(sung to the tune of "Tomorrow" from the hit Broadway show, "Annie")
The stents will go in
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
Dave is done
Just thinking about
Tomorrow
Makes him feel so happy that tomorrow
Is the one
(chorus)
Tomorrow, tomorrow
We'll leave here, but not tomorrow
But leaving's only 2 more days away.
Yes, I'm getting a little more slap-happy and goofy as the days wear on. I am blessed with an intellect that would've taken me through law school or med school or maybe even into space...instead I use it to rewrite show tunes and create crass poems for friends' birthdays.
As you've inferred from the above foolishness, Dave's second heart cath (with stent placement this time) is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 a.m. His kidneys are about as good as they're going to get, from the creatinine perspective. He has to drink this horrid medication called MucoMist to protect the kidneys from the contrast dye; it is apparently a cross between rotten eggs and cow manure. The nurses even apologize for having to give it to him.
Assuming the stent placement goes well, it is very likely he can go home on Friday, or Saturday morning at the latest. WOOOO HOOOO!!! Before they'll discharge him, though, he and I have to attend "Heart School" together. Apparently this is where they will indoctrinate him with the diet, exercise and medication regimen necessary for stabilization of his heart and kidney disease. I'm told I will also receive carte blanche authorization to nag the stew out of him whenever I feel he has gone astray. So that'll be fun.
Leaving shortly to pick up children from school then bring them back to the hospital for a visit with Dad. Then it's back home to hand out candy to neighborhood Spidermen, Batmen, Cinderellas, hippies and hobos. And to keep an eye out for any miscreants with eggs or toilet paper - my man may not be at the house right now, but actually I'm the one they should be scared of. I am one mean motorscooter. Just ask my kids.
31 October 2012
30 October 2012
Impatient In-patient
A wise friend once told me that it isn't a good idea to pray for patience. Unlike other prayer requests, prayers for patience aren't usually answered with a yes or a no. Instead, they are answered with ridiculously challenging opportunities to practice. God doesn't just strike you with patience...
The Mister was admitted through the emergency room last Wednesday, October 24th, six days ago. He has never been in the hospital for more than outpatient surgery or diagnostics, so he is becoming increasingly irritable and discouraged with each passing inpatient day.
I went out a while ago to cast my early vote for next Tuesday's election and to request an absentee ballot for him. When I returned, I got a surly "welcome back" and a smattering of curse words, amidst which he informed me that he will be here until at least Friday. The cardiologist stopped back by while I was out and explained that they cannot inject him with contrast dye two days in a row.
So regardless of whatever his creatinine looks like in the morning, the soonest they can do the stents will be Thursday. As previously mentioned, they will not discharge him until 24-48 hours after the stents have been placed.
We went for a little walk around the 5th floor, where he half-jokingly identified the locations of all emergency exits and the elevators. I'm thinking I should take his street clothes back home with me to discourage any attempt to escape. In the event that you come across a goateed, bare-bottomed man in socks and a blue hospital gown making his way towards the nearest Subway, give me a jingle.
The Mister was admitted through the emergency room last Wednesday, October 24th, six days ago. He has never been in the hospital for more than outpatient surgery or diagnostics, so he is becoming increasingly irritable and discouraged with each passing inpatient day.
I went out a while ago to cast my early vote for next Tuesday's election and to request an absentee ballot for him. When I returned, I got a surly "welcome back" and a smattering of curse words, amidst which he informed me that he will be here until at least Friday. The cardiologist stopped back by while I was out and explained that they cannot inject him with contrast dye two days in a row.
So regardless of whatever his creatinine looks like in the morning, the soonest they can do the stents will be Thursday. As previously mentioned, they will not discharge him until 24-48 hours after the stents have been placed.
We went for a little walk around the 5th floor, where he half-jokingly identified the locations of all emergency exits and the elevators. I'm thinking I should take his street clothes back home with me to discourage any attempt to escape. In the event that you come across a goateed, bare-bottomed man in socks and a blue hospital gown making his way towards the nearest Subway, give me a jingle.
Not So Good News.
A friend recently told me that, when you are waiting for a loved one who is having cardiac catheterization, you can project the general outcome by the amount of time you are left sitting in the family waiting room. The longer the wait, the greater the likelihood of a good outcome - it takes longer to give a fully confident opinion that there is little or no blockage.
The Mister went in at 7:50 a.m.
They came to get me at 8:20.
The good news is that the cardiologist was able to go in through the radial artery in his right wrist - no groin puncture, which is a bright shiny silver lining.
