Monday Monday can't trust that day!!

Morning all- Took my Lovenox last night and this morning...still not feeling well in the old tummy. Got a call from Cardio Nurse asking again if I wanted anything called in for it. No I am going for bloodwork and hopefully it went up the 0.4% that we need to get to the magical number of 2 so I can stop taking it.

Thanks to Ellen who suggested Peppermint Patties as away to deal with it!!! And yes that Tin taste in the mouth is so cool...NOT!!!

I took Evan to school went to the lab and had the bloodwork done....hospital should have results by 1-2 this afternoon......but you wanna know what is so sad....They make a meter (like a glucose meter) that you can do this test at home....Now why don't I have it.....Don't know......Know the nurse that works for Dr. A was to look into it way back when....never heard anything...will check with him again about it when he calls this afternoon.....would this make things easier...yes..would save the weekly until it is stable trips to the lab....I could have tested yesterday and called in the results and perhaps have gotten off the Lovenox sooner. Plus if I prick to check my sugar 5 -7 times a day whats one more stick weekly to keep things simple?

I will let you all know how that goes!!!

call the doctor!!

I called the doctor and was told to kkep taking the Lovenox. If I don't I would have to be admitted to the hospital for Heprin treatment till my levels are back to 2. As of yesterday they were 1.6. I told her how it was making me queezy and she stated she could call something in for that..Its after 5 so I told her I would suck it up till tomorrow and talk to Dr. Allada. So after I hung up with her I gave myself the shot....I not only makes me sick but it also hurts and burns like H E Double Hockey Sticks.

Later Taters

Sunday

I had my cath and tee done 3 days ago...I feel ok...well with the exception of the bruise on my right groin that is a lovely shade of purple and the one that is on my upper lip. My stomach hurts from where I am giving my self shot of Lovenox, which I am calling the doctor about since I have been quizzy in the tummy since my last dose last night.

I did leave the house for a couple of hours today...that helped to get things going....and I actually did not feel bad. I had some chicken soup for lunch and we walked around a few stores at the Waterfront while Evan was at a Youth group event. I ccame home and slept for about a half hour and spent rest of the time watching football games.

Tomorrow I will need to get more blood work and touch base with Dr. Allada about the changes to my meds.

Hope you all have a good week I will check back on Wed after I have had a few days more to recover and start the meds...plus head back to work.

Back Home

I was released from the hospital at 9:35 PM last night. The Tee and Cath went well. My functions are actually better then the cath I had 3 years ago. It appears that the problem is with my blod pressure. Due to past surgeries they can not get acurate readings on my arms or legs.

The plan is to start playing with medications to bring it down. They feel that this will take care of things. They still are going to submit stuff to transplant team but it looks like I will not qualify we will just keep an eye on things.


I will continue to post so keep coming back.

12 hours and counting!!

Ok we leave at 8 AM I need to be at the hospital by 10 AM.
Check back tomorrow for update.


Later Guys!!!

Monday Monday

Ok Let's talk about a few things:

1. WICKED was total Awesome>>>>I laughed, I cried and then I laughed some more!!!

2. Baby Jacinta Marie is so Beautiful and her parents were all smiles when we saw her on Saturday Morning!!!!

3. A big THANK YOU to Rebecca for inviting Ev to the last Pirate home game of the season. He had a BLAST!!!

OK so Monday is here and we are 4 days away from lift off. Tonight I stop taking my blood thinners and begin taking One 325mg Aspirin in its place. I also called to preregister at the hospital but they still have not returned my call. I have picked up my 2 Prednisone pills so I am pre-medicated against any reactions to the contrast dye that they use.

Tomorrow I need to do some paperwork at the office...come home finish a few things that I told Sharon I would do before I go into the hospital...I need to wash clothes for Ev to take to my Mom's house and pack his stuff. I also need to wash stuff for me to take to the hospital. Oh yeah the DOG Tucker goes to the groomer as well.

Wed. I will take Ev to school with his stuff for his stay at Nani's house. Go see a few students...if I get a hold of them tonight or tomorrow....Call the hospital to see how God awful early they want me there. Pick Ev up from school wait for his 2 cousins to get home and then we may go to the mall and get pizza. Then after that home to pack my bag. First dose of Prednisone at 11pm.

Sound like I got it all planned out........Lets hope.

