Lovely. Make sure you tell me every horrid detail of everything that could happen... don't hold back!
This news did more harm than good for me, especially since I live out in the country and it takes exactly twenty minutes to get into town from here. I left the IV Center stunned, feeling defeated and basically just numb. There were just no words. For the longest time, I found myself waiting on this event to happen on a daily basis. That thought and those words were never far from my mind.
Fast forward to last Friday night... I am now fairly used to the routine I am put through once I get into the ER. First of all, I have this card that I call my 'Fast Pass', which takes me straight to the back with nurses ready and waiting on me. I never have to wait. I'd like to think of it as divine favor, but in reality, everybody knows that chest pains and cardiac patients take priority.
Since having surgery and the valve repaired, things seemed to be getting better, to an extent. I noticed that I still had trouble keeping up with the group on outtings or just getting through the grocery store in a timely manner like before... most everything has changed as far as my stamina is concerned and it's a bitter pill to swallow sometimes. Well, most all the time and it just plain sucks not being able to do and go like before. It is what it is... for now. That's my new favorite saying.
Back in the ER, blood was drawn, IV's were inserted in my hand, EKG's completed in record time, chest x-ray done, oxygen canula stuck up my nose and vitals were being monitored regularly. Finally, after receiving lab results, everything looked within the normal range except the numbers they check for excess fluid buildup. Hmmmm... imagine that. Now, it wasn't extremely high, but they did decide that I should up my dosage of Torsemide, which is like Lasix. Here is where it gets complicated... too much Torsemide dehydrates me and makes me sicker than a dog. Too little and I'm on my way back to the Emergency Room due to fluid buildup. It's a tricky little thing, but something I just have to watch closely for now.
As you are probably aware, after a trip to the ER, you are advised to follow-up with your physician within the next few days. Knowing the office routine, just as in the ER, there would be the basic examination and lots of questioning. So, I decided to just call and leave a message for my doc's nurse to explain everything to him and see if it might be worth doing another Angiogram (this is the procedure where they stick the catheter up through the groin area - yowch - and thread it through the arteries to the heart and shoot you with dye to check for blockage) to see why I'm not progressing as I should. He called back, left a message and basically agreed that we should go in and see what is going on.
Yay. (Again, said in my Kourtney Kardashian monotone response.) Thinking back... I'm hoping and praying this isn't another ICD install procedure nightmare where I woke up during all the 'fun'!
This procedure will take place next week and we will see if there is more blockage, if the valve repair is still in place or what the heck is going on. Hopefully, nothing that can't be fixed right there and then... a stent, maybe? Whatever the outcome, one thing I do know at this moment in time... I will not (I repeat: WILL NOT) be going through another heart surgery for obvious reasons.
So... for now, that is where things stand. Tonite, I am keeping two of my grandbabies so that they can be a wonderful distraction for me from the reality of what is going on with my body. I can hardly wait to get out the bubble machine, my camera and turn up the music!
I will update once I'm home and we know what's what, but for now, I would greatly appreciate your prayers... as always.
xoxoxo
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