TOMORROW is the DAY!

Good day! Loves and hugs from so many.

Surgery time changed. TOMORROW IS THE DAY. Right now he is scheduled for 10:00. 
The doctor told us he wouldn't give us a time to be done. Could be 4 hours or 6 hours. He said he is done when he is satisfied with the work. 
We're ok with that.

Madison County Fire and EMS! You rock. 

Thank you Troyce Miskin for the fabulous department you run. I'll love all y'all forever.

The visits and support. 
OVERWHELMING! Thank you thank you!

Cameron and family

Howard's family and Teton Crossfit family

Howie's family

Brad and Howie

Me and Santa

Howie and Ryan

Ryan stood out on the road flagging the ambulance to the Crossfit gym

Dear friends Heidi and Morris

Morris served as 1st Counselor when Howie was bishop

He loved the visits.

It helped to pass the time.

Richard and Howie

They share the same birthday.

Lots of love and support.

These treasures all tell a sweet story.

And as I would drive into the hospital grounds I could look up and see which room was his.

His was the most decorated window.

Howie and Jessie

The best neighbor!

Guen and the boys with grandpa

The Wickerns and Rob

Rob is the bishop that came and sat with me that morning in the ICU waiting room so I wouldn't be alone.

He also gave Howard a blessing along with Matt and then later gave me a blessing.

The bookends.

Crucial Conversations

Update for Tuesday morning 12-13-16.

Lynsey stayed with him overnight and I slept till about 4:00. All I could think about was what was going on one week ago when our life was still normal. Howie going to Crossfit at 4:30 and me getting ready for my shift. 
It feels like a lifetime ago.

I have nothing but profound gratitude for this past week. To go through such utter heartache and despair to the joy I have today is indescribable.

He's been up and showered and shaved. He looks pretty cute in his little gown. I'd take a picture of my view right now as he is sitting eating breakfast.... but I'm sitting behind him.... and he would be ticked.

We have had some crucial conversations this morning. How he pays the bills on Quicken, when they are due, what his passwords are, just stuff I never worry about because he just takes care of me.

I think I feel better knowing all that stuff. But I still want him to take care of me.

 

 

 

 

Look at that Smile!

Sweet visit this afternoon from some of Howie's Crossfit Family. They were there. I'm hearing their stories of the events of that day and putting pieces together. 
So much gratitude and love for them. 
LEARN CPR!!! Everyone! It gave me a miracle. 
#Howardstrong

The quilt was made by Jayme Christensen, another Teton Crossfitter.
She wasn't there that fateful morning, but her husband Jacob was and was one of the ones that assisted in CPR.

Quilt with the Teton Crossfit logo.

These heroes also started a gofundme page.

They sold T shirts.

 

Pure Gratitude

 

 

I have the blessing and privilege of working with these heroes on a daily basis. These are true heroes in my book. I admire them for the work they do.

 

How do you say thank you to the paramedics that shocked your husband's heart out of a deadly rhythm? I don't know. But I know I'll love them forever. 
Madison County Paramedics. 
#lifesavers
#Howardstrong

Stan, Kimber, Robert, Howie & Orin

Orin Packard told me that when he arrived on scene, the police officer there told him that he was working on Tauna's husband.

He said "oh great, no pressure or anything"

I'm not sure I could have squeezed him harder.

 

How do you say thank you for the gift I was given?

 

So Many Acts of Service and Kindness

I'll never be able to count all the many acts of love and kindness that have been shown to us.
Gift cards to places nearby to eat.
Food brought into the ICU waiting room.
A fuzzy blanket just for me, it was so cold in the room.
Offers of places to stay.
Things I would never have thought of.

I wasn't thinking about feeding people, but my kids were here the whole time. I didn't have to worry about feeding them or caring for them. It was just there.

A couple of my friends got me a hotel room.
Diane....such a blessing to me. Supportive and loving.
I had no idea that driving the 30 miles to home would just be too much for me.
So she got me a hotel just a few blocks away from the hospital.

Adam and Alisha did too.
For the 13 days Howie was in the hospital, I only went home to get clothes.
That was such a blessing.

There was plenty of space for all of the family that came to stay.

I couldn't think of being that far from him.
Thankfully I didn't have to worry about that.

Tests

Monday morning update. 12-12-16
#Howardstrong

I left the hospital about 10 minutes ago. I've come back to the hotel to get some sleep. 
He rested well last night. As well as a hospital will let you rest. Two hours at time. You know how nurses are.

He's walking the halls at a pretty good clip. At the end of each hall he goes up a flight of stairs. We did that this morning at 5:00. Made him sorta feel like he was at Crossfit.

Today is supposed to have several tests. Carotid Doppler and Venous Ultrasound. There are others I'm sure.

His spirits are good. He is frustrated with himself. His speech is a little slurry and it really gets him anxious. When he has been rested well it isn't there.

His vital signs are heart rhythm are textbook perfect.

We are still looking at Wednesday for the Coronary Artery Bypass.

We are hopeful and prayerful and have faith. Most of all we are so incredibly grateful.

I wish I could squeeze you all.

Lots of Family and Friends

Update for Sunday. 
He was restless overnight. Oldest son Matt stayed with him last night and I rested in a nearby hotel. 
This morning he went up 6 flights of stairs. #Howardstrong
He's a rockstar. 
We have our handsome grandkids hanging out for a bit and Nate Egan's wife and sisters here as well. 
They think Howie is pretty special.

Me too.

Matt and Tara

Justin hanging out on the bed cause Howie is SICK of it.

Lynsey and Matt

Sara and I giving hugs

"ooh I love him so much!"

Dear friends Mike and Nita and Shelby.

 

Teton Crossfit Family...My Heroes

More tears again as more of the Teton Crossfit family came by. They were all involved in compressions while waiting for the ambulance. 
They saved his life. 
Not many people get to say that. 
Thank you is such an inadequate word.

 They were there that morning. They had all just finished their work-out. Howie was helping Kristen put away her weights when he "went down."

Jacob on the left and Kristen on the right.

 

Johnny the other "old guy" at Crossfit

 

So a very tender and inspiring story about Kristen.

She was a radiology tech student and was doing her clinical rotations at Madison Memorial.

So I knew her from there.

Howie also knows her well, because she always does the 5:00 AM Crossfit class.

 

Two months prior to Howie's cardiac arrest she was at the hospital doing her clinicals.

We had a code blue in the ER and she came down with the xray machine.

We were doing compressions and it had been going on for quite some time.

We knew we were fighting a losing battle but the family didn't want us to stop.

This was someone that was too young to die.

 

After about 30 minutes of multiple healthcare workers doing compressions and being heavily involved in this code, I looked around to see if anyone else wanted to do compressions.

I asked the radiology people if they wanted to do it for awhile.

One of them said they had already done compressions before, but Kristen spoke up and said she had never done it before.

 

Doing compressions on a human body is different than doing it in class on a mannequin.

 

I told her to step up to the bed and do compressions.

I believe she did several rounds.

 

Fast forward to two months later.

She was the first one to start compressions on Howie.

 

She told Howie that because she had been given the opportunity to do compressions during that code two months earlier, she had the confidence to start compressions on him.

 

We believe that this was one of the tiny little miracles and gifts that added up to the big miracle of Howie's survival.