WilliamJE
Well-known member
This is my first post to the forum. I just learned about it yesterday.
Warning- This is going to be long. My spelling isn't the greatest and some of my usage of some terms may be off. My learning of my heart condition only taking place in the last 8 or 9 days. I haven't had the chance to thoroughly educate myself yet.
To help anyone reading this post, I put in links to some of my past health or personal experiences. I've been blogging for over 3 years at various websites, frequent participant at golf forum set up similar to this one, and been a member of a Melanoma support group for most of a decade. I've shared bits of my life story before.
My name is Bill and I live in South Florida. For 19 years I been married to Leonita. We have no living children. A son we had who we named Daniel died 14.5 hours after his birth in 2003. So its just us except for our two cats. My mother-in-law(Who I get along with great) is out of the country visiting her other children at this time.
To start my story properly, I better go back to 2005. That's when I suffered a Pulmonary embolism or PE. It taking place almost exactly three years to this date. I had what is called a saddle emboli, and was very lucky to survive. Ever since the 2005 PE, I've been on a daily dosage of coumadin.
Because of the PE, I was hospitalized for ten days. During the stay I spent 4 days in the SICU plus had a filter placed in my neck to prevent future PEs. While I was in the hospital I was told about spots on my adrenal glands. Since I am a malignant melanoma survivor, tests were done after I left the hospital to see if my cancer had metastized. A couple of MRIs and a Pet scan were all negative.
What Leonita and I have recollection of, is any doctor telling us that my aorta was enlarged. We only learned this in the last 10 days and I'll be getting to that in a moment. When I left the hospital, I was never referred to a cardiologist.
Then on July 30th of this year, while at home working, I became seriously short of breath. My wife who was at work at the time, came home after I called her and called 911. I was then taken to the same hospital as in 2005. The doctors went about trying to rule out either CGF(Congestive heart failure) or another PE at first. After some tests, including a cat scan, I was told about my having a bicuspid heart valve. That the valve was very enlarged(6 cm?) and that I would be needing surgery. This happened Thursday or Friday of last week.
The news came as a shock, for other than the episode on July 30, I had really no symptoms. Plus I was feeling much better barely a day after my admission to the hospital last week. I was off the nose canula and on room air barely 24 hours after going in the hospital and up walking around. Also sometimes since 2005 I would get short of breath but not as bad as last week, but I always chalked it up to my past PE. That as I have learned was wrong. I even walk one to two miles a day. The diagnosis was a big shock to me and Leonita.
A cardiac cath was done on this last Monday. It wasn't done sooner because my INR level was too high. The catherization confirmed the heart valve problem, while also discovering I had no other heart blockages. My now deceased father twice had heart bypass surgery.
The heart surgeon at my hospital is named Dr. Lester.(He looks alot like now deceased actor John Larch. I'm an old-time television show buff. During my recent hospitalization, I spent alot of time watching DVDs of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Mission Impossible shows from the 60's. Larch appeared on the later) He saw me on the first Friday I was at the hospital, then again on this last Tuesday. I have other medical issues, high bp, my past cancer, diabeties, cellulitis in both my legs which has caused me to spend time in the hospital in both 2001 and 2007 plus I'm way overweight. The doctor decided he would operate on me, but we first talked about me going to a surgeon who specializes in this work. Dr. Lester thinking I may be better with someone who did these operations more than he has.
My going to Gainesville Florida U of fl Shands hospital, or to Texas were talked about. It would have immensely difficult financially for me(I'll get to this later) Dr. Lester I think was being honest with me, I appreciate it. He just wanted the very best for me.
What caused my episode that brought me to the hospital is unclear. A cardiologist have said it wasn't a heart attack, nor was it CGF.
On wednesday of this week, I was discharged. I was ruled stable, and since getting back home I've had no problems. Some pre-op tests were done before my discharge, a carotoid ultrasound plus a pulmonary test, others will take place on Tuesday before I go in the hospital the next day. Those are a chest x-ray and another ultrasound. On Monday I go back to the hospital for other pre-op too.