When they brought me back to the recovery area, the Mister was resting quietly but awake. We waited together for the cardiologist to come tell us his findings. I held my husband's hand for a few minutes, then noticed a restroom right across from his bedside. Having had two large cups of coffee to jumpstart my morning, I succumbed to the biological call and said, "I will be RIGHT back, do not talk to the doctor without me."
Ninety seconds later, I returned to the bedside, where the Mister informed me that the doctor had already come and gone. As my frustration mounted, he said, "yes, and he told me that I am in urgent need of custom intervention from Five Guys Burgers and Fries." It was then that I smacked him.
The cardiologist came shortly thereafter and gave us the not so good news. The Mister has cardiac disease throughout his heart, with two major areas of significant arterial blockage (one is 95% blocked, the other 80%). Because his kidneys are still underperforming, today's cath was limited to diagnostic purposes only - the cardiologist did not do any stenting because it would've required more dye than his kidneys could safely process today.
In other circumstances, a bypass would be a preferable option but because of his kidney issues and combined with the location of the blockages, the MD thinks that the stents in those two areas are the best option with a very high likelihood of successful restoration of open arterial flow.
Unfortunately, they cannot place the stents until his kidneys can flush today's round of contrast dye, then recover enough to process a larger quantity of dye so they can pinpoint where the stents should go. We would be most grateful if you praying types out there would pray for healing of his kidneys as well as his heart; he can't go home until 24-48 hours after the stents are placed, and they can't place the stents until his kidneys can handle the dye. Tomorrow will be one full week as an inpatient; while I may be disappointed, he is extremely discouraged.
In a half-hearted effort to practice what I preach, I am working hard to find some gratitude at the moment. But I am working on it...
1. My husband is alive and alert and loves his life and his family and his Savior.
2. There are things to do to help improve his other blockages (medicines, cardiac rehab, more weight loss).
3. Everything about Northside Forsyth Hospital is fantastic - nurses, doctors, room and facilities, housekeeping, food, parking...you name it, it has been awesome.
4. We have health insurance. (worth repeating frequently)
5. God is in charge, not me, and His plan for our lives is always perfect. You'd think I would be clear on that fact by now.
He respectfully and lovingly asks that we keep visitors and calls to a minimum today and tomorrow; he knows how very much his friends love him, and it is absolutely not because he doesn't want to see anyone. But he is very tired and doesn't feel particularly well.
I may well blog again this afternoon just to purge some of the gunk in my own head at the moment but am signing off for now. Thanks again for your prayers and affection.
The Mister went in at 7:50 a.m.
They came to get me at 8:20.
The good news is that the cardiologist was able to go in through the radial artery in his right wrist - no groin puncture, which is a bright shiny silver lining.
When they brought me back to the recovery area, the Mister was resting quietly but awake. We waited together for the cardiologist to come tell us his findings. I held my husband's hand for a few minutes, then noticed a restroom right across from his bedside. Having had two large cups of coffee to jumpstart my morning, I succumbed to the biological call and said, "I will be RIGHT back, do not talk to the doctor without me."
Ninety seconds later, I returned to the bedside, where the Mister informed me that the doctor had already come and gone. As my frustration mounted, he said, "yes, and he told me that I am in urgent need of custom intervention from Five Guys Burgers and Fries." It was then that I smacked him.
The cardiologist came shortly thereafter and gave us the not so good news. The Mister has cardiac disease throughout his heart, with two major areas of significant arterial blockage (one is 95% blocked, the other 80%). Because his kidneys are still underperforming, today's cath was limited to diagnostic purposes only - the cardiologist did not do any stenting because it would've required more dye than his kidneys could safely process today.
In other circumstances, a bypass would be a preferable option but because of his kidney issues and combined with the location of the blockages, the MD thinks that the stents in those two areas are the best option with a very high likelihood of successful restoration of open arterial flow.
Unfortunately, they cannot place the stents until his kidneys can flush today's round of contrast dye, then recover enough to process a larger quantity of dye so they can pinpoint where the stents should go. We would be most grateful if you praying types out there would pray for healing of his kidneys as well as his heart; he can't go home until 24-48 hours after the stents are placed, and they can't place the stents until his kidneys can handle the dye. Tomorrow will be one full week as an inpatient; while I may be disappointed, he is extremely discouraged.
In a half-hearted effort to practice what I preach, I am working hard to find some gratitude at the moment. But I am working on it...
1. My husband is alive and alert and loves his life and his family and his Savior.
2. There are things to do to help improve his other blockages (medicines, cardiac rehab, more weight loss).
3. Everything about Northside Forsyth Hospital is fantastic - nurses, doctors, room and facilities, housekeeping, food, parking...you name it, it has been awesome.
4. We have health insurance. (worth repeating frequently)
5. God is in charge, not me, and His plan for our lives is always perfect. You'd think I would be clear on that fact by now.
