Prayers for my Grandma Sandy

Hello friends,

I'm taking a step back from all of my papers and projects for a minute to post about something that has been on my mind all day long. One of my heroes underwent a major surgery this morning and I've been worrying about her since the moment I got up today. 

Grandma Sandy with my cousin Alyssa and Aunt Natalie

This past weekend, I had a basketball tournament in Indiana. As usual, my Mom and Dad traveled down to watch as well as my Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Phil. On Saturday, my grandma was not feeling the greatest. I would have never known because she was her sassy self at the game. The next morning she and my grandpa did not show up to my next. I was worried because that is very unlike the both of them. I am fortunate enough to have two sets of amazing grandparents that have supported me my whole life and have hardly every missed a sporting event. After the game, my parents informed me that my Grandma Sandy had been taken to the hospital because she was still not feeling right. I was even more shocked to hear that the doctors thought she had suffered a mild heart attack. My stomach dropped. I have always been extremely close with all of my grandparents and they have all been relatively healthy. In my mind, they are not old, so  hearing my grandma had a heart attack scared the crap out of me.

My dad stayed with my grandparents in Indiana because they ran tests on Monday. My mom eventually went back with my Aunt Natalie, and my Aunt Jodi and Uncle Keith flew home from Georgia and South Carolina. Thank God for cell phones, because my mom was keeping me updated the whole time. The tests concluded that my grandma had two blocked vessels and needed to have a double-bypass open heart surgery. I hate that this happened, but I'm so glad she was with my parents when it happened so she could get to the emergency room right away.

Her surgery was scheduled for this morning and I was a nervous wreck waiting for some news from my family. Thankfully my mom kept me posted every step of the surgery. I was so relieved when I got a text saying that the surgery was a success and my Grandma Sandy was doing well. My Aunt Natalie (she's a nurse) posted a very informative, but scary post on Facebook regarding my grandma's condition. 

Natalie Decker

7 hours ago

My mom had to have open heart surgery today. She was in South Bend Indiana this past weekend watching Katie play basketball and had a couple of "episodes" of not feeling well with an upset stomache and then felt cold and clammy...she agreed a trip the ER was in order. They were at Bob Evans and a waitress suggested Memorial Hospital of South Bend. Long story short... EKG, enzymes, cardiac cat

h, 2 blocked vessels that were not eligible for stents....double-bypass open heart surgery this am. The surgeon (who is awesome) said she was quite lucky because one of the blockages was 70-80% down the front of the heart and if that completely occludes it usually has a fatal outcome. (they call it the widow maker) The surgery was a success, she is in the ICU, was only intubated and on the vent for 2 hours and is currently resting. Jodi, Keith, Eric, Traci, my dad, and I are here in South Bend, grateful for all of the staff at the hospital...they have been wonderful. It's important to know...she didn't have chest pain, pressure, or pain in her arm....bu22t she did have a heart attack. Don't ignore your body...seek medical attention if "something just isn't right". Thanks to you all for your prayers...we appreciate it very much.

My Grandma Sandy is one of the most amazing women I will ever know. She has always been such a big part of my life, and I am so lucky to have her in my corner. The thought of losing her is terrifying. Even though I was worried to death about her today, I had a feeling in my gut that she would be alright. My Aunt Natalie posted this later today:

Natalie Decker

about an hour ago

"Your mom is the poster child for post-open heart surgery" . Those were the words from the nurse in the ICU, music to our ears. She worked hard to wake up and take the initiative to breathe on her own so she had the breathing tube removed in record time. She is on course and moving forward. Keith wanted to take her picture since she is now the gold standard of open heart recovery but she gave him the evil eye and a pretty convincing no. THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH for the messages, prayers, and support. You are all the best medicine we could have and we will pass on your well-wishes to mom and dad.

She is one tough cookie! Hopefully she will be able to come home this weekend. I will definitely be making a trip back to Gibsonburg to see her. No presentation or paper is more important than my Grandma Sandy. If you could, please keep her in your prayers.

Until next time,

Katie