May 18, 2009
Well, I've been getting all kinds of grief about not keeping up on the blog...I just figured that, once Lynn was out of the woods, everyone would breathe a collective sigh of relief, and go back to playing on-line poker again. Looks like I was wrong, so I'll try to catch up on all the events around here. Nothing nearly as exciting as chest incisions and multiple IVs filled with brightly colored fluids, but I'll try to make it interesting.
Ever since Lynn got released from the hospital after visit number 3, on Sunday, May 3rd, she has had no sign of the afib. It looks like it might be gone for good - yesterday, it was two weeks since she had problems with the old timing belt. She is still taking the medicine for it. The dosage dropped off today, but she will maintain this level for a while. We don't know when she will be taken off of it, but it seems that most of the time the 3 month mark is popular, so that might be what they are shooting for.
She did have another issue later on. After she got out of the hospital, she had some troubles with coughing. This was particularly bothersome when she was trying to sleep - she simply could not get a good night's rest. Also, coughing was pretty painful, since her chest and ribs still hurt from the surgery. She was unable to sleep anywhere but on the recliner in the couch. This caused a myriad of problems, as the couch is right in front of the TV, and she got to call the shots on the shows we watched. In addition, her ankles had a tendency to get swollen. Anyway, she finally called Dr. Blossom about it, and he had her get an x-ray. It turned out that she had a fluid build-up in the lining between her lungs and her chest wall. This is fairly common for heart surgery patients, but you want to take care of it as soon as possible, so that it doesn't turn into pneumonia. She was prescribed Lasik, which causes the body to get rid of extra fluid, plus a potassium supplement. The Lasik does such a good job of draining you that it pulls out some of the salts your body needs, and you have to make sure that you keep throwing them back into the body. Of course, we all know how the body gets rid of the fluids, so, let's just say, Lynn was making quite a few trips to one of the smaller rooms in the house, and I don't mean the linen closet.
The day after she took it, she felt much better. The coughing was way down, and she got a good night's rest. A few days later, she actually was feeling good enough to sleep in the bed, so that was a significant victory. Right now, she sometimes wakes up and can't get back to sleep, but that is due more to the fact that she sleeps much better on her side, something that she cannot do for a few more weeks.
Today, she went out to see Dr. Conaway, her personal physician. She is going to be going to him soon, and will phase out her interaction with the cardiac people. Funny thing was, Dr. Conaway was unaware that she had even had bypass surgery...can't believe he did not read the blog! He checked her out and things look like they are going well. She seemed to think so too - she drove for the first time since she was in the hospital. He mentioned something that was not all that welcome, but that, in retrospect, seems probable. He said that she will probably have difficulties with her ankle swelling for the rest of her life. The reason is, veins were removed in order that they be used for the heart bypass, and the circulation on the left leg is never going to return to what it was before the surgery. He did not think that this was going to be a major problem, however. I just hope she doesn't have to start buying different sized shoes for each foot! Dr. Conaway's office is also lining up her cardio-health work at the hospital. This is specialized for people that have had heart surgery, and will help her keep the heart muscle in shape. It has been highly recommended by everyone who has done it, and it is covered by insurance, so it should be good for her.
Tomorrow, she is going to see Dr. Blossom - originally, he was supposed to give her permission to drive at that appointment. However, since she is driving herself to get there, that seems like a pretty moot point now. He'll be checking out how the incisions are doing, plus will see how the heart characteristics look. After that, we should not have to see him anymore...at least till the NEXT surgery!
We've had quite a few people staying with us lately. Tim Miller spent a couple days with us last week - he kept Lynn company and helped out with the kids. He also did some housework, but I am not supposed to mention that. His wife Michelle, he was afraid, might find out that he had talent in that area, and she might start getting some unpleasant ideas about housework sharing. (Mac had the quote of the week - when he observed Tim getting his baggage out of the car, he said "Well, how long are YOU staying here???") Gary and Sharon came by and spent a few nights as well. After Gary got done with it, the yard looked like it had been fixed up by someone who did that sort of thing for a living...which of course is the case. Sharon cooked up some excellent food, so good, in fact, that Mac actually complained about it less than 50% of the time, a personal record. Kelly and Marsha took the kids off our hands for a few hours last week, which was really great. Kelly also prepared an emergency care package for Mac and Carlee, that we used over the week-end. There were things in there to be used when they got bored and we got frustrated. There were all kinds of little goodies in there that really kept them occupied. Lynn's sister Sue is here now - she leaves tomorrow morning after Mac heads off to school.
