Kenzie at 9

I am so ecstatic that Kenize is 9. It's bitter sweet but I am so thankful that she is still here with us and happy and healthy. She defiantly has her trials which is very scary and humbling all at the same time.

Life flashed before my eyes and Kenzie is 9 already. I remember bringing her home from the hospital on Christmas day!

She is such a bright, loving, cheerful young lady who has come so far in her short life and I am excited to see what else she can accomplish.

This year she wanted a birthday party with her friends. We usually do it with family but she wanted something different this year. She invited 11 friends and they all showed up, Kenzie was so excited. We did a WINTER WONDERLAND party, which turned out pretty good. She had everything planned out from making gingerbread houses, a photo shoot, donut eating contest and pin the nose on the snowman. She had fun helping me make her cake and it turned out perfect for her party.

Since it was during dinner time we had pizza and man do girls eat, they devoured the pizza so fast I could barley cut the pizza with out them trying to eat my hand. So guys don't say girls cant eat, they ate 2 family sized pizza's in a matter of minutes haha..

We did presents and had cake and ice cream and she opened presents she got lots of fun stuff. She opened our present from us and she got a karaoke machine and that ended up being a hit they played with it until the girls parents came and got them all!!!

It was a total success!!!

Makenzie at 9

What is your favorite food?
Crab

 What is your favorite color?
Pink
 What do you want to be when you grow up?
Cardiologist

 What is your favorite song?
Fight song by Rachel Platten

Where would you like to go on vacation? . Why? .
Hawaii- it seems fun

What is your favorite subject in school?
Science

What is your favorite primary song?
Heavenly Father Loves Me

 What is your favorite animal?
Zebra

 What is your favorite T.V show?
Austin and Alley

 What is your favorite Season? Summer. Why?
I get to play with friends

What is your favorite place to go for dinner?
Olive Garden

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!

Rejection

Once again that creepy little word snuck up on us again.  Kenzie was having palpitations in August so I took her into the ER. (it always happens at night, probably because that is when I listen to her the most). Any time I hear anything out of her normal I take her in just because you never no.
We arrived at the ER and they did tests and everything came back normal so they sent us home. A week later we are back in the ER and this time even though everything looks good except they did see irregular heart beats they admitted us because Kenzie was scared to go home. I love that her cardiologist listens and doesn't push us out the door just because her echo looked good.
The next day they decide to do a biopsy on her and it did show mild rejection which normal they said they wouldn't treat but did just because of her symptoms. Which means the lovely Prednisolone(Steroids) which leaves my sweet, happy, loving baby girl, into a fussy grumpy girl. It also lowers her immune system even more to wipe out the antibodies that are attacking her heart.
Makenzie has been having bad anxiety since she had her pace maker replaced in June so this rejection has caused more anxiety which probably doesn't help her heart. I am so thankful for her doctors and when I have concerns or Kenzie has concerns they try anything and everything to try and reassure us. This time around they had Makenzie put a 30 day event monitor on her to record when she is having symptoms. Thankfully her heart showed no serious signs but it did show rare extra beats from the upper chamber but certainly no sustained tachycardia or problems and they were pleased with the results. On the other hand I have been so uncertain and confused why she is still having these on going symptoms after getting off the rejections meds. I actually started crying at one of her clinic visits because they kept trying to reassure us that from their stand point ever thing looks good, but I couldn't except it I guess and was so freaked out that something terrible would happen if it didn't get better. Dr Everitt sat by me and asked me my concerns and tried so hard to tell me everything looks good and unfortunately they cant control everything but from medical stand point her heart looks perfect. I have come to hate the unknown and it terrifies me when things aren't looking or sounding normal for her. So they agreed we could come once a month, which that is what we have been doing since her transplant, she can never seem to go longer. Every time we do she ends up in the hospital. But I am ok with once a month it gives me peace and comfort that she is being watched closely and if there is anything hiding hopefully they would catch it.
Fast forwarding all through Sept and Oct she has been still having palpitations, but her echo's all continue to look good at clinic.
Finally November came around and I haven't heard any funny beats and she hasn't felt anything either. I still get very anxious at night when I listen to her because we have learned you have to live one day at a time and with these heart kiddos things can go from awesomeness to hospitalization with in matters of minutes. It does make me feel a lot more at ease now that her heart is beating like we like it to. Prayers that it continues this way and she will have an amazing winter.

A new Pace Maker

I always check Makenzie's heart every night, and as always I take a deep breath because the unknown scares me. I love hearing a healthy beat in her but I know how quickly life can change with in a sound of a heart beat. We have gone multiple times to the ER for irregular heart beats. Some just for dehydration and some for rejection. This time was different something I didn't expect so soon. Kenzie said her heart felt funny about an hour later after I checked it, so I checked it again and sure enough it was irregular. I always have Tyler listen to it just to make sure I'm ot hearing things and he heard the same thing. He said she is probably dehydrated because we had a long day of hiking and playing. I was praying that is what it was this time so I gave her some water to drink and waited for about another hour and it was still irregular. Kezie insisted on me taking her in. I love that she listens to her body and is old enough to no that something is worng. So I took her in that night around 10 P.M.

