As I drove to work today, in the dark as usual, I saw something white, like a flash, out of the corner of my eye. I instantly took my foot off the gas while getting my bearings on whatever it was that was moving to my left. It's funny how sometimes you just know, like a sixth sense, that you should be wary. It turned out that the little white flash was a cat streaking across the six-lane road I was travelling. I saw it before it got to the road and it was moving so fast that it had crossed the three lanes on the other side and the median before it got to me. As I applied the brakes hard, it was looking right into my right headlight. I could see its eyes clearly. Of course, it kept going at its constant gallop until it disappeared into the bushes on the other side of the road.
I was mad at the cat - if I would have hit it, the experience would have left me traumatized for a very long time. How dare that cat almost ruin my day. And of all days, here we are on Halloween, I have to have a cat run right in front of me! All this happened in the course of a few seconds and I continued on. As I drove on with my heart pounding, I started to think about black cats bringing bad luck when they cross your path. Since the cat that ran in front of me was totally white could that mean it brings good luck?
At that moment I pulled into a gas station and purchased a Power Ball, Mega Bucks, and Super Cash lottery ticket. Couldn't hurt to try.
If a cat could have a favorite day of the year, Trick or treat day would be Toby's. I set my old rickety baby gate up in front of the storm door. That way when kids come, I can open the door to hand out candy, and the gate will prevent Toby from trying to sneak out the opening. Since he quickly figures out that he can't walk right out, he'll put his front paws on the top of the gate as if to stand tall to look over it. The kids immediately respond and want to pet him which he adores. It doesn't take him long to figure out how this trick or treat thing works. Kids come, get candy, pet cat, and off they go. Within the first ten minutes, Toby is meowing at the sight of kids walking up to the house; they don't have to ring the doorbell, he's already let me know someone has come.
After the first hour, Toby is struggling with a tough decision. To nap or not to nap.... As to all cats, nap time is extremely important but the thought of missing out on the curiosity of these kids coming to the door it too much to allow a nap. He decides not to nap but he can bearly keep his eyes open. He's a trooper though, he stayed at the door for almost the entire two hours. He finally pooped out 10 minutes before the end of the two-hour limit. He almost made it all the way through.
I bet he sleeps good tonight.
After the first hour, Toby is struggling with a tough decision. To nap or not to nap.... As to all cats, nap time is extremely important but the thought of missing out on the curiosity of these kids coming to the door it too much to allow a nap. He decides not to nap but he can bearly keep his eyes open. He's a trooper though, he stayed at the door for almost the entire two hours. He finally pooped out 10 minutes before the end of the two-hour limit. He almost made it all the way through.
I bet he sleeps good tonight.
Jeff had angioplasty yesterday. It's been a tortuous time since last Wednesday. It all started when Jeff went to see his cardiologist. He told the doctor that he wasn't feeling the greatest. After the doctor's inquisition, he decided to schedule Jeff for a cardiac cath, angioplasty, and a probable stent to clear the blockage he's been living with for the last year. The news was somewhat surprising and yet a relief since the old blockage will finally be fixed.
After the cardiology visit, Jeff headed to the arrhythmia specialist for his yearly exam. The nurse was alarmed after a quick check of his heart. It turns out that Jeff also has atrial fibrillation. His heart is erratic which probably better explains his symptoms than the blockage. With a consultation between the two doctors, it was determined that Jeff will go to the hospital this Friday, he can't wait until next week.
We check in Friday morning and go through the usual pre-procedure check-up. It turns out that Jeff hasn't been off some of his medication long enough to do the procedure without real complication so it's rescheduled for Monday. Here he spent his time emotionally prepping for today and he has to wait. The disappointment is weighing heavily on both of us, moreso on him for sure. We tried to spend the day occupying our time with fun things but the weight of the situation wasn't making it easy.
Monday came and we were packed and ready to go. Hopefully there are no complications this time. We checked in to St. Luke's first thing in the morning and Jeff went through all the pre-procedure examinations including a heart ultrasound. By the time he actually headed out for the cath, it was after noon. Time went on extremely slowly which was OK since it was a sign that the doctors could actually perform the angioplasty. Last year when Jeff was catheterized the team couldn't get to the blockage so he was back from the procedure pretty quickly. The nurse came back to the cath lab to tell me that angioplasty was completed and a stent was placed in one of Jeff's arteries. This meant he wouldn't be returning to the lab, but instead he was admitted to a room somewhere else in the hospital. The nurse took me to his room around 4 pm.
