Sunday Stroke Survival: Ugh! My Doctor Rounds

I've spent the last several weeks doing my regular doctor rounds. As I've said previously here, it's important to have all your doctors (your heealth care team) on the same page.

What happened at Emory a month ago caused a major hiccup in my health care plan and numerous missed appointments. They had to be updated. I've had medicine adjusted, discontinued and added. Who wants drug interactions thrown into the mix? A seizure and an undignosed head injury were just the tip of the iceberg in the realm of neurosurgery and neurology that they needed to know. But it effects all my other doctors too. My heart stopping was in the realm of my cardiologist, but my PCP needed to know this too. In fact, my PCP needed to know ALL of it because he's my ring leader and clearing house for everything medical. Even my podiatrist got updated because now with the low heart rates and blood pressure, I have poor circulation to my feet on top of my neuropathy in my feet. A double whammy for possible complication to pressure sores caused by my AFO.

They are my team and I'm at the center for the best possible outcome for me. This is not only deals with the doctors but their nurses as well. By everyone being on the same page, they can make informed decisions. For example, I really need to have my cancerous tumor in my thyroid area removed. But I have to heal up from my baclofen pump removal and the infection that started it all. This means contact with my neurosurgeon through my PCP or directly. My neurologist comes into play at this point because he's not only juggling my post strokes care, the fact I no longer have a baclofen pump, and the spasticity has returned with a vengeance, but also my seizure.  I have them under control and stable before I can even think about having surgery. Then, the cardiologist into play because my heart stopped. I've also got  three out of four leaky valves in my heart, unstable angina, been in heart failure, paradoxical blood pressures inside my heart vs my whole body, and worsen plaque in my carotids. It takes the whole team weighing in on a surgery and follow up treatments for my cancer.

While I agree with this team approach, I just want the cancer removed and go on with my life. I feel like Damocles' sword is hanging over my head. Can you blame me?

So the timeline looks like this. End of May they found the tumor.The beginning of July, I was preparing for this cancer surgery. It's September now. Neurology- I have to be clear and stabilized on seizure meds (at least a month).  Plus be off my blood thinners for at least 7 days which increases my likilihood of having yet another stroke by 75%.
Neurosurgeon- At least 8 weeks after pump removal. I'm now on week 7. Another week to go.
Cardiology- Have to be off blood thinners for 7 days and determine how to keep my heart beating during surgery since I can't take my atenenol nor my omega3 which reduces my cholesterol (at least two weeks). Will being off my blood thinner and omega 3 increase the likelihood of the plaque breaking loose thereby having another stroke or my lungs causing further complications.

It's complicated. So maybe by the beginning of October, I can be cleared for the cancer removal. I'm still hoping it hasn't spread by then. It's the luck of the Irish dampened by Murphy's Law.

Nothing is impossible.