I’ve been absent from my writings for a few days. But I have a doctor’s note. So you can’t get mad at me or anything. Seriously. I could show you the info. But I’m sure you don’t need all the gory details. Because you trust me and you know I wouldn’t lie to you unless it was absolutely necessary. Right?
Alright. Now that we’re clear there’s no reason to be mad at me…
I’ll let you in on a little of what went on this past week. And it was painful. Most people who’ve lived a few decades will understand. Because it’s a very common pain. And, of course, I’m talkin’ about a dental visit.
Unfortunately, my experience was exponentially more stressful than “a dental visit.” In fact, it was an excruciating necessity. Because I broke a tooth that was the “victim” of a root canal years and years ago. And I REALLY wanted to man my way through the pain until I could visit a dentist more on my own terms. And those terms include preparations for dental procedures to be safer for my heart defect.
But those pesky nerves that connect teeth to the brain would have none of it.
They didn’t care that a bicuspid aortic valve means antibiotics (in some form or another) are supposed to be administered for a few days before any dental procedure. And apparently when certain nerves get it in their heads (hmm, do nerves have heads?) to pound out a rhythm to their lord of the underworld, they don’t quit.
And for two LONG days, their demonic rhythms pounded out, relentlessly.
Finally, last Friday, Elgielene said, “That’s it. You’re going to the dentist and get that tooth removed!”
And when there’s an exclamation at the end of a sentence spoken by Elgielene, the course of history is changed. Mountains are moved. And civilizations are rendered helpless.
Well, sort of.
Anyway…
I knew she’d probably get mad at me if I didn’t comply. And I couldn’t see any advantage to inciting her anger. So, in spite of the fact that I’d had no round of antibiotics, I went to the dentist and had the tooth pulled.
And in case you think it’s no big deal. Here’s some info that Johns Hopkins shared about BAV.
“Bicuspid aortic valve is a type of abnormality in the aortic valve in the heart. In bicuspid aortic valve, the valve has only two small parts, called leaflets, instead of the normal three. This condition is present from birth. It can occur with other heart defects.
These leaflets may be thicker and stiffer than normal, too. That may cause aortic stenosis. In aortic stenosis, the valve won’t open as easily as it should when the heart squeezes. The left side of the heart has to work much harder than it normally would to get blood out to the body. Over time, this can damage the heart muscle.
Sometimes, the bicuspid aortic valve is leaky. That allows blood to flow back into the heart when the heart relaxes, instead of flowing forward into the body the way it should. This process is called aortic regurgitation. It can also make the heart work harder.
Only a small portion of people have a bicuspid aortic valve. But it is one of the most common heart defects present from birth. It is more common in boys than in girls.”
So, see? It’s nothing to take lightly.
But my dental “adventure” brought back a memory of a rhyme I shared, for the kiddos, a few years ago. And it shows how even in your heartbeat there’s evidence of a Creator. It’s evidence that’s easy to ignore when you’d rather be your own king or queen. And it’s evidence you could dismiss with a casual “whatever,” if you believed the evolution fairy tale.
But it’s evidence of something that’s inside every living human being. Something that a clump of cells or a huge body of accidental ingredients could never have in a trillion years.
And that “something” is Life. Because life can only come from life. Not from death. Or dead stuff. Or inanimate stuff. And certainly not from nothing.
OK, don’t get mad at me when I tell you that life can only come from God. And it’s even right there…
In The Middle of a Heartbeat
In the middle of a heartbeat
Something small stirs
Like the sound that a kitten makes
With pulsing purrs.
Your blood goes whooshing through your veins
From head to toe,
And you might just kinda wonder
What makes it go.
It’s the code down deep inside you.
It’s yours alone,
A gift from the eternal King
On His white throne.
So, hold your breath, be very still,
And then you’ll hear
In the middle of a heartbeat,
A love so dear.
© 2023
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Stay tuned,
