A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Tomorrow's Appointment

Say a prayer, ladies, because tomorrow is my big cardiology appointment in Portland. We have to be there by 10 for the initial testing and then the doc will see us after.

He asked me to bring Maxi to this one because he wants to show the kid a plastic scale model of the heart that has detachable rubber vessels so he can learn about my grafts and later stents. We are all inclined to feel that Maxi handles stress much better when he has good information, so the doctor wants to help with that. Plus, to assist Maxi in getting ready for what lies before us.

He will also probably adjust some of the heart meds I'm on and we'll set up the schedule for the next angioplasty.

One of you asked in a PM if that is when they open vessels with a tiny balloon? The answer is: when they do that, it is called balloon angioplasty.

I get what is known as angioplasty with stent placement. Stents are tiny little things that look just like a Slinky toy. Once placed in a narrowed part of the vessel, it expands and later gets incorporated into the vessel wall, sort of like a rib cage, to keep the vessel open.

I have four stents in place already, two of which are experimental. After the surgeon placed the first two, I quipped to my priest "Fr. Sam, we forgot to ask Dr. Welch something very important! We forgot to ask if it is safe for me to go outside during electrical storms!" So then he wanted to know if I was picking up radio stations from Boston with bad music? Of course he wanted to know that.

The two experimental stents cost ten times more than the traditional ones because they contain a chemotherapy drug also. It is thought that if this chemo drug can keep cancer cells from growing, maybe it can keep artery cells from growing also? So I agreed to the experiment as part of a national test and so far, mine have done very well, out-performing the two traditional ones in effectiveness. They have to be quite effective before anyone agrees to their widespread use because they are $10,000 each.

So....say a little prayer for the kid and I that the doc gets solid information from the testing and that Maxi understands what is being said and that we come up with a good plan for the next procedure, okay?

Thanks!

Merme

Merme,
I was going to take off Jenn's second posting,
but I think I'll leave it,
you'll need all of those Angels You and Maxi can get!!

I'll be sending some of those along with this
as well, we'll be thinking of you and Maxi all day!


When will you be home to let us all know you are doing okay????

Weezie

Weezie, we will be home late in the day and I will probably be able to post something around dinner time, Eastern o'clock.

Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers and all those angels galore!

Merme

Many, many prayers for you and Maxi both--that everything is okay, and that the doctors come up with a good plan!

I am so glad you have found a doctor who will sit down and explain a cardiac procedure at an age appropriate level for Maxi. and ((hug)) from all of us for taking such good care of his mom!

Catlover

Prayers to you and Maxi, Merme!
Keep up the good spirits!

Merme, my thoughts & prayers are with you & Maxi. Hope you are up to posting later. {{{Merme}}}}

Meg

My prayers and thoughts are with you, also, Merme! I am praying that you have a speedy recovery, too.



Dianna

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Hi everyone ~

I am home again and plan on going to bed soon for some much needed rest.

The appointment went well at the cardiologists today and I'm really glad Maxi had a chance to speak with the doctor. As it turned out, what the kid really wanted to know is if my heart would just stop one night while I was sleeping. I knew he's been concerned about that possibility since my quadruple bypass, particularly since we live alone together, and most nights he gets up to check on me. So Dr. Welch was able to speak to him reassuringly on that topic.

We didn't schedule the angioplasty date yet because he decided I need another procedure first. I am not looking forward to it because it takes four hours and is very difficult for me to endure. His staff will call me in the next day or so to let me know when it's been scheduled...he was hoping for a day next week.

I'm getting a bit anxious about arranging for Maxi's care throughout the next phase of things because we haven't been able to contact his dad for the past month. He might be out of state visiting his family again; he might just not be returning his messages...there is no way to know. Without Edward's ability to take Maxi as needed, it gets really difficult.

All for now.
Merme

I'm sorry you are having to deal with the stress of worrying about Maxi's care right now. Is there no trusted friend's or family living close to you? I know how stressful that must be. Be assured, though, that God will find a way.

Hugs!

Dianna

Merme,
Glad to hear you're home!!!

Yes, it's good to let the wee~one's in on some
of the basic's... prepare them and help them and
they feel better knowing what's what and that seems to help them cope a bit better....

