Dave’s Story

Site created on May 3, 2018

March 8 th Dave was  diagnosed with pneumonia .  He went thru two week treatment .  He was run down but that is to be expected after having pneumonia . He felt like he was doing better than he was . He began  having breathing problems at night .  This we attributed to stress anxiety and some recent financial stress .  The breathing problem got worse . Like he felt like the pneumonia was coming back .  So last Thursday he went to the doctor the ran labs and cxray .  They put him on a maintenance inhaler and rescue . He was struggling with the maintenance inhaler . So Saturday he was instructed to stop taking the maintenance one . He still continued to have moments of feeling ok  but the would have these moments of difficulty breathing that would improve except he could not sleep extend periods of time. Leads us to Tuesday May 1st . We decided if the doctor could not see him he would go the ER . The doctor saw him and noted he was very pale assuming anemia  but noted a 9 lb weight gain .  The doctor referenced  his labs again . Like I said earlier were normal.  He was sent to PSJ Hospital in Elgin for further work up . By the end of his ER stay we new it was heart failure but not how extreme of a case it was . 

Newest Update

Journal entry by Jennifer Dennis

I want to thank all the well wishes and help from family and friends . As for updates ... no news is good news . Last doctor appt in January cardiologist was very pleased . With an EF of 50-55% ( basically heart is squeezing normally)  . Now to take those numbers in and just think from where he came  from .( 100% blocked , only bi passed three because he just was not strong enough for the other two, life vest , no heart transplant or no Inplantable devices needed .  Mind blowing . Dr Burks in the ICU told me ... I promise by the end of the Summer he can shoot some baskets with your son . He said when he met Dave On May 2nd and talking with him he would push past all of this . He said you got him here . He will do the rest . Man, he has .  November he was told he could start working .  No shift work, no over nights and have to watch the temperature 80-40 rule and watch stress .    He is doing great and exercising . We kid and joke about how he holds his arms out and joke that he won’t be able to scratch his own back . 
💪🏼“The beach is that way” I hope we can continue to kid and joke and get back into those goofy belly laughs . As my laugh this past year is rare . Im more serious than sarcastic and definitely more analytical .  I heard and I’m sorry I cannot quote where I heard this from . But if you do not love life ... it will not love you back .  I do not agree more with this statement . This year changed us all . Dave was the obvious change . He lived it. Him and Maddie were just talking about it . I couldn’t even though they tried to include me ...just did not want to stir things up . As Maddie says I’m still bitter I guess .   Me ... my hippy in me wth is the universe saying what the hell am I suppose to learn from this ? 

I was reading a book about mindfulness ( again my hippy self ) while Dave was in surgery . I got to a chapter and it says if your going through a stressful time ... now is not the time to practice mindfulness .Closed book throws it in purse . Dave came home tried it again a couple times but put it away . Well when the going gets tough I usually grab the bull by the horns and will also give a good 🖕🏼To anyone that doesn’t like it .  I think maybe why I did so well in L/D and ER ... when the 💩 hits the fan you just do. I think I even said that to a co worker this past week . I will just “ do” not even a thought . We are in a routine . And a new normal life and I think I becoming really good at modifying recipes with lower salt and gluten free . Not going to lie ... had some failures lol .  I think I need to be better writing them down lol . ( sorry mom) 

May the 4 th be with you ... we joked and hugged before him going into open heart . He seriously was his typical smart ass self . Im sitting there and could not understand how ? How ??? I whispered in his ear and joked ... you know how I am terrible at answering my phone . I said ... I’m not going to answer my phone . Please call me and leave me a voicemail .  I would listen to it every once in a while .  That voicemail was deleted by accident on an update recently . I cried . Why ? That’s stupid right? Why hold onto a voicemail . I would like to turn the cruise control off . None of us know what tomorrow holds . I think maybe just wake up each day try to do better than the day before . Think this year is all about healing . And maybe I will pick up that book again 

Hopefully will continue as no news is good news from here on out 🤘🏻💪🏼❤️


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