He respectfully and lovingly asks that we keep visitors and calls to a minimum today and tomorrow; he knows how very much his friends love him, and it is absolutely not because he doesn't want to see anyone. But he is very tired and doesn't feel particularly well.
I may well blog again this afternoon just to purge some of the gunk in my own head at the moment but am signing off for now. Thanks again for your prayers and affection.
Houston, We Have A Problem
It may not be a big problem, but it's a tad unnerving to say the least.
The Mister's creatinine went up last night (2.3 from yesterday's 2), meaning that his kidneys may have problems processing the contrast dye necessary to do the heart catheterization this morning.
However, the cardiologist and nephrologist decided to move forward with the diagnostic element of the heart cath. They will use a very light amount of dye in order to evaluate the location and degree of blockage, but they are not going to do anything in the way of angioplasty/stent today. Today's procedure is diagnostic only; in order to do any repair work, it would require more contrast dye than his kidneys could handle.
To say he is disappointed is an understatement. He was expecting to go home later today or tomorrow; the cardiologist reset his expectations to be at least 48 hours, depending on what they find. He did say that, if they find nothing at all, then he could possibly go home tomorrow, but he felt that was highly unlikely.
Those who know him will agree that the Mister is one hairy bear, and they had to shave a good portion of his arm and groin (not sure which they will use for the cath entry). Grump factor escalated to DEFCON 3. Yet he didn't seem scared when they took him back; quite frankly, he appeared more concerned about my impending flood of tears. Somehow or another I manage to make every doggone situation all about me. Selfish.
I'm in the family waiting area as I write this; my dad is on his way from Knoxville to wait with me, which is a pretty good egg thing to do. I could use a little company right about now.
Will follow up with an update after the procedure. Prayers appreciated.
The Mister's creatinine went up last night (2.3 from yesterday's 2), meaning that his kidneys may have problems processing the contrast dye necessary to do the heart catheterization this morning.
However, the cardiologist and nephrologist decided to move forward with the diagnostic element of the heart cath. They will use a very light amount of dye in order to evaluate the location and degree of blockage, but they are not going to do anything in the way of angioplasty/stent today. Today's procedure is diagnostic only; in order to do any repair work, it would require more contrast dye than his kidneys could handle.
To say he is disappointed is an understatement. He was expecting to go home later today or tomorrow; the cardiologist reset his expectations to be at least 48 hours, depending on what they find. He did say that, if they find nothing at all, then he could possibly go home tomorrow, but he felt that was highly unlikely.
Those who know him will agree that the Mister is one hairy bear, and they had to shave a good portion of his arm and groin (not sure which they will use for the cath entry). Grump factor escalated to DEFCON 3. Yet he didn't seem scared when they took him back; quite frankly, he appeared more concerned about my impending flood of tears. Somehow or another I manage to make every doggone situation all about me. Selfish.
I'm in the family waiting area as I write this; my dad is on his way from Knoxville to wait with me, which is a pretty good egg thing to do. I could use a little company right about now.
Will follow up with an update after the procedure. Prayers appreciated.
29 October 2012
No-Go. Rats and Phooey.
Good news and less good news.
The good news is that the Mister's creatinine level has fallen again today (which is a very good thing); this morning he is at a 2. The goal was to get him down to a 2 before the physicians felt it was safe enough to move forward with heart catheterization.
The less good news: both the cardiologist and nephrologist agree that, since he does not seem to be in immediate danger of another heart event, they are going to wait another day to do the heart cath. If his creatinine has been decreasing every day, then it stands to reason that it will probably stabilize at 2 or maybe even go down again tomorrow. The thinking is that if it's safe today, then it should be even safer tomorrow. Last thing he needs is to mess up his kidneys while they're trying to fix his heart.
But the discouragement in this room right now is palpable - this being his sixth day in the hospital. He has never been an inpatient before (well, except a pneumonia stay when he was a baby), and he is beyond ready to go home.
The kids and I are ready for him to come home too - the three of us have concluded that I would be a disastrous single mother. The Mister spoils me with hot and regular meals, clean laundry, balanced checkbook, lawn mowed, lightbulbs changed, homework done, discipline doled out...while I'd like to think that I haven't taken him for granted, I'm getting a crash course in understanding how much that I have done just that - for years.
Not kicking myself too hard - my contributions to the health and operations of our household are also of value - but I have a new appreciation for all that he does to keep us solvent and hygienic.
With the cardiologist's blessing, today we are going for a walk around the 5th floor both for a little exercise as well as a change of scenery. There is only so much t.v. a person can watch before they go completely crazy.
More news and/or general blather forthcoming. TTFN.
