Happy September everyone!

Bill has had an amazing month since the last post. No, he hasn't received a new heart yet but he has been feeling really good and has been more active. This remodel project, which has been so horrible, has been good for him as far as keeping track of expenses and schedules etc.

We also purchased a new vehicle for me, a 2010 Dodge Journey R/T. I absolutely love it and would really like to be driving it...but it's been in the shop already for the 2nd time! Transmission problems are apparently being caused by a bad speed sensor. Hopefully that will fix it and we can go get it!

Friday is a milestone for us...our 20th anniversary! Who would have thought 3 years ago that we would get this far after the last heart attack. I know the doctors are still baffled by his recovery since he wasliterally dead several times with that one.
We just thank God everyday that he's evidently not finished with him yet!

The summer is flying by and we haven't accomplished as much as we thought we would. BUT we also didn't think that a 4 day job for the siding would turn in to a 4 month job! It is finally as finished as Home Depot is going to make it finished.

We have now started on the inside and this contractor is a perfectionist. Instead of just painting the walls, his vision is to remove all the doors and refinish all of the hinges and doorknobs and "take it back to it's original style". WE JUST WANT THE WALLS PAINTED!!! He has taken a week in the hallway and hasn't put any paint on. It's going to break us and we aren't even going to get the floors done I don't think. They may have to wait until next year!

As far as Bill's health goes, transplant was pleased with his checkup. No more appointments until October! We're going to Kansas City in October for the Block Central Division Convention and we may take a couple of short trips in between. We need to go back to Illinois to spend some time with Mom and he's talking about going to the Tennessee River for a few days.

So all is well for now.

I'm soooo sorry that I haven't updated this in so long! But, when things are going well there's nothing to update! That's the good news.

We have had an interesting summer. I decided to take the summer off for the first time in 15 years and have not regretted it. I've been more relaxed since I don't know when. We've also been very busy.

After the drs. ok in April, we took a nearly month long vacation. We drove to Illinois and hopped a train to Chicago and on to Boston. From there we rented a car and drove through New Hampshire and Maine. I totally fell in love with both places, but I think I like Maine more. I told Bill I need to go back in the winter to see if I still like it when it's cold.

We've also been doing some remodeling and that has been a nightmare. Haven't even been able to start the inside yet, because of fighting with contractors about finishing the outside! Hopefully that will happen next week.

Bill saw Dr. Lan and Dr. Burnett in June and both were very pleased with him. He weathered all of the travelling well and Dr. Lan has released him, unless he has another episode of v-tach. Dr. Burnett tweaked one of his meds and doesn't want to see him until October. It will also be time for another heart cath then.

He did have cataract surgery in April and it did not heal well and he had to have some laser surgery in June to remove some scar tissue. That has now healed and is doing well.

He has an appointment with the transplant clinic on July 27th. They do periodic clinics to check conditions and make sure he is still healthy enough for the transplant. That seems kind of silly...you're sick enough to need a new heart, but you have to be healthy enough to get one!

We made a quick trip to Oklahoma over the 4th holiday. Our grandson was burned at work and we wanted to see how he was. He's out of the hospital but still has a long way to go.

That's it in a nutshell. I'll try to do better about updating this, even if there's nothing to say!

As you can see, I did bring my laptop to Memphis. I was surprised that I could get a connection since the cath lab is in the bowels of the hospital! I refer to the "C" concourse as the catacombs! Anyway, the connection is good and I'm able to update you.

Dr. Burnett called about 30 minutes ago and said he did fine. His pulmonary arteries responded well to the medicine that simulates the stress placed on them during the transplant procedure. Of course he still has to lay still for about 6 hours, but after lunch and some fluids we will get to go home. We also don't have to come back next week to see Dr. Burnett. He said he's maintaining well enough and he doesn't want to change any of his meds since he's doing so well. He does see Dr. Lan in June and of course if there's a problem he will see him, but as of now, he's free from dr. and lab appointments! Jackie, the transplant co-ordinator has said he doesn't have to have monthly labs anymore, he can go to every other month. So, except for his pro-time to monitor the coumadin he won't have to get stuck as much.