Jeff was happy that it was all over and relieved that the blockage was corrected. All the monitors hooked up to him still proved out the atrial fibrillation, like a little black cloud hanging around. The nurses kicked me out at 6 so they could pull out the catheter lines that were still in his groin. This part of the cath requires constant pressure on the incision for half an hour until they are sure it stops bleeding. During this process his heart rate dropped to 36 beats per minute. Immediately, a team rushed in and atropine was administered. His heart rate raced up to 12o then settled to a regular rhythm. Unfortunately, the process of putting pressure on the wound cut off his blood circulation a little too much.
Jeff was exhausted after the whole incident. Jen and Matt were there as well so we hung out and chatted while Jeff slept. They left around 8 and I went home a little after 9. It was a tough day but it was over and things could only get better now.
I got to the hospital first thing this morning. He was excited at the news that he could go home. The cardiologist's new PA came in and decided he needed an ultrasound; she didn't like something she heard when listening at the wound site. Jeff was pretty antsy after that. We sat around for the next 4 hours still waiting for the ultrasound. His anticipation was turning into anger so he got to the point where he just told them forget it, he wants to go home, there will be no ultrasound. I'm certain I was no help; I told him that I had a dentist appointment at 3 so if we didn't go soon, he would have to wait until after 4 when I was done with the dentist.
So we left with a new batch of prescriptions and instructions in tow. I headed to the dentist then the pharmacy. There are so many medications, I can't keep up. I just hope he can. Hopefully this will be the beginning of recovery, although the atrial fibrillation is still an issue. In a few weeks we will be back to the arrhythmia specialist and hopefully things will be better.
After the cardiology visit, Jeff headed to the arrhythmia specialist for his yearly exam. The nurse was alarmed after a quick check of his heart. It turns out that Jeff also has atrial fibrillation. His heart is erratic which probably better explains his symptoms than the blockage. With a consultation between the two doctors, it was determined that Jeff will go to the hospital this Friday, he can't wait until next week.
We check in Friday morning and go through the usual pre-procedure check-up. It turns out that Jeff hasn't been off some of his medication long enough to do the procedure without real complication so it's rescheduled for Monday. Here he spent his time emotionally prepping for today and he has to wait. The disappointment is weighing heavily on both of us, moreso on him for sure. We tried to spend the day occupying our time with fun things but the weight of the situation wasn't making it easy.
Monday came and we were packed and ready to go. Hopefully there are no complications this time. We checked in to St. Luke's first thing in the morning and Jeff went through all the pre-procedure examinations including a heart ultrasound. By the time he actually headed out for the cath, it was after noon. Time went on extremely slowly which was OK since it was a sign that the doctors could actually perform the angioplasty. Last year when Jeff was catheterized the team couldn't get to the blockage so he was back from the procedure pretty quickly. The nurse came back to the cath lab to tell me that angioplasty was completed and a stent was placed in one of Jeff's arteries. This meant he wouldn't be returning to the lab, but instead he was admitted to a room somewhere else in the hospital. The nurse took me to his room around 4 pm.
Jeff was happy that it was all over and relieved that the blockage was corrected. All the monitors hooked up to him still proved out the atrial fibrillation, like a little black cloud hanging around. The nurses kicked me out at 6 so they could pull out the catheter lines that were still in his groin. This part of the cath requires constant pressure on the incision for half an hour until they are sure it stops bleeding. During this process his heart rate dropped to 36 beats per minute. Immediately, a team rushed in and atropine was administered. His heart rate raced up to 12o then settled to a regular rhythm. Unfortunately, the process of putting pressure on the wound cut off his blood circulation a little too much.
Jeff was exhausted after the whole incident. Jen and Matt were there as well so we hung out and chatted while Jeff slept. They left around 8 and I went home a little after 9. It was a tough day but it was over and things could only get better now.