The good news is that the Mister's creatinine level has fallen again today (which is a very good thing); this morning he is at a 2. The goal was to get him down to a 2 before the physicians felt it was safe enough to move forward with heart catheterization.
The less good news: both the cardiologist and nephrologist agree that, since he does not seem to be in immediate danger of another heart event, they are going to wait another day to do the heart cath. If his creatinine has been decreasing every day, then it stands to reason that it will probably stabilize at 2 or maybe even go down again tomorrow. The thinking is that if it's safe today, then it should be even safer tomorrow. Last thing he needs is to mess up his kidneys while they're trying to fix his heart.
But the discouragement in this room right now is palpable - this being his sixth day in the hospital. He has never been an inpatient before (well, except a pneumonia stay when he was a baby), and he is beyond ready to go home.
The kids and I are ready for him to come home too - the three of us have concluded that I would be a disastrous single mother. The Mister spoils me with hot and regular meals, clean laundry, balanced checkbook, lawn mowed, lightbulbs changed, homework done, discipline doled out...while I'd like to think that I haven't taken him for granted, I'm getting a crash course in understanding how much that I have done just that - for years.
Not kicking myself too hard - my contributions to the health and operations of our household are also of value - but I have a new appreciation for all that he does to keep us solvent and hygienic.
With the cardiologist's blessing, today we are going for a walk around the 5th floor both for a little exercise as well as a change of scenery. There is only so much t.v. a person can watch before they go completely crazy.
More news and/or general blather forthcoming. TTFN.
28 October 2012
Go / No-go...We're a GO!
It's a GO; Dave's cardiac catheterization is going to happen tomorrow. The cardiologist and nephrologist agree that he's probably not going to go a whole lot lower than 2.3 or 2.2 (especially since he was at 1.9 a couple of months ago), and it's becoming more important to find out what's going on with my sweetheart's heart.
Apparently cardiologists like to stay nimble from the scheduling perspective. I need to know what time the procedure will occur so I can be sure to pack the kids off to school and get to the hospital. Just like Comcast or Ashley Furniture, it will be sometime between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
As soon as I know, you'll know. Let's plan on praying for him the whole day, just to be safe...
Apparently cardiologists like to stay nimble from the scheduling perspective. I need to know what time the procedure will occur so I can be sure to pack the kids off to school and get to the hospital. Just like Comcast or Ashley Furniture, it will be sometime between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
As soon as I know, you'll know. Let's plan on praying for him the whole day, just to be safe...
Big News from the Front Lines
This just in:
The Mister's creatinine level is
2.3
this morning, down from 2.8 yesterday! Praise the LORD!
Heart catheterization tomorrow we hope. Sounds kind of funny to be excited about somebody running a camera wire up through his artery, but what can I say. We're twisted, even on a good day.
Gratitude List - October 28
I gave a good friend some unsolicited but well-meant advice yesterday, and the hypocrisy is hard to miss.
I was told several years ago that the best way to find relief from the gerbil wheel of worry and self-pity is to make a gratitude list. Doesn't have to be fancy or complex; sometimes the simple things are the most valuable...as my friend often says, the main things are the plain things.
Since it annoys me to bump into my own hypocrisy, I'll be periodically using the blog to examine those things for which I'm grateful - feel free to hold me accountable if you see more of the gerbil wheel than the gratitude. (I am probably going to regret that last comment.)
1. Dave's health crisis could have been SO much worse; he is hugging us, laughing with us, cutting up with us...and though the heart muscle itself is weakened at the moment, the contents have never been more treasured.
2. We have health insurance. (see number 1.)
3. We have the kinds of family and friends who will drop everything they are doing and come running when the house is on fire, or even when I just think I smell smoke. Some drive fifteen hours across seven states for a 2-day visit; some come get the kids at 3 a.m.; some bring meals; some pray fervently; some cut us a lot of slack; some gently nudge me towards truth, some not so gently - more like a good hard shove; and some who offer to do anything, be anywhere, and just love us until we call.
4. I have good coffee this morning.
5. Last but probably most important of all: I have absolute certainty of the truth and grace of Jesus Christ. Paul says that his grace is sufficient for me. Lord, how I love that word, "sufficient". I don't usually feel sufficient - and, the truth is that I am not sufficient without his grace, patience and unconditional love.
An attitude of gratitude is what I'm choosing to take with me into the day - Lord, please help me to remember the power of gratitude.
I was told several years ago that the best way to find relief from the gerbil wheel of worry and self-pity is to make a gratitude list. Doesn't have to be fancy or complex; sometimes the simple things are the most valuable...as my friend often says, the main things are the plain things.