Since coming home, I've been researching what I've been diagnosed with and what I'm facing in a few days. While in the hospital I did none of this, in spite of having my laptop available. I think I was in too much shock at first to want to google my condition. Either that or the lack of wifi and having to use AOL dial up discouraged me.
Yes I've learned more than I ever wanted to about aortic regurgitation, heart
aneyurisms, CGF, saddle emboli and a whole lot of other stuff just recently. Sometimes I'm confused about what applies to me, this coming out of the blue on me in such a short time.
In addition to finding this website, and my google searches, I've been talking to two nurses. My wife Leonita is Filipino, and I guess many of you know already just how many nurses in the USA are from the Philippines. Leonita isn't a nurse, but her sister Leonette is. Leonette works telemetry at Miami Jackson's heart center. Another nurse named Zarah whose a close friend of Leonita and Leonette, works in the ICU of the hospital where I will have surgery. She knows dr. lester and is full of info about what I facing in a few days. While I was in the hosp, Zarah visited me in addition to coming over last night to see how I was doing and to let me ask some questions about what is coming up.
To say I'm very anxious about the operation is an understatement. For all the medical problems and my weight I mentioned already are most but not all the reason I'm scared. My job is also up in the air, I could be laid off the week after my surgery. If I lose my job and can't find work right away either because of the economy or my surgery, me and Leonita are 6 months from financial ruin. My wife works and through her we have our health insurance. But monthly expenses down here will make the $10,000 or so we have in the bank vanish fast.
I work at home, I have a good boss(Who I seldom see in person but email or talk to on the phone. Jac is the ideal boss) who is understanding of what's going on right now. Still he doesn't know whether I will be kept or laid off. It's not his decision, he's even in the same boat as I.
My work involves me mostly being online all day. Not terribly strenuous, but I've had problems concentrating since getting home and have to wonder this would be worse after surgery. How do I work then a few weeks after I come home? My wife keeps telling me not to worry, someone here tell me that too. Better yet, hit me with something. LOL
Leonita BTW has lots of sick and vacation days built up. She is planning to stay home with me for at least the first 3 weeks after I come out of the hospital. She'll be with me early on after surgery, but will probably work some when I'm out of ICU. The hospital is barely 2 miles from our home, and 3.5 from her work. That makes Leonita's job easier, but she was worn out just from last week's hospital stay.
While I'm in the hospital, Leonita will bring me anything I need. All I intend to bring Wednesday is me, but in the car will be my eyeglasses, slippers, and pillow. She'll fetch whatever I need when I need it. Maybe a book or my laptop when I get out of ICU, but I've been reading here how some people didn't need these. The pain will make day-time television palatable, for I'd rather endlessly watch my computer's screensaver than soap operas or reality television shows.
Any thoughts on what I should bring or Leonita should have handy, I would greatly appreciate.
Oh and yesterday the hospital called. They want a pint of blood from me(or money) as my deductible and out of pocket limit hasn't been reached this year. The caller telling me at first she was pre-registering me, but that seemed silly and I said so, since I was out of the hospital barely 48 hours. What can change in that amount of time? Oh they want my money. I know hospitals are businesses, but a decade of being a cancer survivor, 4 hospitalizations just for me(Not Leonita too) since 2001, have made me well acquainted with 'mistakes' made when it comes to my medical bills.(The real word I'd use 80% of the time isn't mistakes but a five letter word starting with an f and ends with a d. Often heard in association with words like check, bunco, medicare, medicaid. I think you know what I'm saying ) The call was just aggravating. Dr. Lester's bill is going to be huge, but his office isn't calling me about payment. If I tell the hospital on Monday like I did on the phone yesterday, that I can pay very little upfront, would they cancel my surgery? No they won't, but then why add to the anxiety a patient is having. Especially one who has paid their bills in the past.(I'm making dedicated monthly payments on the balance from my 05 and 07 stays in the hospital)
That's my story, I know every patient has a different story. No two of us are alike.
