An 11-hr day at the hospital w/dh today
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| Wed, 08-20-2003 - 9:06pm |
an unexplained increase in his blood pressure. MRA last week showed
blockage in artery connecting aorta w/kidney. We had to wait TWO hrs
in the waiting room just for a room. THAT was fun....NOT! We got in
the room at 9:45, they gave him a valium, then took him to the cath lab
about 11:00. He was back in the room about 12:15. The blockage was only
40%, and they don't "blow out the blockage" unless its over 50%. So....
boo hoo! I'd rather have known that was the reason for his increase in
bp. I also had asked that they go ahead, & while they were 'in the
neighborhood', go ahead & do a heart cath, & check his arteries as he
had double bypass surgery 12 yrs ago. Now THAT was some good news, as
both the doc & the cath nurse said they looked amazingly well. The 3rd
artery, which was about 50% blocked 12 yrs, that they didn't bypass, was
about 40% blocked. I later saw the heart surgeon who had done the surgery
& told him, and he was so pleased I stopped to talk. Jimmy was a very
exceptional case back then, the youngest they had done in a new facility,
AND their first staph infection patient. Needless to say, he DID remember
us He said that if they looked that good now, they should last him
the rest of his life....as long as he doesn't smoke!
The cardiologist gave us some *unsettling* news, tho. His blood count
showed he was VERY anemic. Now he was 2 yrs ago, also. But the cardiologist
had ordered a consult w/a hematologist since we were already there. Well...
about 3:00 or so he gets wheeled down to that place, where the hemotologist
is also a oncologist (seems strange to me). Anyhoo.....we had to wait 2-1/2
hours to see him. By then, even after many many laps around the heart floor,
AND jumping jacks on the onc floor, I was goin' nuts. He had looked back
over Jimmy's history & said he was 'chronically anemic'...so wasn't so
worried. He ordered some more blood work, & Jimmy's to go back in a week
for MORE blood work. Then...possibly a bone marrow biopsy. So...we were
there from 7:30 to 6:30. At least this explains why my husband is sooo
tired all the time, I guess.
The end result is his bp med has been doubled already, and thankfully, the
cardio doc gave him a script for a mild diuretic, because his tummy is
always so bloated. And dh will go back to him next week to discuss other
meds. And hopefully the hemotologist will find out WHY he is so anemic.
But, nonetheless, he is a bit relieved nothing REALLY wrong was found today,
and I guess, so am I:) Although, I STILL would have liked that renal
artery to have been cleared, but...oh, well.
I told him I was ready to trade him in on a newer model! j/k of course.
But that guy has spent so much time in that hospital, it's ridiculous. The
bypass, then staph infection which nearly killed him, more surgery to
debreed the sternum of the infection, 2 neck fusions, rotator cuff surgery,
and other minor procedures such as colonoscopies, more arteriograms, etc.
etc. etc. But..........he was a 3pack a day Marlboro man b4 the bypass,
and has never had one since. Course he's gained quite a bit of weight,
substituting food for cigs. We make a *lovely* couple...LOLOL
So.........aren't you glad you read this thrilling post about my day? HA!
* stel *

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I WANT to....been 3 weeks for me!! But.....forecast looks dismal at this point.
Of course it can always change!
Ya know what was the *coolest* thing about yesterday. In the rooms now, you can
access the internet ~ via monitor hooked up to TV & a keyboard. But by the time
they got me a keyboard
it was afternoon, and then.....I *broke* it. Got to AOL thru the TV, but neither
of the 2 keyboards would work for me, and none of the nurses knew how.
Called maintenance & left msg, but then it was time to go to the hemotology lab.
Oh, well.....its a neat thing anyway....for those like me who don't have a laptop:)
* Stel *
kim
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rofl...thanks for that chuckle. We actually DID go horseback riding....just walk,
not even a trot....thru Cades Cove in the Smoky Mtn Natl Park a few years ago.
They have a *stand* you can stand on to get on the horsies. It was fun!
* Stel *
kim
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Thanks, Kim. For all you still-single youngsters out there....this "for better or
worse, in sickness and in health* thing can be FOR REAL sometimes! So make sure
you know what you are doing!!! LOL We were only married for 3 yrs before "he went
for a physical and got filleted" (I got him a t-shirt made that said that after all
the by-pass mess!!)
* Stel *
xoxoxoxo Mae
ps...You know I strongly advocate that riding a horse is wonderful medicine. To control an animal 10 times your size is quite amazing and gives you a great feeling. I say go for a ride by the lake...the horses can handle it (;)
pss...I STILL use a mounting block while getting on my horse (;) Helps to keep his back healthy and strong (without me pulling it over all the time)(;)
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Whew, thanks, Mel...for that tidbit of knowledge. No horses for us to ride at the
lake, but...it IS nice to know that using the mounting block is best for the horse...
and for US, too!!!!
* Stel *
Edited 8/21/2003 4:53:21 PM ET by peskygirl1
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