Sunday Stroke Survival: Breathing a Bit Easier

 Sigh! Better late than never.

The past two weeks, I've had a difficulty breathing. Yes, all that extra fluid from my ill heart finally hit my lungs. I knew it was happening and knew it would without a cardiologist's help. Lasix in high doses can be a scary thing, even for me. My wheezing got so bad, I could barely manage ten steps to the bathroom without getting raspy breaths let alone back to my seat again. I hit my inhaler so often I barely needed the drugs to raise my heart rate. My inhaler is albuterol so it raised my heart rate and blood pressure. Yes, it was that bad.

I've finally got a local cardiologist!!! Or, will have after the 13th. I just have to hold out until then. What was really shocking to me was my weight gain. Now knowing I have a heart issue, I weigh myself every morning. For me, it's the best indicator of how much of a fluid load I'm carrying. I went to my late afternoon neurology appointment and as part of my check in I got on the scale. I can usually count on a 1-5lb variance between my at home scale and any doctor's office scale. But the reading showed as 15lbs higher!! There was no way I could have gained 10lbs in less than 12 hours. This was fluid weight. My feet were puffy and my middle was muffin topped over my jeans. No wonder I was huffing and puffing over the walk to the treatment room, several hundred feet. When listening with a stethoscope my lower lungs sounded wet like I'm going into CHF (congestive heart failure).

With my midodrine and metotoprol taken early in the AM by the appointment time, my heart rate and BP was in normal limits, 72 & 124/80. Imagine what it would be without the drugs and the walking. So when I got home, I doubled my old dose of Lasix to 40 mg and spent the next 8 hours peeing every 10-20 minutes urinating. The next morning, I held off the Lasix until noon because that's when the weight piled on from fluid back up began. It was after I started my daily routine and I was up on my feet more. Sure enough, my wright was up 5lbs heavier than my first rising weight. By 1PM, my weight was up  7lbs when I took my 40mg of Lasix again. My side note was that I noticed my affected foot's shoe began feeling tight. I'd found an important indicator to the fluid build up. 

After looking at the situation realistically, I bought diapers to see me through until my cardiologist's appointment.  You see I don't know how to juggle my meds any more than I've done so far. I may need some other medical intervention like a pacemaker or a total change in medications. Both of those take a doctor. Since my bladder sling tore, my urge to urinate and actually going is about 30 seconds. It's no longer a small to medium gush of urine, easily handled by a pad. But with the Lasix, it's a GUSH that lasts several seconds and repeats with every step until I reach the commode. Think of turning on the tap full force for a 5-second increments. Even having 20 pair of panties and pads can't keep up with the flows with the Lasix. Even with a diaper, pants or shorts are left in the drawer for at least the first four hours after taking the Lasix. It's just one more thin between my backside and the commode and every second counts...even diapers have their limits. I have thought about upping my dose to 60mg of Lasix but I'm not comfortable with that without medical supervision, I'd bought a 90-day prescription the week my old cardiologist changed my dose to as needed so I have plenty.

I've been watching the flooding with Hurricane Ida, I've been going through the similar battle with my body. I hope the cardiologist has an answer I can live with...anything less than a transplant and open heart surgery. This is where I draw the line and refuse. But at least now they know what causes my v-fib and cardiac arrest during surgery...a drug allergy to propofol, an anesthesia med. Sharp, good work Emory team for the diagnosis! It was traced back to my egg yolk allergy. How's that for great detective work?

For now, I'm breathing easier and moving again. I caught russet potatoes on sale this week so I canned up some more French fries and some great waxy, baby potatoes to can whole. Every little bit counts.

Nothing is impossible. 

Monday Mailbox~ Nope

It's Monday and time for a visit to Tilda the Mailbox. Nope. Not Really. My mailbox has pretty much empty for the past two weeks except for spams.

So what do I talk about instead???

Oh, Happy New Years Eve y'all! Have any big plans? Painting the town red or sitting at home snuggling the one you love? I'm opting for the last one. Usually we go on the gambling ship. We've known the owners since before they brought their ship to town. Over the years we still help them out with customer service issues.

I hear y'all now. "But Jo! You're a minister!" Yep, I am. I might have one glass of champagne to toast with my loved ones and friends. "But there's gambling on that boat!" Yep there is. I usually only take what I can honestly afford to lose, and leave my ATM and credit cards at home. It's relatively free entertainment for us. We don't pay the fare, all our drinks are complimentary, and food is provided. I can go out to dinner at the local Olive Garden for more than it costs me on the ship for four hours of music, dancing, and being with other people.

This year will be different. Not because I can't climb the stairs, I can. Not because I can't climb steep ramps, I can. Not because I had a stroke, there are plenty on board ship to help me if I wanted to go. Not because I can't spare the fifty dollars, I have it in book sales alone last month. Not because I can't get dolled up to the nines, I can. I just don't want to go.

I'm basically a home body. Or at least have become one since my stroke. It's not that I don't want to go out, I do three times a week whether I want to or not. I've had years of going hither and yon, and I'm thoroughly enjoying my time at home. I've never really had a choice before. I might have some physical limitations before, but I never let it stop me from doing. Now I do because I want to.

I went to my cardiologist last week. No worries it was just routine. One major glitch was one of my muscle relaxers was also lowering my blood pressure. Imagine that! After years on blood pressure meds, I actually had the opposite problem. After a thirty-minute long conversation about alternatives, we hit on a solution. Problem solved. The complications of being elderly with a complex medical history is always a juggle.

My cardiologist asked me if I was driving yet. This kind of threw me for a loop. Although driving again was one of my major goals, I hadn't given it much thought. I kind of enjoyed not being the chauffeur these past seven months. It gave my children a chance to be helpful and boosted my husband's ego to be allowed to drive again. Although with my DH (darling hubby), it was a case of with holding certain medicines like morphine for him to be able to get behind the wheel. DUIs are not just for alcohol you know.

So one day I asked him if I could drive. I know I still have to go through the PT/OT eval. But what could it hurt to drive short distances? I had to try. Well, foot positioning was an issue because my right foot is in an immobilizing brace. I got behind the wheel. I was only going two blocks to another doctor's office. That couldn't be hard. It was only two right turns and I could creep along if I wanted to.

I've only been driving for over 40 years. Simple, right?  Wrong. I kept wanting to put my right foot on the gas pedal. The gear shift and ignition key were on the wrong side. With a bit of juggling...sliding the seat all the way back, moving my leg passed the center console (I have a minivan), moving the seat forward again, reaching through the steering wheel to turn on the ignition, and then over the steering wheel to put the car in gear all the time pressing the brake with my left foot.

The car was like smooth putty in my hands. She was an old friend getting together with another after a long absence. Sweet, I thought as I took my foot off the brake. It was at that point while backing out of the parking space that I realized how much my right side was involved in driving. I missed it terribly. No, I didn't back into another car or scape the cars either side of me. <So there! You only thought you knew the punch line :oP> I was backing up to the right one handed. I was spinning the steering wheel and fighting my right foot thumping against the center console wanting to join in the fun. The problem was the wheel wouldn't stay spun without the other hand supporting it. My hand and arm were moving like mad and I instinctively jammed my foot down on the brake. We made the two blocks in five minutes

Needless to say, I've had more practice since Christmas and have gained more confidence in my ability to drive. My DH bought me a steering knob for Christmas. It makes turning a whole lot easier. Thank God for the power steering, anti-lock brakes, and automatic transmissions.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.