For Your Entertainment Only

A week ago, I thought of something to myself. I’ve never fallen on a treadmill. I’ve been on one hundreds of times. I’m not very graceful. But I’ve never fallen on one.

This week, I can say I have as I hang my head in shame.

I stepped onto my treadmill, last night, routinely as I do every night for my 30 minute walk. Water bottles in holders. Remote control. Safety switch casually hanging. Speed set at 3.7. Take off. My first step was a sign of danger. I stepped too far forward and smacked the actual treadmill. It caused my knee to give way. From there, things went in slow motion. I remember landing on both knees and thinking, “I’m falling. I’m falling. I’m really falling.” My knees skidded across the belt while I clung to my bar, hoping for a miracle at this point instead of just turning the machine off. After all, that would be too simple and too practical. I released my grip on the bar and fell to my side on the belt. A belt is short but that quick, dreadful tumble to the bottom can seem like five minutes. Frozen in time. You know what is about to take place and you know it’s going to be painful. You just don’t know unpleasant it’s going to be.

Unfortunately, my treadmill is right up against a heavy end table full of books, a couch and the wall. I was jammed, wedged at the base of it. In a scene that I can only describe as horrific. I felt like a hot dog in a gas station on one of those metal warmers, spinning indefinitely. Finally, I was able to bear down against the belt to get it to decelerate. Only momentarily. I felt a slight yank at my hair. Then a more constant one. Great, now my hair is stuck in the belt. I’m going to be bald before this is over. I yell. Scream. Moan. Something that caught Elijah’s attention in the front living room. He walked into the den and his eyes widened at the sight. He walked directly up to me.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“Trying a new exercise out.” My hair was getting tighter.

“Does it work?” Seriously, Elijah, really?

“Turn it off.” I managed to squeak out as my head bobbed backwards with the pull of my hair. He managed to pull the emergency stop and I relaxed, laying my head straight back on the belt. I was wounded. Defeated by the machine. I was bloody on both knees, elbows and have road rash across my back. My hair, thankfully, was only trapped behind me. I could breathe. Elijah was laughing hysterically at this point.

“I saw you one minute and then you were gone and I heard thump, thump, thump.” He giggled.

For the first time, I had explain to him that next time he hears a thump, thump, thump where mommy is supposed to be…please come check.

Awareness vs. Fear

I was de-friended last week on Facebook. This isn’t the end of the world. But the reason irritated me. It was from a pregnant “friend” and her response was “Thanks for trying to scare me into believing this could happen to my unborn child. I’ve been told he’s healthy and he is. I trust my doctors.”

As CHD families, we are not trying to “scare” anyone. It’s awareness. It’s hoping for the best but being prepared for all possibilities.  You don’t want to get caught blind-sided. My family had 17 days to learn, understand, comprehend and realize the impact of congenital heart defects. But on a realistic note, you can ask all the parents of CHD children, and half were told their child was healthy. CHD’s are not to be taken lightly. It’s not a simple fix and then being sent home. It’s a constant worry. It’s your heart. Please know the facts and always ask for a pulse ox to be done on your newborn child. It’s non-evasive and simple. We’ve all had one done and it’s just as easy for a newborn. It could very well save your child’s life.

　

Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 birth defect. Source: March of Dimes

Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. Source: March of Dimes

About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of Congenital Heart Defect. (approx. 40,000/year) Source: Children’s Heart Foundation

Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHD. Source: Children’s Heart Foundation

This year approximately 4,000 babies will not live to see their first birthday because of Congenital Heart Defects. Source: Children’s Heart Foundation

Though research is ongoing, at least 35 defects have now been identified.
4-8% born with CHD have Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
4-10% born with CHD have Atrioventricular Septal Defects (one of Jonah’s defects)
8-11% born with CHD have Coarctation of the Aorta (one of Jonah’s defects)
9-14% born with CHD have Tetralogy of Fallot
10-11% born with CHD have Transposition of the Great Arteries (one of Jonah’s defects)
14-16% born with CHD have Ventricular Septal Defects

Although some babies will be diagnosed during gestation or at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, CHD is not detected until adolescence or adulthood. Source: March of Dimes  (Think about: we've all read those stories where a 17-year old collaspes and only to find out he/she had a heart defect.)

AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS:

It is a proven fact that the earlier CHD is detected and treated, it is more likely the affected child will survive and have less long term health complications. Source: March of Dimes　

"FEAR NOT ILLNESS. THIS PLACE OF CARE, LOVE, AND HOPE IS FOR YOU" I read these words everyday as I walked into Arkansas Children's Hospital.  They are engraved into my heart and my mind and I still believe these words.