Bill's not having a good day today. He has even less energy than usual and says he's having trouble breathing. His color is not good either and he's coughing some. I'm thinking this means he has some fluid build-up. I've got a call in to Dr. Burnett's office, but haven't heard anything back yet. I've come home from work and I'm trying to get him to go to the ER but he won't do it.

He seemed OK yesterday and last night so this is pretty sudden. Maybe that's what the alarm sounding yesterday was telling us. Of course, they didn't tell us what we should do it the alarm went off.

So for now we wait to hear from the doctor.

We both survived my trip to Nashville, but we both ended up sick. Bill was sick the day I left (although he didn't tell me he felt bad until that evening) and by Sunday evening I was sick. I missed the entire first day of meetings. But I wasn't the only one who got it. I still don't feel well and we were so busy the rest of the week that I'm still really tired.

Everything is set for the pacemaker change on Thursday. We're going down Weds. night to stay. He doesn't have to be there until between 7 and 7:30, but we still don't want to have to drive down that morning. And it's overnight in the hospital at least 1 night so we won't be home until sometime Friday at the earliest.

I heard the alarm go off during church this morning. That means that it isn't firing correctly. It's the first time that I've heard it and recognized it for what it was. I think I've heard it during the night but I didn't think about it, just wondered what the noise was that woke me up. Bill can't hear the alarm as it's in the area of his hearing loss. It's a very high pitched whine. So, I guess it's a good thing that he's getting a new one.

I'm trying something this week that is kinda scary, for me anyway. I'm going out of town for 5 days, without Bill. It's a little unsettling to be apart for that long, but as the transplant coordinator said, "Go live your lives". So, I'm going to the H & R Block Convention in Nashville.

My friend Phillis wanted to know what would happen if "the call" should come while I'm gone. I told her they would send a plane for Bill if necessary and before I could say anything else Tommy (my boss) said "Well, I guess we go to Memphis". I told him we just need to go as far as the airport and then Jalena said that their brother-in-law knows the owner of the Tennessee Titans football team. I jokingly said that since all of the bigwigs from Block would be in Nashville, I could just use the corporate jet and Jalena thought that might be a good possibility.

I'm not too concerned about getting to Memphis if need be. My concern is that something would happen to Bill here at home, especially in light of this new problem with his heart rhythm. But, I just have to go on faith that everything will be alright. So, as of Sunday morning, I'm off to the big city until Thursday!

Sorry it's taken me so long to get the latest news posted. It's been a verrrrry long day. We had to be at the hospital at 5:30 this morning, and got home at 5:30 this evening.

The right heart cath went very well. The pulmonary pressure was elevated some, but it responded well to the medication and Dr. Burnett saw no reason that it would keep Bill from having the transplant.

The electrophysiology study did not go as well. This study was necessary because of the bad ventricular rhythms. Dr. Lan was hopeful that medication alone, or a shock would cause the heart to start a normal rhythm, but he discovered it was not going to be that simple. He has suggested, with Dr. Burnett agreeing, that Bill's ICD (pacemaker/diffibulator) be replaced with a bi-ventricular pacemaker. This type of pacemaker has 3 leads, 1 to the top of the heart and one on each side of the bottom. It will in effect beat for the bottom of the heart. For now, until the placement can be done, he has set this pacemaker to pace the heart instead of pacing if needed, to keep the device from firing and shocking him. He said that the positive side of this new one will be less fatigue and a little more energy.

They are going to do the implant on Oct. 29. This will mean an overnight stay in the hospital. From what I have read, and if I understood what I read, during this time Bill will move from status 1b on the transplant list to 1a and stay at that status for 30 days. This could be a blessing in disguise since it could mean that a heart will be available sooner.

That's where we are now. But, the first order of business will be a good night's sleep in our own lumpy bed with our own pillows. Bill asked me earlier this evening what my agenda was for tomorrow and I told him to sleep until I woke up, or until the phone rang. I think that I'm just tired enough tonight that I may sleep most of the night without waking up every hour or so!

So, for tonight....good night.

Time moves so quickly when you don't want it to. It's been a crazy week since we saw Dr. Lan. The reason he wanted to see Bill is because the device monitor picked up an odd rhythm. It looks like he's going into v-tach about every hour. This is where the bottom of his heart starts beating too fast. This can lead to the v-fib where his heart just quivers which causes the heart attack. Anyway, Dr. Lan wants to try to create the problem in the lab to make sure the pacemaker is picking up on it properly. I actually think that is the strange sound he's been making in the night. I think the device is shocking him, but since he's asleep he's not aware of it. He doesn't even feel when his heart starts racing.

Anyway, after the heart cath Monday, they going to do that procedure. He's also scheduled to see Dr. Garrett's nurse practitioner and have his labs done. Dr. Lan has said that it will be a very long day, especially for me! I'm planning on packing a few more items of clothing, just in case we end up staying an extra day or two.

Bill has also been sick since we went to Memphis. He has the virus that has been running through the schools. He's feeling better now and sleeping better since I made him start taking some Benadryl to stop his sinus drainage. I had almost decided not to go to my Little Rock meeting, but he started to get better. I don't know what will happen if I have to cancel going to Nashville. We'll cross that bridge when we get there I guess.

Where has the time gone? It seems like I just posted on here, but it's been 20 days since my last post. But, since not much has happened, nothing has really been missed.

Bill had a good report from Dr. Burnett on the 8th. Didn't feel the need to make any changes to his meds. He scheduled his next cath for Oct. 5th. The transplant team has also scheduled Dr. Garrett's nurse practitioner to visist while he's in the "resting" stage of the cath and his labs are going to be drawn then, so we're getting all of the October stuff done on the same day. This is good since we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 in the morning!

We did have a little glitch yesterday. Dr. Lan's office called and wants Bill to come in today. This is the doctor what did the pacemaker implant. He had released Bill in either November or January, I can't remember which now. Anyway, we aksed if there was a problem and the girls calling didn't know, so we are going down there this afternoon.

I have noticed a couple of time now in the night Bill makes a loud gasp and I wonder now if it is something to do with the device firing or the defective lead malfunctioning. The sound is loud enough to wake me, but he doesn't stir. When I mentioned this to him yesterday (and he had done it Sunday night) he had no idea about it. I guess we'll fine out this afternoon if it has something to do with why Dr. Lan wants to see him.

We're still looking through the hundreds of trials, with not much success. Some of them want you to be as healthy as anyone else, others don't want you if you're on the transplant list, and others want you only if you are so sick nothing else can be done. It's just a very time consuming process.

Today is our 19th wedding anniversary! it seems like it was just yesterday, but at the same time it seems like we've together forever. I guess that means it was meant to be.

Bill has gotten his dream car. We got a 2002 Thunderbird, white, hard-top convertible. The best part is....only 8550 miles on it! That's right I have not left off a number. It was one of the first ones ordered and it was the first one purchased here in town. The only reason the guy sold it is because he wants a new Camaro! The grandkids can't wait to ride in it, one at a time of course since it's only a 2-seater!