Life Update Part 1

 

I will start off by giving you links to Part 1 and Part 2 of my Life Updates:

Life Update Part 1

Life Update Part 2 (see August 20th post first)...Warning...very long post!

My next to last paragraph of Update part 2: I am healing well and getting stronger every day. I am going to stop here and will be back very soon with some thoughts and concerns that I hope you can help with. 

Two weeks later after I posted that I decided it was time for me to try and get back in the "normal" swing of things and I tried to cook dinner on a Friday evening. Well, I ended up passing out (thank goodness I had the forethought to sit down on our dining room table's bench)...I called hubby over and he came and stood in front of me asking some questions and I just passed out into his arms. He laid me on the kitchen floor...I came to right away; he called an ambulance and I ended up spending the night in the hospital. More tests...a diagnosis of an irregular heartbeat and a recommendation to follow up with my regular cardiologist.

Once seen at the cardiologist's office I needed more tests and a heart monitor for a week....then another visit for results. Dr. Walsh gave me the absolute best Christmas present ever when he said the test came back showing all was fine. I still have an irregular heartbeat but it is not too concerning at this point. 

I was given the go-ahead to begin Cardiac Rehab. He said that would be the best thing for me.

I still have days where I am extremely tired, and not sleeping well at night I am sure adds to that. But, I am plugging along healing well, and doing the best I can do to resume normal activities. 

So, here I sit typing this a few hours before all my wonderful grandchildren come over for our Cousin Crew party, extremely thankful and grateful to so many people for keeping me in their prayers, family for putting their lives on hold, doctors for helping to keep me alive and our wonderful Savior for deciding it was not time to take me home yet. 

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and wonderful celebrations with your family. Hold them a little extra tighter this year!

Life Update Part 2 (see August 20th post first)...Warning...very long post!

 

If you haven't please read the post from August 20th first.

I wanted to give everyone an update on all of my medical concerns....first of all I want to let my followers and subscribers know that I was vague in the past and I didn't mean to be but wasn't sure if I wanted to just spill it all...Well, I hope you are up for a long story. I am going to begin with some honest feelings and concerns I have. Please, if you have any advice please let me know.

As stated in my previous post some medical concerns popped up when I went to the Doctor for a regular checkup. I was diagnosed with Carotid Stenosis and after some further tests it was determined that I needed to see a neurosurgeon. 

However, in the meantime my Doctor wanted me to take a stress test and well....I failed that test. So the next step was a heart Cath which revealed a major heart blockage! I was petrified! 

I was admitted to the hospital and floods of various doctors started flowing into my hospital room...each one having to be told the reason I was there and my previous diagnosis...do they not stop to read your chart to determine what is going on with you before talking to you? We were getting very worried and very concerned quickly. 

The concern was raised that since I was referred to a neurosurgeon and there was not one in our hospital or county that shouldn't I be at a hospital where we could consult with one. So the process began to transfer me to a different hospital. 

I took a long, lonely freezing cold (I felt like I was riding in a refrigerator) ride in an ambulance to Largo Hospital in Largo, FL. Thank goodness for my wonderful daughter following the ambulance at midnight all the way there. 

So, began the long process of gathering all the information, more medical tests, meeting new doctors (at least everyone here seemed to all be on the same page) and waiting....yes more waiting. After 6 very long days it was determined to monitor the Carotid Stenosis for now because that was not emergent, but the major heart blockage was going to take at least a double bypass.

I am sure you can imagine what that 6 days (actually 8 if you count the heart Cath day and the next I was in the other hospital) was like....VERY EMOTIONAL....like I though I could possibly die! 

So on Tuesday September 20th I had double bypass surgery. I would not wish this surgery on ANYONE! Although I am so grateful to be alive and for all the doctors that coordinated my care it was and continues to be a pretty tough road to go down. 

I am healing well and getting stronger everyday. I am going to stop here and will be back very soon with some thoughts and concerns that I hope you can help with. 

Thanks so much for all your support, the cards and care that have come my way while I have been down and unable to craft or communicate really.