Since it annoys me to bump into my own hypocrisy, I'll be periodically using the blog to examine those things for which I'm grateful - feel free to hold me accountable if you see more of the gerbil wheel than the gratitude. (I am probably going to regret that last comment.)
1. Dave's health crisis could have been SO much worse; he is hugging us, laughing with us, cutting up with us...and though the heart muscle itself is weakened at the moment, the contents have never been more treasured.
2. We have health insurance. (see number 1.)
3. We have the kinds of family and friends who will drop everything they are doing and come running when the house is on fire, or even when I just think I smell smoke. Some drive fifteen hours across seven states for a 2-day visit; some come get the kids at 3 a.m.; some bring meals; some pray fervently; some cut us a lot of slack; some gently nudge me towards truth, some not so gently - more like a good hard shove; and some who offer to do anything, be anywhere, and just love us until we call.
4. I have good coffee this morning.
5. Last but probably most important of all: I have absolute certainty of the truth and grace of Jesus Christ. Paul says that his grace is sufficient for me. Lord, how I love that word, "sufficient". I don't usually feel sufficient - and, the truth is that I am not sufficient without his grace, patience and unconditional love.
An attitude of gratitude is what I'm choosing to take with me into the day - Lord, please help me to remember the power of gratitude.
27 October 2012
Dave Watch - Saturday afternoon update
Saturdays have got to be the most boring day of the week in a hospital. Not that any other day is all that thrilling when you're just waiting around to get better, but apparently time stands completely still on Saturday.
However, the Mister and I are watching our Tennessee Volunteers give South Carolina a run for their money. Given the fact that his heart is weak right now, we may have to change the channel in the fourth quarter if the Vols stay consistent with this season's nail-biting heartbreakers.
About the Mister: he is about the same as yesterday. Creatinine went up another point (2.8 today), so the nephrologist told us a little while ago that the heart cath is more likely to happen on Tuesday than Monday. It needs to be more stable - although the goal is to get him down below 2, if he got it to 2.2 and it stays there for a couple of days, they will probably go ahead and do the procedure.
On a happy note, his sisters arrived last night and he has been smiling ever since. They don't see each other often, especially since they live fifteen hours away. Wonderful women - not only have they driven across the country to see their big brother, but they also took the Boy and the Girl for a Saturday afternoon outing, giving the Mister and me some quiet private time just to sit and be together. Well, and to watch Tennessee football...
He is tired...very tired. Just doesn't seem to be his usual fractious curmudgeonly self.
Treasured visits from our pastor and our deacon this afternoon gave him the warm fuzzies (although he probably wouldn't use that exact phrase).
On a humorous note: apparently patients dealing with kidney issues sometimes undergo a test requiring them to save and freeze their pee over a full 24-hour cycle. Dave's frozen pee, sitting in an ice bucket in the bathroom, was cracking me up and horrifying the Girl. Thankfully the cycle is now over and he can return to standard waste disposal protocols.
OH MY GOSH, TENNESSEE JUST SCORED! Scoot over, sweetie, my heart can't take it, either!
However, the Mister and I are watching our Tennessee Volunteers give South Carolina a run for their money. Given the fact that his heart is weak right now, we may have to change the channel in the fourth quarter if the Vols stay consistent with this season's nail-biting heartbreakers.
About the Mister: he is about the same as yesterday. Creatinine went up another point (2.8 today), so the nephrologist told us a little while ago that the heart cath is more likely to happen on Tuesday than Monday. It needs to be more stable - although the goal is to get him down below 2, if he got it to 2.2 and it stays there for a couple of days, they will probably go ahead and do the procedure.
On a happy note, his sisters arrived last night and he has been smiling ever since. They don't see each other often, especially since they live fifteen hours away. Wonderful women - not only have they driven across the country to see their big brother, but they also took the Boy and the Girl for a Saturday afternoon outing, giving the Mister and me some quiet private time just to sit and be together. Well, and to watch Tennessee football...
He is tired...very tired. Just doesn't seem to be his usual fractious curmudgeonly self.
Treasured visits from our pastor and our deacon this afternoon gave him the warm fuzzies (although he probably wouldn't use that exact phrase).
On a humorous note: apparently patients dealing with kidney issues sometimes undergo a test requiring them to save and freeze their pee over a full 24-hour cycle. Dave's frozen pee, sitting in an ice bucket in the bathroom, was cracking me up and horrifying the Girl. Thankfully the cycle is now over and he can return to standard waste disposal protocols.
OH MY GOSH, TENNESSEE JUST SCORED! Scoot over, sweetie, my heart can't take it, either!
26 October 2012
Hot off the presses...
