Guess what I get for my birthday?

I get the best gift of all: a Heart in Lynn that takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.

Seriously. This is JJ, and my birthday is May 17th. Today, Lynn will have a defribrillator installed in her chest. I view it as a long-term sign of her commitment to me...Well...me, the girls, her parents and the rest of our friends and relatives. But for just this day, of all days, I get to be a selfish prig and say its for me

I think of it as the Cosmic Reset switch. When her heart decides to check out, it will get a zap! and bammo, back to normal (or, whatever passed as "normal" in a world like ours.)

Lynn's Tuesday was rather pleasant, actually. She is still in the CICU, but was moved to the back-wing. An older place, it doesn't have rooms so much as curtained off areas. This is a good thing, as the only tranfer the most stable of the cardiac patients there. Its an exclusive club, the back room, and you really have to distinguish yourself to gain admittance. They don't let jsut *anyone* in there. Her nurses are being exceptionally attentive, and answer her call button within about 20 seconds. They come in whenever something is mildly amiss, and are quick to give her food.

Until tonight. tonight she goes NPO--no food or drink after midnight. Tonight, she gets to get ready for surgery. Its a minor surgery, as these things go. Probably one of the least risky, heart-wise. No chest crackin'.

They will make a 2" incision in her left chest, below the clavicle, just inside where the shoulder angles. They will then run a lead into her heart through a blood vessel in her chest, and it will imbed itself in the top part of the heart (the power plant). The leads will attach to the unit that will implanted under the skin, and voila. It might look a bit odd when she models swimsuits, but then again, she wasn't eager to pose for the "Hot women of the Blogosphere" edition of Playboy anyway. the battery in this thing lasts from 5-8 years, and they can monitor and adjust it from outside the body.

The massively important thing this will provide is a safety net. No more will she have to balance precariously on the tightrope above ventrical fibrillation. She will ahve something to catch her when something fails.

She is nervous. Understandably so. She had a great, fantastic, and very relaxed day. Minor twinges, heart-wise, but zero pain. The darkest days look to have passed (knock on wood.) I just called the hospital and she is sleeping soundly, no further angina, still on some drip (about 1/2 of what she was on earlier today) and was nervous, but eager to have this out of the way.

Her father comes to town tomorrow. I love Ken. Great fella. He is the only person that can coax me into watching basketball. He adores his family, and it is always a pleasure to have him around. I know Lynn will feel more comforted with him around. She always has.

When the surgery is past, I will notify this blog. It is scheduled in the afternoon, so sometime noonish all prayers are quite wanted. Every little bit helps.