Will try to post something on Wed night before I try to get some sleep until then.

PAGING PAPA SMURF!!!!

Some times when I am tired or get short of breath or over exert myself I turn BLUE!!! Yes BLUE like those little dudes on the Saturday Morning Cartoons. A nice shade of blue not to dark not to light just right.

Well let's just say tonight I have a little BLUE in my coloring. At least that is what Sharon and Evan tell me. I am tired and I am again fighting to get the Fluids out of my stomach.......I have taken my second water pill of the day so tonight I'll be Pissing the night away(for those of you who remember the song from the 50's Dancing the night away.)

I know that I will feel better tomorrow... I am looking forward to it!!! My friend Robyn and her Husband Mike celebrated one year of marriage yesterday (thursday) and this morning at 5:09 she text me to say she was on her way to the hospital and was in labor.....2 things came to my mind rather quickly ( make it 3) !. Thank goodness I tossed my cell on the diningroom table last night so I did not get the text till 7:15. 2. Shoot that means I will probably loose the baby pool since I had next Wed. as one of my picks....but the big one was SH*T, she has my pay check. You see she was in the office and said she would bring my check this morning to the school...at first I was like yeah but then I said NO....Last time you changed purses and left it at home. She assured me that she would not do that again....NO I said with my luck you will go into labor. " SHUT UP!!!! I WILL NOT!!" to be honest I was not to worried about it...but she called me and said that Mike was going to the house to let the dog out and they baby was already there and so he will drop it off to me on his way.

Little Jacinta Marie was born today and tomorrow I get to go visit her!!!! Ibet after holding her I won't be blue....I will pe tickled PINK!!!


Have a great weekend!!!

TGIF

Good morning, I am up early attempting to get folks moving as we got home late after enjoying the play WICKED.

I have to work tosay and need to take Ev to school early. Yesterday was a long day. First I got like 3 hours sleep because I was afraid I would sleep in and not hear the alarm. I was out of the house by 7 with Ev and we made our way to the South Side for his 2 appointments. As I predicted I made it there early...an hour early. The clinic did not open till 8:30 but Deb let us in at 8. We talked with Deb and a lot of the staff as they arrived. We saw Dr. B. at 9 and then walked over to the local CoGo's(like a 711 to folks in different areas of the country) and grabbed some soda and crackers. We then saw Kate(who is filling in for Melissa) at 10. At 11 I drove Ev the 19 blocks to meet up with his class at there community volunteer site. Got to my mom's about 12:45 she just got home from an appointment. We talked for a few minutes and then I went to take a nap...I would have an hour and a half but I missed set the alarm on my phone and it went off at 2:03 not 2:30 as I thought. I picked up Ev and headed home. Checked E-mail, loaded the dishwasher and took a quick shower. We went to dinner at Max and Erma's and headed to WICKED. Home at 11:15 unloaded the dishwasher, set up the coffee pot, put out the dogs and let them play and eat while I checked e-mails. I got to bed at 12 shut the TV off at 12:30 and was up at 5.

Today I have 3 schools to go to and then home for a quiet evening.


I just wanted to share that we are 6 days away from the test. I know many of you who are my friends from ACHA (Adult Congenital Heart Association, www.achaheart.org) have had these same test. I think of all of you daily. In fact when I could not sleep the other night I thought a lot about how we met and the fact that we have remained friends for so long. You all helped me with a difficult time 10 years ago and your still helping me. For that I say Thank you!!

Have a great day!!!!

Hump Day

Well I made it to Wed. A little tired but no worse for the wear. We just got back from dinner with a former student and his family. He leaves for the militarty on Friday morning. We know he will be in the states until January. After that we don't know.

I am home now and am going to kick back and chill. Ev and I have an early day tomorrow as his first appointment on the South Side is 9:00 AM. Have to leave by 6:30 to beat all the trafffic. My luck there will be none and we will get there very early. After I will drop him at the center where his class is volunteering and go and nap at my mom's. Tomorrow night is WICKED so I am glad that I am off of work.

8 days and counting.

Back to the schools.

Part of my job is to see students at school. I figured that I was going to need to tweak this a little with all that is going on right now. So today I had only one school to visit and was out of the house at 8:45 AM and back home by 10AM, how did I do this easy. Ev caught the same stomack bug that hit Sharon late last week. So did my thing at the school and came home if he needed me.