I'll try to keep up with this a little more diligently - I didn't think that anyone was really following the blog anymore, but, as our friend Laura said, when there is nothing to write about, and entry is boring, that is really good news.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Lynn is doing pretty well, it seems. She has not had any of the afib since Sunday evening, which is good news indeed. And, the number of pills she has to take will go way down the next day. Many of them were 4 day prescriptions, including the anitbiotic. She got back the results from the blood test on Monday, and found out that the Cuomedin levels are right on the money. That means that her blood is now thinned down properly, so that she can handle a period of afibrillation if it crops up again, without having to worry about having a clot. The enduance is also starting to come back. The stairs are still a challenge, and she makes a point of only going up them one time during the night, but at least she can handle them without feeling like she had just run a marathon. She got out a couple of times yesterday and walked to the corner. She also has been able to stay away from the pain pills for the last several days. She only feels pain when she bends her neck a certain way. The breathing is getting better too, and all the incisions are doing much better.
Gary and Sharon are spending some time with us. Susan left last night, and they are now "it"! It has been pretty hard for them - today, I believe the highlight for them was when they were able to sock in ring bologna that they cannot get in Florida. Gary is feeling a sense of impending doom - it is going to rain the next few days, and he cannot work out in the yard. Carlee and Mac are having fun showing off for them, but Mac isn't all that enthused when Sharon makes him pick up his pajamas...the quite logical excuse that he uses, that he doesn't feel like it, does not appear to carry much weight with her.
Lynn is doing pretty well, it seems. She has not had any of the afib since Sunday evening, which is good news indeed. And, the number of pills she has to take will go way down the next day. Many of them were 4 day prescriptions, including the anitbiotic. She got back the results from the blood test on Monday, and found out that the Cuomedin levels are right on the money. That means that her blood is now thinned down properly, so that she can handle a period of afibrillation if it crops up again, without having to worry about having a clot. The enduance is also starting to come back. The stairs are still a challenge, and she makes a point of only going up them one time during the night, but at least she can handle them without feeling like she had just run a marathon. She got out a couple of times yesterday and walked to the corner. She also has been able to stay away from the pain pills for the last several days. She only feels pain when she bends her neck a certain way. The breathing is getting better too, and all the incisions are doing much better.
Gary and Sharon are spending some time with us. Susan left last night, and they are now "it"! It has been pretty hard for them - today, I believe the highlight for them was when they were able to sock in ring bologna that they cannot get in Florida. Gary is feeling a sense of impending doom - it is going to rain the next few days, and he cannot work out in the yard. Carlee and Mac are having fun showing off for them, but Mac isn't all that enthused when Sharon makes him pick up his pajamas...the quite logical excuse that he uses, that he doesn't feel like it, does not appear to carry much weight with her.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
May 4, 2009
Lynn is still home, and things look they are going pretty well. Her afib dropped off yesterday evening, we think, and she hasn't had a recurrence yet today. She took it pretty easy, and did not push things too much, but the day was way too nice to stay indoors, so she managed to get around a little. Today, I took Jo back to the airport around 7:30am. She didn't get much of a chance to visit, since Lynn was in the hospital most of the time, but she sure helped out with Mac and Carlee. Lynn's sister Susan is still here, and will spend the night. Tomorrow, Gary and Sharon make a return trip down.