News flash - apparently somebody up on the cardiac floor has vacated, so the Mister is moving out of ICU up to room 5077 within the next hour or two. HALLELUJAH!!!!!
More news tomorrow -- or sooner if I get a nudge.
More news tomorrow -- or sooner if I get a nudge.
Room and Bored
Three-thirty p.m.
Despite earlier statements to the contrary, it appears that the Mister will not be leaving ICU today after all. Not due to any deterioration in health status but because there are no beds open on the cardiac unit...they are actually sending their overflow patients to ICU. Personally, I think it is very selfish of all those other people with heart attacks to be hogging the good beds.
He's sound asleep at the moment and I don't want to wake him with news that will just make him grumpy, so let's keep this between us for now, ok?
Despite earlier statements to the contrary, it appears that the Mister will not be leaving ICU today after all. Not due to any deterioration in health status but because there are no beds open on the cardiac unit...they are actually sending their overflow patients to ICU. Personally, I think it is very selfish of all those other people with heart attacks to be hogging the good beds.
He's sound asleep at the moment and I don't want to wake him with news that will just make him grumpy, so let's keep this between us for now, ok?
A Heart-y Good Morning
Howdy all - it's a new day in the ICU, and the Mister is entirely ready to make like a tree and leave. He reports being a bit crabby upon awakening early this morning - I missed it, thank goodness. When I arrived, two of his buddies were already here and cheering him up. Thanks guys!
The cardiologist and the nephrologist have both been by to see him this morning, and there is much to celebrate. He has been pretty stable ever since being admitted on Wednesday, so they are moving him out of ICU later today and up to the cardiac care floor. Still a lot of hovering and monitoring and stabbing with sharp objects, but at least he will be allowed to get up and walk around and make use of standard plumbing apparatus. Enough said.
More good news - his lungs are clearing, meaning that the fluid buildup associated with congestive heart failure is subsiding. He is able to lie down now - while not completely flat just yet, certainly more horizontal than he's been in at least a week.
Now the less good news. His creatinine level is increasing which is not a good thing (see earlier post). It is 2.7 today, whereas it was 2.3 yesterday. It has to be under 2.0 before they will do the heart cath - too much concern about further kidney damage. The very nice nephrologist said that she isn't surprised by the increase and she is confident that it will peak today or tomorrow then start coming back down by Monday or Tuesday. Until it's below 2, they can't do squat.
The dietitian came by a little while ago to go over his new "heart-healthy" diet that he is expected to follow, from now and forever, right up until the Rapture.
I must pause here to share a word of irritating irony. For the last six months, we have been zealous about elimination of all gluten, processed foods, sugar, faux sugar, inks, dyes - if God didn't make it, we ain't eating it.
But God DID make salt, and by gum, that's got to go too. As the dietitian rattled of the list of no-no foods, it became increasingly clear that future meals at our house will consist of a wide range of lettuce and cucumber varieties. The children will be so pleased.
I think he is discouraged that this adventure is stretching out into a longer stay than he'd hoped, but he is also slowly coming to the realization that this wasn't just an episode of bronchitis or bad gas.
I will give an "end-of-day" report before I turn in tonight, assuming that nothing exciting happens between now and then. Happy Friday, y'all -
The cardiologist and the nephrologist have both been by to see him this morning, and there is much to celebrate. He has been pretty stable ever since being admitted on Wednesday, so they are moving him out of ICU later today and up to the cardiac care floor. Still a lot of hovering and monitoring and stabbing with sharp objects, but at least he will be allowed to get up and walk around and make use of standard plumbing apparatus. Enough said.
More good news - his lungs are clearing, meaning that the fluid buildup associated with congestive heart failure is subsiding. He is able to lie down now - while not completely flat just yet, certainly more horizontal than he's been in at least a week.
Now the less good news. His creatinine level is increasing which is not a good thing (see earlier post). It is 2.7 today, whereas it was 2.3 yesterday. It has to be under 2.0 before they will do the heart cath - too much concern about further kidney damage. The very nice nephrologist said that she isn't surprised by the increase and she is confident that it will peak today or tomorrow then start coming back down by Monday or Tuesday. Until it's below 2, they can't do squat.
The dietitian came by a little while ago to go over his new "heart-healthy" diet that he is expected to follow, from now and forever, right up until the Rapture.
I must pause here to share a word of irritating irony. For the last six months, we have been zealous about elimination of all gluten, processed foods, sugar, faux sugar, inks, dyes - if God didn't make it, we ain't eating it.
But God DID make salt, and by gum, that's got to go too. As the dietitian rattled of the list of no-no foods, it became increasingly clear that future meals at our house will consist of a wide range of lettuce and cucumber varieties. The children will be so pleased.
