To My Brave Heart
Your heart -- since before you were born, that miraculous machine has been beating steadily, with the sole purpose of keeping you alive. 💓 We knew this spring and summer were going to be hectic with renovations and the move to our new place. Amidst the productivity and packing, we didn't foresee the added stressors that were to come. Rich is one of those rare people who was born with a bicuspid heart valve rather than tricuspid. Bicuspids are known to more rapidly deteriorate and close off as one ages. Although he was feeling well, his cardiologists, who have monitored him for years, surprised us when they said it was time for a replacement. Like when? Like, next week ... is never a good time. Undergoing open-heart surgery is one of life's most daunting challenges -- a moment where everything slows down, and the strength you didn't know you had begins to rise. It's natural to feel anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about the fact that an ever-beating heart will be exposed ...