Ok Folks - Here is the final word. I met with my Stake President Yesterday and turned in my mission papers!!! YAY!!!! I am now waiting for my call. It might take a few weeks as this whole process has kind of thrown us for a loop. I know that a lot of you are wondering exactly what is going on and what happened with my heart so - here is the story.
When i was diagnose with Turners (when I was nine) my endocrinologist recommended that we do a heart echo - which is like an ultra-sound of my heart. Lots of patients with Turners Syndrome have heart problems. We found out then that I have a bi-cuspid heart valve. Most people have three cuspids in their heart. It has never really been much of an issue. I get it monitored every few years and take anti-biotic before I go to the dentist. I was not surprised when while filling out my mission papers my doctor in Utah requested that i have a echo done before I go on my mission just to make sure that everything is still checking out fine. I WAS surprised when a few weeks after the echo I got a phone call from the hospital saying that my doctor, Dr. Peterson, wanted me to meet with a Cardiologist at the U of U named Dr. Green. This was a little disconcerning because I had never had to meet with a cardiologist after having an echo done before this. Also, i was in Washington filling out my mission papers and hoping to get them turned in, which could not happen until i had all my medical forms filled out. LAME.
I went back to Utah and i met with Dr. Green, the Cardiologist. My dear Aunt Holly was kind enough to come with me...I WAS SO GLAD SHE WAS THERE. Basically the doctor told me that because of the broken heart valve there has been severe leakage in my heart. Half of the blood being pumped is going back into my heart. This is a bad thing :D My heart valve is pretty messed up and becoming weak. He did not know if a mission would be the best idea and wanted to perform several test before he gave me the green light just to make sure.
I went back the next day with my OTHER aunt Heidi. I rode this exercise bike while hooked up to all these machines and stuff so that my oxygen levels could be checked out. It was a little scary at first. All of the nurses were acting all sweet and stuff because this is a test that you have to take and fail if you need a heart transplant. Be assured that I do not need an entire new heart. The test went well - actually, it went phenomenal. My stats were amazing and for someone with Congenial heart disease/ major heart insufficiency's and Turners Syndrome I am basically one tough cookie. The doctor was impressed. Because i am young and healthy my heart is still very elastic and strong and doing a good job of compensating for my messed up valve. I went back for a ton of blood test too - which all turned out well.
Long story short - I AM GOING ON A MISSION!!!!!!!! Granted I still will have to have my heart valve replaced sometime...which WILL require a bypass, open-heart surgery. Just don't google it. PLEASE. Doctors do this stuff all the time. It is not that big of deal. Every year I will have to have an echo to make sure that my aorta is not dilating. Once it starts to expand i will have to have the surgery, which is why I will be serving in good ol' North America - probably "in or around" a major metropolitan area. The doctor thinks everything will be great for the next two years...but you never know what will happen. If something were to go wrong in the jungles of South Africa it would be disastrous. So we are not going to let that happen. I am going to have an echo on my mission and everything is going to be awesome. I am just glad I get to go! Other than serving in North America i will have NO PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS while on my mission. SCORE!
Judge me if you will, but I was a little disappointed at first because i have such a tough little spirit and I know that Lord could use me somewhere AWESOME and CRAZY but i am not going on a mission to have this wonderful cultural experience or to learn a sweet language. I am going to bring people to the fold and teach them the Gospel. I may not have known that i would be serving here in North America and probably in the US...but Heavenly Father did. I am now totally fine with it because in reality - I WAS ALWAYS GOING TO SERVE HERE, I just did not know it yet. I am so excited to get to know people and teach them the plan of Salvation. Heavenly Father let me have so many wonderful experiences...Jerusalem, Jr. Miss, The Treck to Martin's Cove, Cheer, Dance, and Softball in High School...all of which probably would not be possible if we would have known about this or if it would have happened any earlier. I am so glad all is well and that things could be SO MUCH WORSE. Thank you for your concern and prayers. Feel free to comment and take a guess where I am going.
I will close with the words of a famous LDS Hymn we sing....
It may not be on the mountain’s height, or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle’s front my Lord will have need of me;
But if by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Yours,
I’ll go where You want me to go.
P.S. The picture is from EFY. YAY FOR ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH! I LOVE MY JOB : D