I think he is discouraged that this adventure is stretching out into a longer stay than he'd hoped, but he is also slowly coming to the realization that this wasn't just an episode of bronchitis or bad gas.
I will give an "end-of-day" report before I turn in tonight, assuming that nothing exciting happens between now and then. Happy Friday, y'all -
25 October 2012
I Heart You Very Much
Hey - those of you looking for updates on the Mister will be able to find them here for the foreseeable future. Facebook just isn't the right place to give all the details.
How we got here: as you probably know, the Mister is type II diabetic. Neither one of us took very good care of ourselves over the last 20 years, but we've both cleaned up our act in the last 6-8 months. His hemoglobin A1C (cheat-proof blood sugar test) is better than its ever been, and he looks downright hawt.
But also in the last few months, other health issues have been cropping up. He developed a severe infection in his right foot in early August which resulted in six weeks of IV antibiotics and amputation of his pinkie toe. About three weeks ago, he was complaining that he felt tired all the time - well, who wouldn't after all that?
Then, last Thursday, he started wheezing and complaining of shortness of breath. He went to our family doctor who diagnosed bronchitis and sent him home with antibiotics and cough syrup, but also sent him to have a chest x-ray on Friday morning.
From Friday until Monday morning, he only slept maybe 4 hours. The rest of the time he spent trying to get comfortable...everytime he would lie down, he would gag and cough horribly and have to sit back up to catch his breath.
I nagged him to go back to the doctor on Monday, where he learned from the x-ray results that he had fluid in his lungs. The doctor gave him a diuretic called Lasix to help get rid of the fluid but also told him to go to the ER if anything got worse.
On Tuesday morning, he woke up with sharp neck and shoulder pain. By 11 a.m. I had nagged him into the ER (do you see a pattern here?), where they did an EKG and a bunch of blood work. And that is when we learned that he had suffered a major heart attack sometime within the previous 4-5 days.
The crazy thing is that neither of us know when it happened. When I think "heart attack", I think of Fred Sanford clutching his chest with one hand and holding the other one up to heaven, hollering, "I'm comin Elizabeth - it's the big one!"
The Mister did no such thing. He coughed a lot and couldn't sleep and used all my good asthma drugs, but there was no chest-clutching at all.
Another irritating byproduct of type II diabetes is diminished kidney function (some of you may recall with fondness his kidney stone surgery 2 years ago). Why is this relevant? you are asking yourself. Well, I will tell you. Heart attack victims need to undergo a heart catheterization to figure out why the heart attack occurred and what needs to be done to fix it. A heart catheterization involves shooting contrast dye throughout the cardiovascular system, then shoving a camera tube up through an artery in the groin and into the heart to see what's what.
Kidneys don't like the taste of contrast dye, even on a good day, and they really really don't like it when they're not working well. It might even make them shut down the office and call it quits.
Everyone's kidneys put out this protein called creatinine; normal creatinine level for fine folks such as yourself is around 1.1 or 1.2. The Mister's creatinine has been 1.7 for the last couple of years; yesterday it was 1.9 and today it is 2.3. It has to go below a 2 before anybody will even think of shooting him up with contrast dye.
So...right now we wait and let the good people in the intensive care unit get his kidneys to straighten up and fly right so he can have a heart cath. Once he has the heart cath, we will know for sure the extent of damage to his heart from the attack and what needs to be done to help him get better. According to the cardiologist, and based on the echocardiogram (aka heart ultrasound), about 50% of the Mister's heart is not working at the moment. There is also something called an EF, or ejection fraction, that tells the MD how well his heart is pumping. I think the phrase ejection fraction sounds a tad suggestive, but then again, my mind is generally somewhere near the gutter at any given point during the day.
At a minimum, he will have an angioplasty (aka, the balloon thingie) in the next few days...but it is also possible that he may need stent(s) and even perhaps bypass surgery. Won't know until they can do that doggone heart cath.
Check back here for updates tomorrow and through the weekend. Love from the Missus.
How we got here: as you probably know, the Mister is type II diabetic. Neither one of us took very good care of ourselves over the last 20 years, but we've both cleaned up our act in the last 6-8 months. His hemoglobin A1C (cheat-proof blood sugar test) is better than its ever been, and he looks downright hawt.
But also in the last few months, other health issues have been cropping up. He developed a severe infection in his right foot in early August which resulted in six weeks of IV antibiotics and amputation of his pinkie toe. About three weeks ago, he was complaining that he felt tired all the time - well, who wouldn't after all that?
Then, last Thursday, he started wheezing and complaining of shortness of breath. He went to our family doctor who diagnosed bronchitis and sent him home with antibiotics and cough syrup, but also sent him to have a chest x-ray on Friday morning.