Please keep us posted as your appointments go!!!


Weezie

Merme, how wonderful to have a Doctor that will inform Maxi.....what a difference that will make to him. I wish I were closer and could be of some help to you with Maxi's care...but I can certainly pray that things fall into place! Get plenty of rest...and hug that boy for me.

I wish I'd seen this yesterday. You remain in my prayers, Merme, but I'll stop and say a special one for you now.

Since several of you commented on how nice it is that the doctor was willing and able to chat with Maxi, I wanted to say this: we have been remarkably fortunate to have acquired the medical team that we have, really fortunate.

There are so many specialists on my team that it would be easy to end up feeling like all that mattered was a foot, a kidney or a heart. But I can't express clearly enough to you how very much the docs, the nurses, technicians and secretaries have proved again and again that they care about US not as isolated body parts or systems, but as people. Over the years, they've gotten involved in our story and consider themselves our friends. There have been so many blessings along the way.

Most of these people met me while I was pregnant with Maxi and so they feel some ownership toward him, like he belongs to them as well, and they take an interest in his life.

This is a great comfort to me, more than I can even say, especially considering that Maxi has had to spend so much of his life in medical situations....riding the ambulance with me, nights spent in ER's, days and days in doctor offices and up at the hospital. Since this is the way it has had to be for him, I think it is good that he feels at home with these people and circumstances. It's good that everyone knows him by name and takes the time to interact with him, you know?

Merme

The special cardiac diagnostic procedure has been scheduled for this Wednesday from 11:30 to 3:30. Maxi's dad will meet him off the school bus and provide his care until I return later in the day. This test is rather daunting, so please tuck me up safely in your prayers that day. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Merme

I certainly will.

Cindy

Hi Merme,
You definitly have my prayers- will be thinking of you all day..... good thing Dad came back in time to do the day care thing for Maxi...
my dd is going to the Dr the same afternoon - she is hoping it starts her labor - so do keep us informed as you can and take it as easy as you can ---
Nana

*Nana,
I was thinking along those same lines too,
although, I think he should make it an over
night sleep over for Maxi,
so Merme has a wee~bit of time
for herself....after a long day like that!!!

****Merme,
You'll be in our thoughts and prayers too as well.
All day......
And sending some right now,

Weezie

Oh, Maxi's dad really can't take him for an overnight stay during the school week because he lives in another town at a distance from our town and has no vehicle to get the kid back here for school the next day. That's why he tries to take him on weekends and when the kids are off, as he will do next week. In the past when I've had to be in the hospital for just a day or two, Edward has come here to stay so he can get the kid on the bus in the morning.

But tomorrow he'll come down by the scanty public transit service and will probably walk Maxi to a local restaurant for dinner and fool around with him out in the snow. By the time they get back, I should be ok enough to manage from there and Edward's girlfriend will borrow her mom's car to drive down and fetch Edward.

Maxi is a good kid and old enough to be a bit independent from me, doing much self-care on his own. When he was younger and needed lots of hands-on care, it was harder. My bedroom is connected to the central part of the apt and doesn't have a door so if I am laying down, the kid and I can chat back and forth as he goes about his routine. He is a wee bit on'ry though, and likes to steal my wheelchair to take it on a spin around the place, giggling at how he masterminded the "theft".

We make out alright, not to worry!

So as of this morning, in preparation for the test, I can't have caffine in any form, not even decaf drinks....A perfect topic of lament for the Coffeehouse thread....

Merme

Hi Merme,
Sounds like you have it all under control... I can just see Maxi wheeling around in your chair-- Been on call here today- dd says she is feeling lots of pressure- and low backpain- nothing in waves though- so am praying for you both today--- and will keep you and Maxi in my thoughts - we are getting snow here today now-- sticking to the ground now- and I have built a fire to keep warm----not to cold yet but it is dropping steadily......

Just wanted you to know that I will be thinking and praying about your procedure today, Merme. I am glad that Maxi's care is all taken care of so that you will not have to worry about that while you are worrying about having the procedure done. Have you heard anything else about the "prize" you won and worked out Maxi's care for then?



Dianna