I called the doctor's office today to see exactly when it would be OK for Lynn to stay home alone...no, I'm not worried that she'll throw a big party and mess up the place (well, that's possible, but probably not for another week or so). The way it was originally told to me, she was going to be in pretty good shape from the surgery about 3 to 4 weeks later. She would be seeing Dr. Blossom then, and he was expected to give her the go-ahead to drive. That would also mean that she is well enough that she doesn't need someone to keep an eye on her. The problem is, we now have the complication of the afibrillation. My question was, would she be alright if she went into defib and there was no one with her? Basically, the answer is yes. Although I didn't like to hear this, I guess that there are a number of people around who go into afib and never really come out of it. I certainly hope that is not the case for Lynn, but it goes to show that people can go about their daily business when they have that condition, and don't need to be constantly watched.
Last night, when she had the afib, it was all she could do to tuck in the kids, and then make it back to the chair in the bedroom. When she has sinus (Sinusoidal heartbeat, or regular heartbeat), she gets tired, but not to that extent. It doesn't help that her leg is still stiff from the surgery to get the bypass vein. She and Susan played outside with Carlee and Mac for a while after Mac got back from school, and it really wore her out....not a good thing when you are dealing with a child that is usually in passing gear, like Carlee.
Lynn is still home, and things look they are going pretty well. Her afib dropped off yesterday evening, we think, and she hasn't had a recurrence yet today. She took it pretty easy, and did not push things too much, but the day was way too nice to stay indoors, so she managed to get around a little. Today, I took Jo back to the airport around 7:30am. She didn't get much of a chance to visit, since Lynn was in the hospital most of the time, but she sure helped out with Mac and Carlee. Lynn's sister Susan is still here, and will spend the night. Tomorrow, Gary and Sharon make a return trip down.
I called the doctor's office today to see exactly when it would be OK for Lynn to stay home alone...no, I'm not worried that she'll throw a big party and mess up the place (well, that's possible, but probably not for another week or so). The way it was originally told to me, she was going to be in pretty good shape from the surgery about 3 to 4 weeks later. She would be seeing Dr. Blossom then, and he was expected to give her the go-ahead to drive. That would also mean that she is well enough that she doesn't need someone to keep an eye on her. The problem is, we now have the complication of the afibrillation. My question was, would she be alright if she went into defib and there was no one with her? Basically, the answer is yes. Although I didn't like to hear this, I guess that there are a number of people around who go into afib and never really come out of it. I certainly hope that is not the case for Lynn, but it goes to show that people can go about their daily business when they have that condition, and don't need to be constantly watched.
Last night, when she had the afib, it was all she could do to tuck in the kids, and then make it back to the chair in the bedroom. When she has sinus (Sinusoidal heartbeat, or regular heartbeat), she gets tired, but not to that extent. It doesn't help that her leg is still stiff from the surgery to get the bypass vein. She and Susan played outside with Carlee and Mac for a while after Mac got back from school, and it really wore her out....not a good thing when you are dealing with a child that is usually in passing gear, like Carlee.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
May 3, 2009
Lots happened today - it is now 1:45 pm, and Lynn has checked out of the hospital...she is home, hopefully for good! The trouble is, it is not all good news. She got out alright, but the arrhythmia is still present. She called me this morning and said that she had some good news and some bad news. I don't know how most people approach being confronted with that phrase, but for me, the bad news always seems to overshadow the good, but I am generally pessimistic, so take that as you will. The good news was that she was going to be able to come home. The bad news is that the arrhythmia was back. Her pulse was erratic and fast. Her doctors told her, though, that they thought they could get it under control, and that it did not necessarily involve her having to stay in the hospital. Basically, this is a condition that is not life-threatening, and, if she feels it coming on, she needs to lay down and/or relax immediately. I'm not so sure that I like the sounds of that. My thought was that Lynn was so tired of staying there that her judgement was a bit less than clear. I wanted to hear that we had something lined up that was definitely going to solve the problem, and that all she was going to have to do was take her pills and she would be fine. I don't like the idea of having this issue hanging over her head...however, after giving her a cross examination that would we worthy of the best legal attorneys in the business today, I was finally convinced.
Basically, her doctors think that she is very near to having the right mix for the "cocktail" she needs in order to manage the arrhythmia...they think that she has the right three drugs, but the quantities must be determined. Plus, she is essentially able to handle it when she DOES go into deflib. I gather that, for some people, they are pretty much out of action when this happens. With Lynn, she just gets tired and a little weak. She is able to handle it on her own, without any help. Not a perfect solution, but, on the other hand, she is bound to heal much better when she is home, around family and away from a pretty drab hospital room.