From Friday until Monday morning, he only slept maybe 4 hours. The rest of the time he spent trying to get comfortable...everytime he would lie down, he would gag and cough horribly and have to sit back up to catch his breath.
I nagged him to go back to the doctor on Monday, where he learned from the x-ray results that he had fluid in his lungs. The doctor gave him a diuretic called Lasix to help get rid of the fluid but also told him to go to the ER if anything got worse.
On Tuesday morning, he woke up with sharp neck and shoulder pain. By 11 a.m. I had nagged him into the ER (do you see a pattern here?), where they did an EKG and a bunch of blood work. And that is when we learned that he had suffered a major heart attack sometime within the previous 4-5 days.
The crazy thing is that neither of us know when it happened. When I think "heart attack", I think of Fred Sanford clutching his chest with one hand and holding the other one up to heaven, hollering, "I'm comin Elizabeth - it's the big one!"
The Mister did no such thing. He coughed a lot and couldn't sleep and used all my good asthma drugs, but there was no chest-clutching at all.
Another irritating byproduct of type II diabetes is diminished kidney function (some of you may recall with fondness his kidney stone surgery 2 years ago). Why is this relevant? you are asking yourself. Well, I will tell you. Heart attack victims need to undergo a heart catheterization to figure out why the heart attack occurred and what needs to be done to fix it. A heart catheterization involves shooting contrast dye throughout the cardiovascular system, then shoving a camera tube up through an artery in the groin and into the heart to see what's what.
Kidneys don't like the taste of contrast dye, even on a good day, and they really really don't like it when they're not working well. It might even make them shut down the office and call it quits.
Everyone's kidneys put out this protein called creatinine; normal creatinine level for fine folks such as yourself is around 1.1 or 1.2. The Mister's creatinine has been 1.7 for the last couple of years; yesterday it was 1.9 and today it is 2.3. It has to go below a 2 before anybody will even think of shooting him up with contrast dye.
So...right now we wait and let the good people in the intensive care unit get his kidneys to straighten up and fly right so he can have a heart cath. Once he has the heart cath, we will know for sure the extent of damage to his heart from the attack and what needs to be done to help him get better. According to the cardiologist, and based on the echocardiogram (aka heart ultrasound), about 50% of the Mister's heart is not working at the moment. There is also something called an EF, or ejection fraction, that tells the MD how well his heart is pumping. I think the phrase ejection fraction sounds a tad suggestive, but then again, my mind is generally somewhere near the gutter at any given point during the day.
At a minimum, he will have an angioplasty (aka, the balloon thingie) in the next few days...but it is also possible that he may need stent(s) and even perhaps bypass surgery. Won't know until they can do that doggone heart cath.
Check back here for updates tomorrow and through the weekend. Love from the Missus.
08 October 2012
Sabbatical
I last blogged on May 28th.
Today is October 8th.
I thought about making up an excuse about why it's been four months since I wrote anything - exile to a leper colony? Amnesia after a horrifying cruise ship accident? Early onset Alzheimers, with no memory of my blog address or password?
Nah. Good old fashioned laziness is pretty much the truth, and the truth just set me free.
Maybe "lazy" isn't the best word for it, because the last four months have been wild. The Mister has been very ill with diabetes-related issues for a few months; the Girl had pneumonia for a couple of weeks; the Boy remains mostly naughty and quarrelsome; and I have been on extended pity parades into Caregiverland.
Work is, well, it's work - otherwise they would call it something else. When I try to answer my daughter's question about what do I do at work, it comes out all lame and boring.
More next time, which won't be four months from now.
Today is October 8th.
I thought about making up an excuse about why it's been four months since I wrote anything - exile to a leper colony? Amnesia after a horrifying cruise ship accident? Early onset Alzheimers, with no memory of my blog address or password?
Nah. Good old fashioned laziness is pretty much the truth, and the truth just set me free.
Maybe "lazy" isn't the best word for it, because the last four months have been wild. The Mister has been very ill with diabetes-related issues for a few months; the Girl had pneumonia for a couple of weeks; the Boy remains mostly naughty and quarrelsome; and I have been on extended pity parades into Caregiverland.
Work is, well, it's work - otherwise they would call it something else. When I try to answer my daughter's question about what do I do at work, it comes out all lame and boring.
"Well, sweetie, I talk on the phone a lot and go to several meetings,
and I use the computer for most of the day, and I.."
"Mommy, do you make stuff?"
"Um, well, no."
"Do you sell stuff?"
"Not exactly."
"Do you take care of people like a doctor or a nurse?"
"No, baby. Mommy works for an insurance company."
"Oh. I see."
More next time, which won't be four months from now.
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