I got to relax and watch TV.


Now tomorrow I have 2 schools to visit. And if I have to take Ev to school my day will start at 8 Am and End by 12:45. Back home for an hour and a half nap before picking him up.

Wed. I have no students to see but have to be out most of the day since I will be covering for the other case manager who is having a baby anytime between now and the 25th when she will be induced.

Thursday I need to take Ev to see his Doctor at 9 and his therapist at 10AM. Will drop him off with his class as they will be about 19 blocks away from the center doing community work. I will go to my mom's and rest until I pick him up at 3PM. We will go to dinner and go see WICKED that evening. Friday I have to be at schools from 9 AM -1:48PM. I will go pick Ev up at school and the week will be over.

I will then begin to see students everyother week which will lighten my work week.


So we are 10 days and counting to the Cath, tee and all the other test. I will keep you posted.

TGIF

Today I received a call from the nurse at the heart center that works with the Cardiologist who is going to do my Cath. Basically she stated that her and the Cardiologist like to meet with folks prior to the Cath so they can discuss the risks, what is going to happen and what might happen if they should find any heart blockage.

I was polite and told her I knew the risk and what to expect. I have had several Caths in my life time the last one being 3 years ago. We then talked pre-meds as I occasionally have a reaction to the dye. We then talked about blood thinners and I said I knew that since the cath was on a Thursday that I should stop taking it on Sunday.

She seemed to think that I had a good understanding.

I thanked her for the call because that would save me an extra trip to the Clinic in Oakland where parking sucks!! She laughed and said that she understood. She said she would call me next week to finalize calling in the pre-procedure meds.

So the count down is on 13 days to go.

Keeping Things Normal

Today Sharon came home from work with some kind of stomach thing. I stopped after picking Evan up from school and got her Coke (the Cola not the powder) Chicken soup, and crackers. I picked up some pizza for Ev and Me.

Evan had a youth group meeting that was in the city and was from 8-9PM. The original plan was for me to stay home if I wanted to and Sharon was going to take him. When I found out Sharon was sick I asked him if he still wanted to go and he said yes. So I took him and he had a blast.

He thanked me for taking him.

I told him again that we would find away for him to do the things he wants to do.


Today I did laundry and just watched TV and Listened to the radio. I am a little tired now so I am going to bed.

If I get MOODY....I'm Sorry!!

While I have stated that this whole idea of a new heart does not bother me and the truth is it does not!!! What does get to me is being tired and feeling it. Yesterday was one of those days. Yesterday afternoon I took a water pill. Now that makes you, well we know what it makes you do. So I was then having to go and PEE every 15 minutes, which entailed walking up a flight of steps every 15 minutes. Plus I was washing clothes which was another flight to and from the basement.

So, if I was moody or snapped at you....I did snap at one of my students who needed me to take him to get steel toed shoes for Tech.

I am Sorry!!!

I will try to give you some warning!!

You gotta laugh!!

While Driving with the boy on our way home from the store, I commented that my stomach hurt.

Today is one of those days when I am retaining more fluid.

He turns to me and says, "DAAAAAAG dad you better take a water pill when we get home because if that thing explodes we will all be killed!"


So I came home and took a pill.....anyone want to guess what I will be doing this evening?

What we know so far!!!

Hello all, I have started this blog as a way to keep everyone informed about what is going on with my current medical issues:

I had begun to tire more and started retaining fluids back at the end of May. In June I had a stress test that revealed that my Heart Function have decreased. I met with Dr. Allada on August 8th after being unable to secure a time that was convient for both of us to meet. At first the plan was to admit me for a few days and relieve the fluid before doing the Cath and TEE while there we would do all necessary test that would be need for evaluation by the Transplant team. However on Sunday of this past weekend I saw Dr. Allada and a new plan was put into place after he consulted with other Congenital Heart Docs and Adult Heart Docs and the Transplant folk. The new plan:

I am scheduled to have a Heart Cath and TEE That is twhere they put a tube down your throat and look at your heart on September 25, 2008 after which the plan is for post-cath to be admitted to Presby-hospital (adult facility) with plan for CT angiogram + pulmonology consultation. Possibly for 1-3 days (they may put me on some IV medications to see if my cath #’s or function change.

Stop by for any updates.

Anthony