Doctor, Doctor, Tell Me The News...

We've gone several months now with no major medical problems with Joe.  (That's the sound of me knocking on wood).  However, we've had something new enter into our vast vault of which body part or medical problem will pop up out of nowhere.

Since the end of January, I've been aware that apparently Joe has developed an irregular heartbeat/heart rate.  I didn't think much of it.  I thought it just had to do with his heart murmur which his doctors have been aware of.  But recently, the irregularity has apparently gotten worse.  It's been pointed out on several recent occasions by the techs at the dialysis lab.  So, we got an appointment for Joe to see his cardiologist. 

Joe's recently had his six month pacemaker checkup and it's working as it should.  At the conclusion of his visit, it was determined that Joe has atrial fibrillation.  Atrial fibrillation (AF or A-fib) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart beat). It may cause no symptoms, but it is often associated with palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or congestive heart failure. AF increases the risk of stroke; the degree of stroke risk can be up to seven times that of the average population, depending on the presence of additional risk factors (such as high blood pressure). It may be identified clinically when taking a pulse, and the presence of AF can be confirmed with an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) which demonstrates the absence of P waves together with an irregular ventricular rate.   

So, Joe was sent for some blood work, had to wear a Holter Heart Monitor.  Electrodes (small conducting patches) were stuck onto his hairy chest and attached to a small recording monitor. While wearing the monitor, it recorded his heart's electrical activity.   He wore it for 48 hours and then turned it in to have the data analyzed.  We are now waiting for his next visit in a couple of weeks the hear the results of all the tests and data.

More Changes?

I have to keep reminding myself each day that "Today is the best day ever"!  It's become a daily mantra.  I am finding out that with each day, things keep evolving and change is definitely inevitable.  Life seems to be on a slow motion spiral and when it will end only our Heavenly Father knows.  I realize that generally today won't be as good as yesterday, but that today will most likely be better than tomorrow.  This primarily relates to Joe and the unpredictableness (hmm, is that even a word?) of his life.

We are now in week two of such changes for Joe.  He has been exhibiting the following symptoms on pretty much a daily basis.  His physical therapist would not even work with him the other day for fear of Joe collapsing or worse.  The symptoms include:

• the worse of which is...plummeting blood pressure.  It went from 190/something to 80/43 in just the matter of minutes while at the cardiologist's office for a routine pacemaker checkup.
• loss of use of his legs wherein he starts to bobble in his legs and then collapses.  When assisted, his legs tend to just drag. 
• a slight trembling in his hands.
• an irregular heartbeat.

I am grateful that when these episodes have happened I haven't been alone with him as he becomes total dead weight and it is difficult to hold him up.  And, they have been witnessed while at the Senior Center by their staff, while at dialysis, while at physical therapy and most importantly, while at the cardiologist's office.  It helps to validate and confirm that there is something wrong happening.

Are these symptoms related to his new medications from a couple of weeks ago?  Are these symptoms related to the possibility of fluid returning to his brain?  Thus far this month, we have made two trips to the emergency room, had an appointment with his cardiologist, have an appointment with a neurologist next week, have had an appointment with his primary care doctor and telephone conversations with his kidney doctor and various nurses and have no answers yet.  I have been told to remove one of his blood pressure medications and move one from the morning dose to the evening dose.

At this point, it's a matter of wait and see what happens.