Well, like Connie, the appointments go on and on.
Though things are going well for Mike, I kid that he glows in the dark these days from all the check ups and scans.
This week he has his fasting labs Monday morning early.
Then Tuesday we head to Miami in the afternoon, to save ourselves from the horrible commuter traffic Wednesday morning. We get a cheap room with free b'fast on campus.
Wednesday he has a transthorasic echocardiogram to take a look at how is aortic stenosis is doing. He has a mitral valve problems also that they keep on watch. At some point he will need a valve replacement for the aortic valve...and they are hoping to do that without
open heart surgery. They have had some good luck with putting it in just like they do a heart catheterization....feeding the new valve up from the groin.
Wednesday afternoon we have the cardiac consult. Mike has uncontrolled hypertension and they keep fiddling with his meds. They have him email them twice-daily bps every two weeks and the doc sends him an email if there are changes recommended in the meds. The more bp meds he takes, the more tired he feels. And as Hep C causes fatigue, it makes him feel somewhat unwell to take so much anti rejection med and bp meds. Just part of the post TP regimen I guess!
On Wednesday afternoon, hopefully before rush hour if our doc isn't running too late, we will drive the short distance to Ft Lauderdale (the worst part of the drive) and stay there for the night. Thursday morning he takes me to the airport as I am taking a little vacation. And he is going to the UM ortho clinic in Plantation, FL. His left shoulder is a mess and they are doing a recheck to see if there is anything they can do besides surgery. It was too painful for him to do the PT. His arm sort of just hangs there. It is what happened to his right arm before the second surgery. He may need to wait until next July...as I explained in another thread yesterday! UGH. Insurance issues are a mess.
Next month is oncology, nephrology, and hepatology. Unless he gets confirmed for that study and then he'll be in Miami every week or so for labs and study stuff. So it's good that I get away before the "fun" starts. We are still optimistic he will be included...but one never knows.
I will be in California for the vacation....San Francisco area and then driving with college roommates to San Diego. I am going to a reunion and will visit friends before that who have had the good sense to move to places like Walnut Creek, Orinda, and Alameda...lovely areas north of San Fran. I try to take a break a few times a year.
Besides Mike, I am doing caregiving for a sister who lives nearby with early dementia. She has gotten quite confused and I worry about
going away and leaving her without supervision. She messes up her meds and gets lost a lot. And needs a lot of TLC. Hopefully nothing dreadful will happen in 10 days.
Hugs,
Carol
Post Edited By Moderator (hep93) : 10/6/2013 1:44:33 PM (GMT-6)