I think that covers everything. Anyone still reading or awake now?
Warning- This is going to be long. My spelling isn't the greatest and some of my usage of some terms may be off. My learning of my heart condition only taking place in the last 8 or 9 days. I haven't had the chance to thoroughly educate myself yet.
To help anyone reading this post, I put in links to some of my past health or personal experiences. I've been blogging for over 3 years at various websites, frequent participant at golf forum set up similar to this one, and been a member of a Melanoma support group for most of a decade. I've shared bits of my life story before.
My name is Bill and I live in South Florida. For 19 years I been married to Leonita. We have no living children. A son we had who we named Daniel died 14.5 hours after his birth in 2003. So its just us except for our two cats. My mother-in-law(Who I get along with great) is out of the country visiting her other children at this time.
To start my story properly, I better go back to 2005. That's when I suffered a Pulmonary embolism or PE. It taking place almost exactly three years to this date. I had what is called a saddle emboli, and was very lucky to survive. Ever since the 2005 PE, I've been on a daily dosage of coumadin.
Because of the PE, I was hospitalized for ten days. During the stay I spent 4 days in the SICU plus had a filter placed in my neck to prevent future PEs. While I was in the hospital I was told about spots on my adrenal glands. Since I am a malignant melanoma survivor, tests were done after I left the hospital to see if my cancer had metastized. A couple of MRIs and a Pet scan were all negative.
What Leonita and I have recollection of, is any doctor telling us that my aorta was enlarged. We only learned this in the last 10 days and I'll be getting to that in a moment. When I left the hospital, I was never referred to a cardiologist.
Then on July 30th of this year, while at home working, I became seriously short of breath. My wife who was at work at the time, came home after I called her and called 911. I was then taken to the same hospital as in 2005. The doctors went about trying to rule out either CGF(Congestive heart failure) or another PE at first. After some tests, including a cat scan, I was told about my having a bicuspid heart valve. That the valve was very enlarged(6 cm?) and that I would be needing surgery. This happened Thursday or Friday of last week.
The news came as a shock, for other than the episode on July 30, I had really no symptoms. Plus I was feeling much better barely a day after my admission to the hospital last week. I was off the nose canula and on room air barely 24 hours after going in the hospital and up walking around. Also sometimes since 2005 I would get short of breath but not as bad as last week, but I always chalked it up to my past PE. That as I have learned was wrong. I even walk one to two miles a day. The diagnosis was a big shock to me and Leonita.
A cardiac cath was done on this last Monday. It wasn't done sooner because my INR level was too high. The catherization confirmed the heart valve problem, while also discovering I had no other heart blockages. My now deceased father twice had heart bypass surgery.
The heart surgeon at my hospital is named Dr. Lester.(He looks alot like now deceased actor John Larch. I'm an old-time television show buff. During my recent hospitalization, I spent alot of time watching DVDs of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Mission Impossible shows from the 60's. Larch appeared on the later) He saw me on the first Friday I was at the hospital, then again on this last Tuesday. I have other medical issues, high bp, my past cancer, diabeties, cellulitis in both my legs which has caused me to spend time in the hospital in both 2001 and 2007 plus I'm way overweight. The doctor decided he would operate on me, but we first talked about me going to a surgeon who specializes in this work. Dr. Lester thinking I may be better with someone who did these operations more than he has.
My going to Gainesville Florida U of fl Shands hospital, or to Texas were talked about. It would have immensely difficult financially for me(I'll get to this later) Dr. Lester I think was being honest with me, I appreciate it. He just wanted the very best for me.
What caused my episode that brought me to the hospital is unclear. A cardiologist have said it wasn't a heart attack, nor was it CGF.
On wednesday of this week, I was discharged. I was ruled stable, and since getting back home I've had no problems. Some pre-op tests were done before my discharge, a carotoid ultrasound plus a pulmonary test, others will take place on Tuesday before I go in the hospital the next day. Those are a chest x-ray and another ultrasound. On Monday I go back to the hospital for other pre-op too.
