blogeae-blog

[blogeae-blog]

Still Weighing In

May 2, 2018 Today, Den has an appointment with another orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Lue. After a lengthy discussion, Dr. Lue said that Den is at a very substantial risk for infection from knee replacement surgery. This could adversely effect his LVAD and cause major complications, including stroke, loss of limb to name a few, and all the way up to death. He told us he would not do any surgery on Den.…

[blogeae-blog]

Watching Weight

April 26, 2018 One of the things that the LVAD team asked of us when Den was discharged yesterday was to send them his weight daily, until further notice. The reason for this is to track his water weight. If we know what his weight is, we can adjust his diuretic to keep Den at an optimum level. Keeping excess water out of Den’s system helps his heart function better and keeps him out of the…

[blogeae-blog]

Looking Back at a Sad Day

April 27, 2018 thru May 20, 2018 I will never forget this time in our lives. I was on the way home from picking Em up at school when my sister called. She asked if I would pull over and park before she continued. We pulled into the nearest strip mall. I told her I was parked and asked what was going on. She told us that our mother had passed away just a few hours ago. Em and I were in shock. We…

[blogeae-blog]

Our 200th Post

November 6, 2023 I can’t believe that this is our 200th post! Where has the time gone? Just a small update, Den has had a hard time of it the last few months. At times, I feel that we are coming to the end of his journey with us. Other days, I think we have a world yet to live together. Like I always say, I don’t know when the journey will end, but I will find joy in every day, every challenge,…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-up - Day 8

We’re still here! It seems like Den has been in the hospital forever right now. I know it’s only been 8 days, but as usual, it is a hurry up and wait. But when is any hospital stay different from that? Den says he slept well….that makes one of us! And feels great today. He had a MAP of 66 early this morning and blood was drawn for is routine tests. His INR is still at 1.7. So they increased his…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-up - Day 7

April 24, 2018 We are stating yet another day in the hospital. Den’s MAP, just after midnight was 79 by automatic cuff. His weight is 297#. The nurse let us know that the blood cultures that were taken have all come back clean and there is no sign of any infection in Den’s blood at this time. I guess the antibiotics are doing their job. Den at a good breakfast today. He also got his usual…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-up - Day 6

April 23, 2018 Yes, Den is still in the hospital. His MAP just after midnight is 60 in his right arm and 45 in his left arm. He started a run of pump fluctuations just as the nurse was finishing taking his MAP. This round lasted about an hour and his numbers were as follows: Speed – 4800 to 5300 PI – 1.8 to 4.0 Flow – 4.1 to 4.7 During and for about and 2 hours after he said he felt…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-up - Day 5

April 22, 2018 Well, Den is still in the hospital for his overhaul. He weighs 297# on his bed scale this morning. Blood was drawn, as usual, early this morning. Just before shift change, around 6:45AM, Den started in again with a run of pump fluctuations. This was a short one, lasting only 15 minutes. The fluctuations are as follows: Speed – 5200 to 5300 PI – 3.6 to 9.1 Flow – 3.4 to…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-up - Day 4

April 21, 2018 Den is still in the hospital for his 2-year overhaul. At 3:20AM his MAP is 63. At 7:30AM, after shift change, Den’s vitals were as follows: MAP – 100 by automatic cuff and 85 by Doppler O2 Saturation – 96% on room air INR – 1.7 The nurse also gave him his morning meds, including a higher dose of his antidepressant. He ate a good breakfast and was in better spirits. At 9AM,…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-up - Day 3

April 20, 2018 Den is still in the hospital. At 4AM, the nurse took all his vital signs: Weight – 293.7# w/o his batteries MAP – 74 O2 Saturation – 90% on room air His LVAD stats were: Speed – 5200, PI 3.7, Flow 4.5 She also changed his IV site, since it was leaking badly. It’s now in his upper right forearm. I took the opportunity to order all of Den’s meals for the day. The food service…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-up - Day 2

April 19, 2018 I was back up to be with Den very early this morning…..like 4AM. His MAP is 77. His weight, on the bed scale, is 300# without his batteries. Dr. Sayer and Dr. Uriel were in and said, “Yes, lots of tests over the next few days”. We are all hoping this will be a short stay, but it really depends on what they find in the tests. They told us they had ordered a TEE (Transesophageal…

[blogeae-blog]

Major Tune-Up - Day 1

April 18-2018 Today it is officially 2 years since Den had his LVAD implanted. We have an appointment to see them for his annual check in. His Map is 68 today. The Team wants to admit Den for intravenous diuretics, since his weight is significantly higher than his last visit. He says it’s my cooking….he can’t get enough. They also want to check some blood cultures to see if the blood infection…

[blogeae-blog]

Knees, Heart And Feet

April 10, 2018 Today, Den has his return visit to the Orthopedic Clinic for his knees. We currently are meeting with Lydia, the Physician Assistant. She gave Den shots of Kenalog, a steroid, in both knees. She gave us a referral to see Dr. Lee to reassess for knee replacement surgery. She also wants us back in 3 months for another round of shots. She said we can cancel if Dr. Lee approves the…

[blogeae-blog]

Final Heartmate 3 Check-in

March 13, 2018 Today is the final official check in for the Heartmate 3 Trial/Study. So lots of stops to make and lots of tests to be done. That means we are up and on the move early this morning. We will be meeting with Shauna, the nurse in charge of the study after all the tests are done. First stop, X-Ray. They took 4 images of Den’s chest and abdomen. It always amazes me to see the devices…

[blogeae-blog]

RAMP Time Again

February 16, 2019 I got a call today from the pre-op nurse to get instructions for Den’s upcoming RAMP Study. She gave me the list of meds that Den should take before the procedure, where to go for the labs that needed to be drawn that morning and what time to check in at the outpatient desk. February 20, 2019 We are up very early for a very busy day. We left home before the sun came up and I…

[blogeae-blog]

Wound Care

February 8, 2019 Today, Den has an appointment with the podiatrist, Dr Gasbarro. Den has been dealing with some pretty bad pain on the ball of his foot. Doc shaved off the old callus on the bottom of his foot and debrided the now open wound. It was much deeper this time. He packed the wound with a medicated ointment and dressed it. He then made Den a custom insole for his shoe. He cut out a…

[blogeae-blog]

New Year, Same Bad Knees

January 3, 2018 We went for Den’s blood draw today. His INR is 2.9 January 6, 2018 Today is Beth’s Dad’s birthday! He has caught up to his wife and they are both 83 now! Happy Birthday, Dan! And many, many more. January 9, 2018 Today we see the orthopedic nurse to see what’s up with Den’s knees since our last visit and possibly get him a cortisone injection (or 2) to help with the pain he is…