It just keeps getting better and better. I called the neurosurgeons office Monday to set up an appointment but I can’t get in until June 17th because he is going to be out of the country doing ‘mission’ work. Fine. In the meantime I talked to my retired neurosurgeon glass blowing friend Dick and while he has been retired for 25 years and isn't up on all the newest treatments and approaches he did tell me a thing or two. first that the neurosurgeon won't do the angiogram, radiologist will and also if there is a repair the radiologist will do it. Then I asked which kind of aneurysm is worse, fusiform which has a bulge in the artery or the kind with a bubble on the side. Of course fusiform, which is what I have, is worse. With the bubble they can just seal it off. He doesn't know if they can put a stent in mine to fix it. Anyway a neurosurgeon friend of his just retired so Dick is going to call him and see what he thinks of the doctor I've been referred to and Dick will either have him call me or have me call his friend. So that's where I am on that.
But...went to the electrophysiologist yesterday about the continuous afib and the aneurysm. Doctor wants to take me off the blood thinner that prevents me from developing a blood clot in my heart from the irregular and/or rapid heartbeat that is afib because...aneurysm. We want the to blood to clot if it leaks in my brain. To do that he needs to perform a procedure that closes off the little bulge in the heart where the blood pools and forms clots. Don't like it but OK. And, because the medication is no longer controlling the afib and I'm in afib more often than not lately he says afib is progressive and if the med isn't working, it won't start working again so the fix is the ablation of the left atria for the afib. This means putting me under completely instead of the twilight sleep of the other procedure and the flutter ablation I already had. It's about a two hour procedure where he zaps the heart tissue all the way around both pulmonary arteries where they enter the heart and because this procedure is not completely 100% effective he will still close off the bulge and I will still be on afib med but it should control what's left of the afib but off the blood thinner. Whew! Following all that? There is one thing that could happen and that's if a thin wall from the heart to ? (don't remember what) gets perforated, it is very hard to stop the bleeding and could be fatal. Yay! But they know about that and are very careful and it only happens in 1 in about every 2,000 - 3,000 people. Odds don't sound that great to me but what else am I gonna do? Anyway electrophysiologist's office is arranging with the insurance and scheduling the procedure soon. Maybe in the next 10 days and then he will do the other procedure on a different day but soon.
Just got a call from the electrophysiologist’s office. I have a date for the ablation…June 3rd. A week from next Monday.
Forgive me for not coming around or answering comments as I intended to do. I’m just a little overwhelmed but know this, your comments and love and caring fill my heart. Thank you.
Fervent good wishes it all goes well.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see you when you're up for it.
So sorry to hear about all this, Ellen, but it seems you have things in hand - as much as anyone can - and have good resources to turn to. Best of all wishes to you.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking of you and hoping for the best outcome. Dealing with specialists and surgical appointments is frustrating. I am glad it is sooner than later, so you won't have that much time to worry. We all care about you!!
ReplyDeleteWow. I could barely soak up all that info. It seems you have, though, so all that's left for me to do is think of you till you come out on the other side. It's a lot; you'll be OK.
ReplyDeleteYour community of blog friends are definitely here for you...keeping the surgeon's hand steady, having compassionate nursing staff, and an anesthesiologist with a sense of humor, etc. (Hey I spelled that right the first try!) Comfort. Safety. Smiles. Healing. Positive outcome all the way around! We are surrounding you in a blanket of love. (*)
ReplyDeleteMy guy was nice enough to warn me that my heart would hurt after the procedure, and it did. Not horribly, but was happy to have been forewarned. Hope your results are good. It was truly life changing for me.
ReplyDeleteJust put quotation marks around what Barbara said. I couldn't say it better! So MUCH for you to handle. We are all pulling for you.
ReplyDeleteThis is all just so sudden and so unexpected. I can't even imagine how you are feeling as each piece of this news comes in. I will tell you something that a friend of mine's husband said to her when she got diagnosed with kidney cancer and was absolutely blindsided and asked him what she was going to do. He said, "Terry, we're going to do the next thing and then the next thing and then the next thing." For some reason, that brings me comfort when I consider what I would do in such a situation. And my friend has done the next thing and the next thing and she is doing very well. She has danced at her son's wedding and will be a grandmother this year. I hope with all of my heart that you will have a similar outcome. I'm glad you have a neurosurgeon friend. At the very least, he can recommend other doctors for you to consult with.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, know for sure that you are loved.
Holy sh*t , girl, that is a lot! I think I nearly understood the whole procedure and the outcome and the blood thinner- but WOW. You can be sure we will all be zapping you with all the love and well wishes we can muster. Remember, you are the only gal we know who can stand on her head and fold herself into a pretzel. You are the only gal we know who can leap over tall buildings in a single bound- YOU are so strong! You know the right folks- you will be fine! You have no other choice. LOVE!! LS
ReplyDeleteI am sending you tons of best wishes and hopes and my bit of trust in medical science. The harsh thing before every procedure is the information on possible risks and negative outcomes. I get that it's a necessary requirement but I wish we would not need to know.
ReplyDeleteIf I could, I'd hold your hand right now.
Good to have a conduit to further advice. It’s a tough situation. Be sure to keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteOof Ellen - I'm glad they're getting you in there sooner for the heart procedure!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot for you to handle, Ellen, but you are doing a good job of getting as much info as you can so you are ready. I'm glad it is coming soon and, like the others, wishing you the best.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly understand feeling overwhelmed! Keep us posted, Ellen. At least your conditions are treatable. I'm thinking about you!
ReplyDeleteWell shit damn hell. I would like to tell you not to be worried, but that’s not going to help. I know I would be worried. Sounds like you have done your due diligence and despite this aneurism and your a-fib that you are getting remedied, you are very healthy, so that is in your favor big time.Sending good vibes to the universe and any guardian angels and surgical muses to you and your caregivers that you will sail through this without any complications—just a fix and some healing. Thinking of you.
ReplyDelete37paddington: Dang, girl, you’re dealing with such a lot right now, but step by step, procedure by procedure, you’ll be on the other side of it soon. You could have had that aneurysm for years without it bothering you, so I’m going to go ahead and pray it just keeps sleeping. I can’t imagine the worry you must feel and i suppose this helps me better understand my own husband’s fatalism about these things. You’re doing everything you need to be doing, and all of us here are holding you in healing light and so much love. All will be well.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you
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