Since coming home, I've been researching what I've been diagnosed with and what I'm facing in a few days. While in the hospital I did none of this, in spite of having my laptop available. I think I was in too much shock at first to want to google my condition. Either that or the lack of wifi and having to use AOL dial up discouraged me.
Yes I've learned more than I ever wanted to about aortic regurgitation, heart
aneyurisms, CGF, saddle emboli and a whole lot of other stuff just recently. Sometimes I'm confused about what applies to me, this coming out of the blue on me in such a short time.
In addition to finding this website, and my google searches, I've been talking to two nurses. My wife Leonita is Filipino, and I guess many of you know already just how many nurses in the USA are from the Philippines. Leonita isn't a nurse, but her sister Leonette is. Leonette works telemetry at Miami Jackson's heart center. Another nurse named Zarah whose a close friend of Leonita and Leonette, works in the ICU of the hospital where I will have surgery. She knows dr. lester and is full of info about what I facing in a few days. While I was in the hosp, Zarah visited me in addition to coming over last night to see how I was doing and to let me ask some questions about what is coming up.
To say I'm very anxious about the operation is an understatement. For all the medical problems and my weight I mentioned already are most but not all the reason I'm scared. My job is also up in the air, I could be laid off the week after my surgery. If I lose my job and can't find work right away either because of the economy or my surgery, me and Leonita are 6 months from financial ruin. My wife works and through her we have our health insurance. But monthly expenses down here will make the $10,000 or so we have in the bank vanish fast.
I work at home, I have a good boss(Who I seldom see in person but email or talk to on the phone. Jac is the ideal boss
) who is understanding of what's going on right now. Still he doesn't know whether I will be kept or laid off. It's not his decision, he's even in the same boat as I. My work involves me mostly being online all day. Not terribly strenuous, but I've had problems concentrating since getting home and have to wonder this would be worse after surgery. How do I work then a few weeks after I come home? My wife keeps telling me not to worry, someone here tell me that too. Better yet, hit me with something. LOL
Leonita BTW has lots of sick and vacation days built up. She is planning to stay home with me for at least the first 3 weeks after I come out of the hospital. She'll be with me early on after surgery, but will probably work some when I'm out of ICU. The hospital is barely 2 miles from our home, and 3.5 from her work. That makes Leonita's job easier, but she was worn out just from last week's hospital stay.
While I'm in the hospital, Leonita will bring me anything I need. All I intend to bring Wednesday is me, but in the car will be my eyeglasses, slippers, and pillow. She'll fetch whatever I need when I need it. Maybe a book or my laptop when I get out of ICU, but I've been reading here how some people didn't need these. The pain will make day-time television palatable, for I'd rather endlessly watch my computer's screensaver than soap operas or reality television shows.
Any thoughts on what I should bring or Leonita should have handy, I would greatly appreciate.
Oh and yesterday the hospital called. They want a pint of blood from me(or money) as my deductible and out of pocket limit hasn't been reached this year. The caller telling me at first she was pre-registering me, but that seemed silly and I said so, since I was out of the hospital barely 48 hours. What can change in that amount of time? Oh they want my money. I know hospitals are businesses, but a decade of being a cancer survivor, 4 hospitalizations just for me(Not Leonita too) since 2001, have made me well acquainted with 'mistakes' made when it comes to my medical bills.(The real word I'd use 80% of the time isn't mistakes but a five letter word starting with an f and ends with a d. Often heard in association with words like check, bunco, medicare, medicaid. I think you know what I'm saying
) The call was just aggravating. Dr. Lester's bill is going to be huge, but his office isn't calling me about payment. If I tell the hospital on Monday like I did on the phone yesterday, that I can pay very little upfront, would they cancel my surgery? No they won't, but then why add to the anxiety a patient is having. Especially one who has paid their bills in the past.(I'm making dedicated monthly payments on the balance from my 05 and 07 stays in the hospital) That's my story, I know every patient has a different story. No two of us are alike.
I think that covers everything. Anyone still reading or awake now?
