December is always such an eventful month, eagerly awaiting the celebration day of our Savior’s birth. We have also been eagerly awaiting the data from Manny’s overnight Holter monitor to see how his heart has been faring, and the results are now in: unfortunately, his average monthly heart rate has been steadily climbing ever since he was discharged from Duke on oral therapy mid-August, from 90 BPM (beats per minute) to November’s 121 BPM which means his heart has needed to work steadily harder with each passing month to sustain itself. Thus, doctors decided to double his main heart medication to hopefully give Manny that extra ‘oomph” he needs, and we thank God that 1) it’s the same medication that insurance approved of before so we don’t have to fight another battle for a new medication and 2) we can pick up a 30-day supply before the end of this month which means it’s 100% covered before the brand new insurance year deductibles kick in Jan 1st, PTL!

Manny likes to keep things at Duke as lighthearted (pun intended) as possible. When asked to record every major activity throughout his day while wearing his heart monitor, he made sure to notate what may have caused his heart to race at one point: 

Early in December, Tracy brushed up on her life-saving skills by getting recertified by the AHA (American Heart Association) taking a local CPR and Pediatric First Aid course. She thought it interesting how some of the guidelines have changed since Covid, understandably. 

Meanwhile, with how active Manny remains, you would never know that his heart seems to be on a steady decline. Manny helped Dad set up the most Christmas lights we’ve ever displayed, stretching out into our front yard and secured to a cross, because isn’t that where the Most Radiant Light came from when it was Christ’s Love that held Him there and went forth into all the world?

Speaking of light, Manny always enjoys the Christmas Eve candlelight service!

Manny and Tracy were invited to share a brief testimony of God’s faithfulness during a collaborative Sunday service; we thank Reedy Creek and ALL the churches and everyone who have been praying for Manny and our family – God hears and cares!

We got the a-okay from the docs to take Manny to Busch Gardens, including a (somewhat) thumbs-up so Manny could ride (certain) roller coasters while still wearing his Zoll Life Vest!  As long as Manny did not ride the rickety-rockety wooden coasters that only employ lap bars to secure passengers, he was free to ride everything else, and ride he DID! It was a chilly day out but great to have some winter fun with beloved visiting uncles, auntie, and cousins!

Manny received a legit bow and arrow for Christmas from his Uncle D and is already honing his Hawkeye skills!

Gary’s big Christmas gift to the whole family, with the help of Uncle D and the kids, was installing a ZIP LINE in our side yard!  This would never have been possible with the existing stretch of trees that year after year, have grown too close to our home, to the point of branches touching the side and roof of our house which then made it a sap and fire hazard:

The railroad company finally agreed to come take care of it, Dad and dear daughter laid down quick-sprouting winter rye grass seed in the rooty dirt left behind and VOILA, a green bed of grass and the zipline was up shortly thereafter! Although Tracy is sad to see the stately evergreens bulldozed and several forlorn stumps remaining, it’s a striking reminder that sometimes, you have to lose something meaningful to gain something even more significant. We lost a bit of the woods surrounding one side of our house which provided privacy and shade, but if the RR company had left the trees there to keep growing, they would have permanently damaged our home and we would have had no room for the zipline. Likewise, God calls His children to have a similar perspective: we can let good things go to make room for the even better gifts God has planned for us that we did not realize at the time:  

In a very real way, we are dreading the day Manny gets a new heart because it means someone else has to die for him to have it, which means we will rejoice in a seriously sober way, grieving for another family we may never know, and it also means his existing heart is no longer useful and he will miss it very much. But gaining a new physical heart means a new (& different) kind of life and that is something incredibly significant that we cannot fathom at this time. Likewise, God willingly gave up His one and only most meaningful Son so that ALL His children could gain eternal life through faith in Christ alone. Letting go of the meaningful ways we mistakenly THINK will save our souls (good deeds to show we are good people, for example) and instead, repenting of our sin of living like we are God and believing in Christ dying on the cross for us and the fact He conquered death and rose again grants us a new (& different) life that re-orients our motives to live for His glory and not our own, and that is something immeasurably significant!

Revelation 21:5 “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.””

The Lees