John's new pacemaker
Hello everyone,
On the cruise, we had a great time as we detailed in the blog. But there were some times that we didn’t relate in the blog, as we wanted to provide happy reading.
John was in the Medical Center on the ship a total of 11 times at the beginning of the trip. His primary care doctor had prescribed Prednisone for a persistent cough just the Friday before we left. In addition to not clearing it with his cardiologist and the doctor not warning about retaining water weight, we were away from scales and not able to weigh daily, as John normally does. John gained 14-15 pounds in 4 days and couldn’t sleep lying down. He had to sit up to get any sleep and we were very fearful that he would be helicoptered off the ship to a landside hospital. The doctor and his staff on the ship were very good and well equipped. The ship has a lab for blood work, x-ray machines, a pharmacy and much more. We were in good hands and the staff assured us that didn’t want us to shorten our trip and that they would be able to make John better. They did, though it took many trips for intravenous doses of diuretics, use of a Nebulizer, blood tests, etc. The extra weight, and more, came off and we arrived home in pretty good shape.
We had communicated often, via email, with the cardiologist’s office and had an appointment to see him two days after our arrival home. Dr B decided that we should go ahead with the replacement of a bi-ventricular defibrillator/pacemaker and the extra lead into the heart that it requires to work. That is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2nd, and will entail an overnight stay in the hosptial. We have high hopes that this will help rid John of his tiredness and feeling of exhaustion with minimal exertion. A recent blood test showed an indication of the weakening of the heart muscle over the past few months and that helped with the decision to change out the defibrillator/pacemaker.
On Tuesday, November 25th, John took his yearly pulmonary stress test at the UW heart transplant center. He did much poorer than in past years, and at his follow up visit with the UW cardiologist the next day, we found that it appears that the congestive heart failure is causing him to retain water again, so larger doses of the diuretic were prescribed and another medication was changed. The doctor at the UW was in agreement that the bi-ventricular device is needed and may help. The medication that was changed may cause a persistent cough and that is what really started this whole episode.
That is where we are today. Colleen (and John?) will make a new entry into the blog after the surgery on the 2nd and another on the 3rd to let everyone know how it went. It may be too early to tell how much the new device helps, so more entries may be forthcoming.
On the cruise, we had a great time as we detailed in the blog. But there were some times that we didn’t relate in the blog, as we wanted to provide happy reading.
John was in the Medical Center on the ship a total of 11 times at the beginning of the trip. His primary care doctor had prescribed Prednisone for a persistent cough just the Friday before we left. In addition to not clearing it with his cardiologist and the doctor not warning about retaining water weight, we were away from scales and not able to weigh daily, as John normally does. John gained 14-15 pounds in 4 days and couldn’t sleep lying down. He had to sit up to get any sleep and we were very fearful that he would be helicoptered off the ship to a landside hospital. The doctor and his staff on the ship were very good and well equipped. The ship has a lab for blood work, x-ray machines, a pharmacy and much more. We were in good hands and the staff assured us that didn’t want us to shorten our trip and that they would be able to make John better. They did, though it took many trips for intravenous doses of diuretics, use of a Nebulizer, blood tests, etc. The extra weight, and more, came off and we arrived home in pretty good shape.
We had communicated often, via email, with the cardiologist’s office and had an appointment to see him two days after our arrival home. Dr B decided that we should go ahead with the replacement of a bi-ventricular defibrillator/pacemaker and the extra lead into the heart that it requires to work. That is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2nd, and will entail an overnight stay in the hosptial. We have high hopes that this will help rid John of his tiredness and feeling of exhaustion with minimal exertion. A recent blood test showed an indication of the weakening of the heart muscle over the past few months and that helped with the decision to change out the defibrillator/pacemaker.
On Tuesday, November 25th, John took his yearly pulmonary stress test at the UW heart transplant center. He did much poorer than in past years, and at his follow up visit with the UW cardiologist the next day, we found that it appears that the congestive heart failure is causing him to retain water again, so larger doses of the diuretic were prescribed and another medication was changed. The doctor at the UW was in agreement that the bi-ventricular device is needed and may help. The medication that was changed may cause a persistent cough and that is what really started this whole episode.
That is where we are today. Colleen (and John?) will make a new entry into the blog after the surgery on the 2nd and another on the 3rd to let everyone know how it went. It may be too early to tell how much the new device helps, so more entries may be forthcoming.
posted by Colleen and John | 5:46 PM
3 Comments:
What an experience!! We will thinking of you with very positive thoughts. Please keep us posted.
Jerry and Joanna
Wow...sounds like an adventure. Probably not quite the adventure you were planning on.
Hope that you are feeling well and know that we'll be thinking of you on the 2nd!
Know that I'll be thinking of you Tuesday ... let me know if I can do anything, Mom. Love you!
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