So,this was a "routine" procedure, if any invasive procedure can be routine!

Until next time, thanks for the thoughts and prayers.

It's heart cath time again! We're going to Memphis this afternoon and have to be at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Hopefully there won't be any complications and we can get home before dark!

Bill has had a little more pep lately. Since we're doing so much work on the house and he's co-ordinating contractors and electricians and plumbers he's back to "project" engineering and loving it. He and the electrician have really hit it off and understand each other. But, it has been good for him. He's been bouncing out of bed about 6:30 and has more color in his face and seems to have a little more energy. I guess we'll see what the dr. says tomorrow.

Haven't decided it I will take my laptop with me or not (probably will) so I don't know just when I will get this updated after the procedure. But I will get it updated eventually.

It's really hard to post anything during tax season! Sorry about that! I said that I would try to explain about the ablation in the last post and I haven't done that. Dr. Lan explained that electrical impulses travel from 1 side of the heart to the other. Bill has so much scar tissue that it has to travel around it and by the time it gets to the other side there's nothing left. That is why his heart starts to just quiver. In the ablation, a tunnel is made with a laser for the impulse to go through which gets it to the other side faster and makes a stronger heartbeat. So, that makes sense and made it a little clearer.

Bill saw Dr. Lan a couple of weeks ago and his Amiodorone was scaled back to the lower dose to see how he held up. His heart rate has been up a couple of times but not too high yet. If it gets to 100 we are to go to the ER if it is on a week-end. If it's a weekday he's to initiate a download and call the office.

His other heart cath has been scheduled for April 12. Not an ideal date but it can't be helped.

Sorry there was no post yesterday. I was having trouble with the internet connection at the hospital and my laptop was not co-operating. Anyway, here's the latest.

All during the day Thursday, especially after being moved to step-down, the nurses hardly came in. But at shift change, the nurse did not like Bill's bp being below 100and she was in every hour all night! Of course, his blood pressure stays between 90 and 100 anyway, which is what the drs. want so that his heart doesn't have to work as hard. She also didn't want to give him his Inspra since it is a blood pressure medicine. And if she wasn't in the room, the lab techs were in taking blood. So it was a very long, sleepless night.

Both doctors were pleased with his progress and decided to discharge him. Dr. Lan was in during the morning and said that if Dr. Burnett agreed, he could be discharged. He also told us some things to look for and what to do if we recognized that he was in an episode.

Dr. Burnett was in the cath lab so he didn't get in until about 1. He said that he had conferred with Dr. Lan and had spent some time in the monitoring room looking at Bill's numbers and his heart rate was staying steady. He also told us some things to look for and agreed with Dr. Lan's suggestions.

At 2:30 when one of the nurses, Patrick, came in, Bill asked about going home and he thought he was joking. We know that it takes some time to do the paperwork so weren't too worried. But, at 4 when Patrick came in again, he again asked and told him that both doctors had said that he could be discharged. Patrick got the other RN, Connie, and when she came in she had his chart and said that it didn't say anywhere that he could be discharged. She even said that Dr. Burnett himself handed her Bill's chart. She then called Dr. Burnett and when she asked him about it his response was "Oh my God!" He had forgetten to write the order!

Since there was only 1 medication change, it didn't take long to get the paperwork done and we left the hospital at 5. So, drove through Memphis during rush hour, not as bad as Atlanta, went through the drive-through at Zaxby's for supper and got home about 6:30. We managed to watch the opening ceremonies of the olympics, were in bed by 11 and I slept until 6:47! I haven't slept all night in so many years that I can't give a number. Bill said he slept until 5.

So, this morning we are more rested, have had breakfast and will decided what the day will bring.

He's to see Dr. Lan in March to see how the additional amiodorone has worked and then see Dr. Burnett in April for a check-up and a right heart cath again for the transplant team. If another ablation is needed, Dr. Lan will do it then. Dr. Lan also explained a little more about what the v-tach is and what the ablation does which makes it easier on us to know what is going on. I'll post something on that later.