I'm a good-hearted girl...

...or at least the doctors say so!

Stephen and I got some great news today, but before I share, let me bring those who don't know what's been going on up to speed.

I came down with a kidney infection just a few weeks after Kate was born. My midwife put me on a medication called Bactrum to fight off the infection, but, as it turned out, I am deathly allergic to Bactrum. Within a week my fever had spiked up to 1o5 and a really unattractive rash had completely taken over my body. My mom came down to help take care of me and Kate (thank God!), and I was admitted to the hospital for 4 days. While there, they used steroids to combat the allergic reaction, and these caused me some uncomfortable sensations in my chest. So they sent in the cardiologists, and I ended up having an echo cardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart).

A week later, the Monday before Thanksgiving, Stephen and I got a phone call from my cardiologist. He explained that I had a disease called cardiomyapathy and that my heart was functioning at a little less than half of its normal capacity. And though that was some pretty frightening news, we hadn't yet heard the worst of it. The doctor went on to explain that my condition was most likely caused by my pregnancy, and because of that, Stephen and I should never have another baby.

I was devastated. Really. I must have cried for a solid week. Not only was I scared to death about my own life, I was absolutely broken by the thought of not having another baby. But Stephen and I prayed hard for grace to get through it all, and before long, I began to see a new side to my sorrow. I began to realize that the story Stephen and I had planned out for our life wasn't going to happen, and that must mean that God has another story in mind. We don't know what it is, but we do know that it has to be better than the very best we can imagine.

So, here's the good news. We had an appointment down in Miami today where they gave me another echo test. The doctor found nothing abnormal with my heart. Nothing! My ejection fraction (a grade for how well your heart is pumping...55-60% is an A+) was 55! Before, it was around 30. Those of you who know me well know how happy I am to be back in the "A" range!

We still don't know about any future pregnancies. It's possible that my heart repaired itself or that the medications improved the function. We'll never know. Nor will we know if the condition was brought on by my pregnancy. And there's the rub...if it was, then another pregnancy could cause some severe problems. I suppose I could worry about that, but not today. Today I'm just happy and so incredibly thankful.

I know that most of you who occasionally visit this blog have been praying for me and my family, and that's why I wanted to share this good news with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for loving us.