Michael's Heart Valve Journal

The Final Journal

July 30, 2011

Hello everybody, friends, family, my fellow heart patients. Thursday was my 8 weeks bench mark since my surgery. As many of you already know at this point in recovery the doctors declare you fully recovered. I can finally at long last reunite with my beautiful lancer and rule the roads once again! I have comleted my two day college orientaion and had a blast meeting new friends and officially becoming an active student at the university of north florida. I cant wait to start. I am also going to return to work on august 8th. Im excited to get back to the PV Inn & Club but hopefully soon I will be taking a position in a hospital as a certified nuring assistant, I completed my 75 hours of training this past week so all I have to do now is take the clinical and written test for the state of florida and I'll get my license! I decided after my amazing experience a Shands Hospital that the nurses are the key to a patients recovery, how they interact with the patient and stay attentive to all all the signs of the healing body. I know that is exactly the perfect fit for me, I will be really good at it. So, since the summer is winding down once again my parents decided that we need a family vacation before Im off at school and working full time. We're goin to Panama City Beach,FL for 3 days and Im bringing my bro Andrew. It'll be a proper blow out for me and him before he goes up to philadelphia for school.
So now that I'm almost completely back to normal and I may seem like I'm free of pain now, I have to be honest and say that the pain still comes back often. The scar is still fresh and the bone is still split so I frequently feel that awefull pain like someones sawing on my chest. Advil seems to do the trick petty well now.
So this is officially my last journal on this sight and I would like to thank Adam Pick for creating this sight & being an incredible example from his story and responding to me when I asked for his help. Thank you everybody once again for the kind words and continued thoughts, I will never forget this whole chapter of my life and how I've changed through it. Finally to everybody else out there who may be having a more difficult time than I did just remember that everyday you get up, your new heart has given you life from God.. Malakai 4:2 - "But to you who
fear My name,
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves."

Sinerely,
Michael Rogers

Giving back! - July 5th 10:00 pm

July 5, 2011

It seems like just yesterday I began this Journal so that we keep our dear family and friends updated on Michael's progress through the surgery and recovery period. It's been 35 days since Michael's surgery and we're so thankful and blessed that he is doing great! He's no longer a couch potatoe - in fact he's not home yet! While he's still following the Dr.'s orders, he is getting stronger each day and back to himself!

Michael's big brother - Dan, his wife Debi and nieces, Isabelle and Olivia participate each year in the neighborhood 4th of July Golf Cart Parade. This year they chose the theme of Lemon-aid stand - selling cups of lemon-aid for $1 to raise money to support this awesome resource - Heart Valve Journals and the Gift of Life Foundation. We're proud to say they raised over $200! Thank you to all of you for your support! Check out the great pictures!!
We are so blessed to have family and friends - and NEW friends that have been so supportive of Michael and this incredible experience. T H A N K Y O U ! !

Love, Linda and Jim = D

Couch Potato

June 24, 2011

Hi everybody, hope everybody slept well.. I know I did! only problem is I wake up to the full brightness of the sun because the window in my room is huge nd the blinds are white. Oh well, its not like I got a lot to do these days anyway. I spend most of it on the couch playing video games and watching TV or movies with gran and gramp. Not saying I don't enjoy relaxing all day keeping myself entertained with the least amount of energy possible. Yesterday was exciting however it started off back at the cardiologist, this time I got a perfect report so he took me off my remaining medication and said he'd see me in December! the only thing that is really bugging me now is my scar. It itches like crazy and the glue is coming off looking all wierd. other than that I just have my usual restrictions; don't lift anything, don't drive, don't swim for another 5 weeks. I rode my bike on the golf coarse too that was the best exercise I've had since may! I really am doing great now and I do feel really good, No sugar added. Thanks again everybody
Michael

As Days Go Bye

June 20, 2011

Hey everybody. I wanna take a second to say happy fathers day to all the fathers since I didnt write yesterday. Hope everybody had a great day with their families. So theres not much different, just the usual swollen soarness around m incision. I've had no trouble sleeping, once my head hits the pillow I'm out like a light till the sun wakes me up. It was pretty easy to stay busy last week with my dad here, basically runing back and forth to the home depot for my grandpa. Now that he's back at work I think my days are gonna start moving along a lot slower. It feels like the two weeks I've been home so far were just days ago which is good but I know people have told me to slow down and enjoy all the rest too. I will try to. Thanks again everybody
Michael