Kristy- They call her "Sunshine"!
Linda, Nick, Mike, Pat, Susie, Ginny, Carol, Tom, Kristy. Kristy is my baby sister. She was the baby in our family of 9. She has always been the baby and will always
be the baby. I can not figure out how she managed this... she looks like a young girl, except, we all know she has 8 children and 12 grandchildren....and still looks amazing! Most of our pictures the past few years, we are missing either Tom or Susie. Susie was not with us for this picture. (Missing you, Susie!)
Kristy, Mike and their 8 children
She gave everyone a big scare this week. Did you know that February is National Heart Awareness month? Did you know that Cardiovascular Disease is the #1 killer of women? Did you know that women sometimes have different symptoms than men? Did you know that the heart attack is known as the "silent killer" in women?
February is the month of love. It is the month she and Mike were married. It is the month we lost our Mama. It is the month of hearts. Hers is a BIG one for sure. She is so loving and giving but her heart looked to be ready to burst....her blood pressure was alarmingly high. She lost her vision. She could not read the numbers she needed to at her workplace. Her pupils were so dilated, they were no longer green, just entirely black. She always puts others first. She doesn't want to spend the money on herself. She doesn't need doctors. She prays and she waits 3 days.
Now the world has lost its color. She stepped outside to a world of white and gold. Her red car was golden, her red house was golden. Her world was white and gold only. She was in such a state that she thought she may have left this world. Her husband got her to the hospital and she was transferred to Sioux Falls where she was immediately put into Intensive Care.
She was put through every test imaginable...and, talking to her tonight, she sounds absolutely giddy with joy. What they did find was....no cancer, no cardiac problem, no kidney or thyroid problem, no liver problem. All systems are a go. In fact, she was told that she is the very blessed carrier of an extra special heart, one usually seen only in the healthiest specimens, such as a "marathon runner"....healthy, top of the line, with an extra special kick. They called it "rare" and "special" and I believe it to be one belonging to a "rare" and "special" sister, wife, mother and grandmother. She was also so happy and blessed by those who care for her and about her, her family, her friends and she talked and talked and talked about her grandbabies. They were so worried for their Grandma, saying "I love you Grandma" and "I prayed for you Grandma" and "I love you so much". I know the joy and love of grandchildren too! I know the blessing!
They believe, after all the tests, that she has high blood pressure. Doesn't sound so bad, but she was told the severity of it, and I believe she is listening this time. She was told that with all of her wonderfully healthy organs, she could live another 40-50 years....she just has to keep her veins and arteries from bursting, which will surely lead to stroke, organ damage or death.
The doctors noted that she has green tea and honey every day. When asked why she enjoyed honey so much, she quoted from Proverbs 16:24, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." That would be Kristy!
This is the most recent picture I have of Kristy-Sisters Linda, me, Ginny and Kristy at our Christmas Party. Again, we are missing Susie, but the red boa is from her so she is wrapped around us!!!
I asked Kristy for a special verse I could post for her.....she quickly quoted :
Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Will you pray for Kristy today? She is feeling better each day, and her vision has improved, but it has not returned to 100%. Will you ask God to restore her sight so she can continue her work on this earth. The doctor said he did not see any bursting of blood vessels behind her eyes, which is wonderful, but those days of extremely elevated blood pressure could have damaged nerves in her eyes and/or caused some brain damage. Also, the one organ they have not investigated would be the brain itself. If her vision has not returned by Wednesday, further testing will begin to look into her eyes for damage, or they may consider testing her brain to see if there is any damage or bleeding there. She is praising the Lord for the signs that allowed her to be admitted and for wonderful doctors who were so encouraging to her. She is now praising God for her healing and so happy when I asked her if I could post her story, as I told her all of you who read my stories will surely offer prayers on her behalf.
Emily, our niece, who spent some time in the ICU not that long ago, wrote something special for Kristy, and she asked me to share it with you:
K- Krikky Kay, Kristy, the loving Aunt I have
R-Right-You always know the right thing for our big family
I- Inspiration that you give to me
S-free Sprit in you
T-Thanks-You thank the Lord for being here today
Y-You- Thank you for everything!
Hugs and Kisses, Emily