I got to the hospital first thing this morning. He was excited at the news that he could go home. The cardiologist's new PA came in and decided he needed an ultrasound; she didn't like something she heard when listening at the wound site. Jeff was pretty antsy after that. We sat around for the next 4 hours still waiting for the ultrasound. His anticipation was turning into anger so he got to the point where he just told them forget it, he wants to go home, there will be no ultrasound. I'm certain I was no help; I told him that I had a dentist appointment at 3 so if we didn't go soon, he would have to wait until after 4 when I was done with the dentist.
So we left with a new batch of prescriptions and instructions in tow. I headed to the dentist then the pharmacy. There are so many medications, I can't keep up. I just hope he can. Hopefully this will be the beginning of recovery, although the atrial fibrillation is still an issue. In a few weeks we will be back to the arrhythmia specialist and hopefully things will be better.
Yesterday Jeff went to the cardiologist and the arrhythmia specialist. I decided not to go this time. Sometimes I think I interfere with the visits. The docs will ask pointed questions and I will chime in when he doesn't answer as honestly as I think he should. He wanted me to attend but I made an appointment to donate blood around the same time and I didn't have the energy to totally re-arrange my day to acommodate him. Besides, it was just his quarterly follow-up so it should be uneventful, maybe a prescription dosage change or two. With the many medications he takes, I don't really keep up with it all anyway so there was no need for me to go with him.
Then he calls just as I am heading down to my donor appointment. His cardiologist decided that it was time for him to have angioplasty. A year ago when this 70% blockage was found, the doctors determined that it was in a place where the vein was too delicate to chance blowing it out with a stent placement. Besides that, his veins were twisted and turned to where getting to it was troublesome. The plan was to treat him with medication. The strange coincidence is that this blockage is where his original heart attack occurred so that part of the heart is damaged and doesn't work well so the blockage isn't creating great stress on the heart. Apparently two wrongs can make a right. So we have a trip to the cath lab in store for us sometime next week.
It seems that my absence from the visit was a good thing. Jeff told him how tired he's been and that he hasn't been feeling well. He even told the doc he's been having shortness of breath, which he never told me. He's never been so forthright with the doctors in the past when I go along. I wonder if he was trying to protect me from his problems. It wouldn't surprise me if that's what he was doing since he is constantly apologizing to me for being so much trouble. From now on I think I will stay out of the doctor's office.
I went to donate the pint of blood and hung out with some of my co-workers afterward. When I got back to my desk, Jeff's message was frantic. I called him back immediately; the arrhythmia visit didn't go so well, Jeff has atrial fibrillation which means he could easily end up with blood clots so the doctor wants him on coumadin as soon as possible. The angioplasty is moved up to the day after tomorrow because he can't start on the drug until after the procedure. With little time to digest all the information from earlier this morning, this news is a little much to bear.
From now on I will go to the doctor's visits anyway.
Then he calls just as I am heading down to my donor appointment. His cardiologist decided that it was time for him to have angioplasty. A year ago when this 70% blockage was found, the doctors determined that it was in a place where the vein was too delicate to chance blowing it out with a stent placement. Besides that, his veins were twisted and turned to where getting to it was troublesome. The plan was to treat him with medication. The strange coincidence is that this blockage is where his original heart attack occurred so that part of the heart is damaged and doesn't work well so the blockage isn't creating great stress on the heart. Apparently two wrongs can make a right. So we have a trip to the cath lab in store for us sometime next week.
It seems that my absence from the visit was a good thing. Jeff told him how tired he's been and that he hasn't been feeling well. He even told the doc he's been having shortness of breath, which he never told me. He's never been so forthright with the doctors in the past when I go along. I wonder if he was trying to protect me from his problems. It wouldn't surprise me if that's what he was doing since he is constantly apologizing to me for being so much trouble. From now on I think I will stay out of the doctor's office.
I went to donate the pint of blood and hung out with some of my co-workers afterward. When I got back to my desk, Jeff's message was frantic. I called him back immediately; the arrhythmia visit didn't go so well, Jeff has atrial fibrillation which means he could easily end up with blood clots so the doctor wants him on coumadin as soon as possible. The angioplasty is moved up to the day after tomorrow because he can't start on the drug until after the procedure. With little time to digest all the information from earlier this morning, this news is a little much to bear.
From now on I will go to the doctor's visits anyway.
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