We arrived at the ER (usually I call the on call coordiantor but for some reason I didn't and I just took her in.) They hooked her up to the heart monitor took blood all that not so fun stuff they do in the ER. Dr. Day came in and examined her and said he thinks it might be her pace maker not firing off like it should. So they did a pacer check and had to call in a rythm specialist to come and take a look at it. Sure enough her pacer wasn't firing he thinks the lead isn't connected anymore

7 years ago today

I can't believe its been 7 years ago that my little girl my first born was holding on to dear life, at the age of 16 months. We didn't know what to expect or think. With Makenzie's strength, prayers, many blessing's and the power to hold on she has prevailed.

 I won't ever forget that day we got the call that their is a match for a new healthy heart after waiting for 26 days! So many emotions went through our heads. Hope, fear, anxiousness and sadness. Just know that another child had to leave this world to give Makenzie a second chance at life. How hard it must have been on those parents to have to make such a difficult decision at such a hard time in their life to have to decide if they want to donate their loved ones organs with, I'm sure so many emotions running through their minds as well.

It defiantly has been no picnic for her with multiple hospital stays, rejections, and a couple of cardiac arrests. She still manages to have a upbeat, heart of gold personality. I thank our Heavenly Father everyday for her and her donor family that they will know how we feel and are so grateful for their decision because with out them we wouldn't have her!

I wouldn't have been able to watch her grow up, in the past 7 years to know that she loves to sing, dance, cook, cuddle and play with friends and her brothers and sisters. She is a remarkable young girl who I look up to and is my Hero who keeps me on my feet and gave me the power to believe in miracles. She is a true living miracle who has blessed our lives for the better.

Every year I make a heart cake to celebrate her Heartiversary. This year Makenzie wanted to make one by herself and she did a awesome job! She also wanted to send up balloons to honor her donor so we got 7 red balloons so she could let them fly high. She wrote on a couple of balloons. One said "I love you", and another one said "Thanks for giving me a second chance"!

Even though we have never met the donor family, we want to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their precious gift, for saving our sweet daughters life. Hopefully one day we will be able to meet them and give them a big hug, cry with them, thank them and let them listen to her heart, so they no their child is living on through her.

I am so proud of you Makenzie here is to many, many, many more years of a happy and healthy life!!

And as always Be a Hero, Be a Donor!!! donoralliance.org

 Happy and Healthy













7 years and going strong

The Balloon says "Thanks for giving me a second chance"

7 red balloons to celebrate 7 years with a new heart. Thanks to her Donor!!

The other balloon she wrote on said "I love you"

Braxton wanted to send one up as well

There where 7 balloons for each year but Myleigh didn't want to give one up

Fly high our special angel!!

Biopsy

Makenzie was suppose to get her annual biopsy but since she had one in August her Dr's didn't think it was necessary for her to get the full one. We had to be at the hospital bright and early at 6:00 a.m Kenzie was excited just because she didn't have to starve all a day. But sad that she wouldnt get a chance to order food. Steak is her favorite.
While waiting we played tic tac toe, barbies and looked out the window. She usually gets versed about 30 min before she goes in but this time they didn't give it to her until it was ready to go back. They are nice enough to let me stay with her until she is asleep. Which is hard cause when she cries then I start to cry. It never gets easy even after 6 years of caths.
Her cath went good they went through her neck so she didn't have to lay flat for 6 hrs. It was just a 2 hr recovery. It was the longest wait I have ever had to wait to see her. It made me very concerned so after about 30 min I had to ask the desk if she was ok and if she was awake. This time around she had a hard time staying awake which I didn't like, she is usually ready to eat and drink but all she wanted to was sleep. when they discharged us from recovery we went to clinic and that was when the fun came. She had her echo and after that she threw up which has never happened after caths. The we got to the room and saw the coordinator and she threw up again. Dr. Molina came in and saw her and she said her echo looks good her levels look good her pressures are a little high (15) which they usually like them to be around 10-12 but since they have been stable they aren't concerned. But since she looked sick and kept throwing up they admitted her to the RTU to watch her for a few hours. When she was there she still seemed sleepy and she threw up twice while there also but since she didn't throw up the last hour they discharged us from there. But she did get to order her steak haha!! I told her thats all you wanted I would have bought you some lol.
We went to go get her meds and guess what yep she threw up again so I called the transplant coordinator on call since it was 8:00 p.m and they said if I want they can admit her through the E.R or I can watch her at home. So I took her home and she slept in my room and did very well and now she is feeling much better. Come to find out they gave her a little extra dose of versed which probably could have caused all of this. But I am happy to say her Biopsy came back  clean a big 0. Love, Love good results.