I picked her up around 10:30 - we discussed the situation with her nurse, then I picked her up at the entrance. We then went and got her four prescriptions, then headed back. Mac and Carlee were really glad to see us pull into the driveway. Lynn was just as happy. Todd and Laurie dropped by a little later, and she had a chance to visit for a bit. No way to tell if the arrhythmia wa back, without some kind of fancy monitor, but she seemed tobe hanging in there. Right now, it is 2:15PM - she had to go down for a nap about 30 minutes ago, so she is still not 100% back. However, she is doing really well, and I hope she doesn't have to go back to the hospital anytime soon!
Lots happened today - it is now 1:45 pm, and Lynn has checked out of the hospital...she is home, hopefully for good! The trouble is, it is not all good news. She got out alright, but the arrhythmia is still present. She called me this morning and said that she had some good news and some bad news. I don't know how most people approach being confronted with that phrase, but for me, the bad news always seems to overshadow the good, but I am generally pessimistic, so take that as you will. The good news was that she was going to be able to come home. The bad news is that the arrhythmia was back. Her pulse was erratic and fast. Her doctors told her, though, that they thought they could get it under control, and that it did not necessarily involve her having to stay in the hospital. Basically, this is a condition that is not life-threatening, and, if she feels it coming on, she needs to lay down and/or relax immediately. I'm not so sure that I like the sounds of that. My thought was that Lynn was so tired of staying there that her judgement was a bit less than clear. I wanted to hear that we had something lined up that was definitely going to solve the problem, and that all she was going to have to do was take her pills and she would be fine. I don't like the idea of having this issue hanging over her head...however, after giving her a cross examination that would we worthy of the best legal attorneys in the business today, I was finally convinced.
Basically, her doctors think that she is very near to having the right mix for the "cocktail" she needs in order to manage the arrhythmia...they think that she has the right three drugs, but the quantities must be determined. Plus, she is essentially able to handle it when she DOES go into deflib. I gather that, for some people, they are pretty much out of action when this happens. With Lynn, she just gets tired and a little weak. She is able to handle it on her own, without any help. Not a perfect solution, but, on the other hand, she is bound to heal much better when she is home, around family and away from a pretty drab hospital room.
I picked her up around 10:30 - we discussed the situation with her nurse, then I picked her up at the entrance. We then went and got her four prescriptions, then headed back. Mac and Carlee were really glad to see us pull into the driveway. Lynn was just as happy. Todd and Laurie dropped by a little later, and she had a chance to visit for a bit. No way to tell if the arrhythmia wa back, without some kind of fancy monitor, but she seemed tobe hanging in there. Right now, it is 2:15PM - she had to go down for a nap about 30 minutes ago, so she is still not 100% back. However, she is doing really well, and I hope she doesn't have to go back to the hospital anytime soon!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
May 2, 2009
Sorry about missing Friday - just did not get to updating. The last two days are the epitome of roller coaster events - Friday morning was awful, it got better late in the day, Saturday looked great, a bit of a retrenchment around noon, and then some positive feedback later in the day.
First: Friday. Bottom line - I called Lynn early in the day Friday, hoping that she would be able to tell me when she was going to get cut loose that day...well, that certainly wasn't the case. She went back into arrhythmia the night before. No chance that she was going home anytime soon. It was pretty bad. I had been telling the kids that she was going to be back soon, and really believed that it was going to happen Friday, but no way. I don't really understand exactly what happened, but there was no doubt that the upper chamber of her heart was still not back to normal. Later, she also got an upset stomach, which she really hates, and just felt awful.
Her doctors had doubled one of the medications, which could have been the reason she felt so sick to her stomach. However, having the afib also can make someone nauseated, so that wasn't necessarily the case. The big issue with that was, if one of the pills used to control her heart rate was not going to work for her, then basically, they would have to start everything over again and try to find something that worked. That would mean a lot longer time in the hospital, something that nobody really wanted.
