is from the blog he wrote while he was waiting but there are other parts that explain what happened to him as a child growing up with a CHD. As I read it I think back to moments with Rheese. One that I just read had me in tears. He said that before his Fontan he would get so exhausted just walking up the stairs and getting around school that it made him nauseous. For the last few months of Rheese's life he threw up quite a bit and we couldn't find a reason why. Many times it happened at school and he'd have to come home. It just makes me wonder how bad he really felt but didn't tell us. I knew he wasn't feeling good and was trying to find out why but I know I didn't get how bad it really was. A little boy in his class told his dad who then told us that a couple days before he died he told him that his chest felt funny. The boy told him to tell the teacher but he said something to the affect that it does it all the time and will go away. I had NO idea this ever happened because he never told me. I wish I could ask him how long it had been going on. Maybe he had lived with it his whole life, I don't know. He also used to get really grumpy, I mean REALLY grumpy. I now think it was because he didn't feel good and that's how he reacted to it. I used to just think he was being a stinker. Oh, there are so many questions I wish I could ask him. I'll just have to wait. One day I'll have the answers.July 2008 after getting his pacemaker.