I went over to see her around 4PM - she looked pretty bad. Her color was not good at all...it was more gray than anything, and she said that she still felt a little queasy. However, as time progressed, I noted that she seemed to be starting to improve. The gray color was definitely giving way to a more rosy cheeked look. I didn't notice it right away, but later I saw on the monitor that her heart rate was also starting to even out. By the time I left around 6PM, she was much, much better. She told me that the upset stomach was all gone, and it looked like her heart rate was doing exactly what one would expect from a young, 45 year old woman.
Well, her Mom Jo went to see her later,after I got back home, and she said that Lynn looked better. They had a good visit, and when Jo left, Lynn looked pretty good. The next morning when I called Lynn, she told me that she had had a normal heartbeat all night, and that she felt pretty good. That was Saturday morning. Plus, the blood thinner, Cuomidein, was also properly set - that means that it is a high enough level to stop blood clots, but not so high that she has to worry about bleeding to death if she cuts her finger.
I kind of hoped that we would get the word that she could depart Riverside late in the day Saturday - Dr. Blossom dashed those hopes, however. He wanted her to stay one more night so that they could make sure that the heart rate was controlled. Frankly, Lynn was in agreement with that - the one thing that we definitely do NOT want is a return engagement to the hospital. We want to be done with the place from now on.
I spoke to her late in the day today - heart rate is staying right where it should be. If that hangs on until tomorrow morning, we are going to bring her home. I'll let everyone know if that works out - stay tuned!
Sorry about missing Friday - just did not get to updating. The last two days are the epitome of roller coaster events - Friday morning was awful, it got better late in the day, Saturday looked great, a bit of a retrenchment around noon, and then some positive feedback later in the day.
First: Friday. Bottom line - I called Lynn early in the day Friday, hoping that she would be able to tell me when she was going to get cut loose that day...well, that certainly wasn't the case. She went back into arrhythmia the night before. No chance that she was going home anytime soon. It was pretty bad. I had been telling the kids that she was going to be back soon, and really believed that it was going to happen Friday, but no way. I don't really understand exactly what happened, but there was no doubt that the upper chamber of her heart was still not back to normal. Later, she also got an upset stomach, which she really hates, and just felt awful.
Her doctors had doubled one of the medications, which could have been the reason she felt so sick to her stomach. However, having the afib also can make someone nauseated, so that wasn't necessarily the case. The big issue with that was, if one of the pills used to control her heart rate was not going to work for her, then basically, they would have to start everything over again and try to find something that worked. That would mean a lot longer time in the hospital, something that nobody really wanted.
I went over to see her around 4PM - she looked pretty bad. Her color was not good at all...it was more gray than anything, and she said that she still felt a little queasy. However, as time progressed, I noted that she seemed to be starting to improve. The gray color was definitely giving way to a more rosy cheeked look. I didn't notice it right away, but later I saw on the monitor that her heart rate was also starting to even out. By the time I left around 6PM, she was much, much better. She told me that the upset stomach was all gone, and it looked like her heart rate was doing exactly what one would expect from a young, 45 year old woman.
Well, her Mom Jo went to see her later,after I got back home, and she said that Lynn looked better. They had a good visit, and when Jo left, Lynn looked pretty good. The next morning when I called Lynn, she told me that she had had a normal heartbeat all night, and that she felt pretty good. That was Saturday morning. Plus, the blood thinner, Cuomidein, was also properly set - that means that it is a high enough level to stop blood clots, but not so high that she has to worry about bleeding to death if she cuts her finger.
I kind of hoped that we would get the word that she could depart Riverside late in the day Saturday - Dr. Blossom dashed those hopes, however. He wanted her to stay one more night so that they could make sure that the heart rate was controlled. Frankly, Lynn was in agreement with that - the one thing that we definitely do NOT want is a return engagement to the hospital. We want to be done with the place from now on.
I spoke to her late in the day today - heart rate is staying right where it should be. If that hangs on until tomorrow morning, we are going to bring her home. I'll let everyone know if that works out - stay tuned!
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