Waiting. It's What I Do

OK, we are havin' a really groovy day here, and let me tell you why:

-got up at 5:20 to make appearance at St. Mary's Hospital. Loren has a command performance scheduled today, his baseline angiogram.

-he also is privileged with another biopsy, meaning he is blessed with not one, but TWO puncture points in the ol' body. No, make that 3, since he needs an IV site.

-it takes a mere 2 hours to prep him: take him to a room, change into the wonderful hospital gown, get ECG, get IV site established, tell nurses at least 3 times that, "No, he doesn't have a living will."

-at 8:30 he was wheeled off to the cath lab. I was told to expect him back in 3 hours

-I visited cafeteria, bought my obligatory paper to hide behind, ate and chatted with fellow "transplant wife," realized that buying paper was totally unnecessary. Still, the aura of affected cerebrality cannot hurt.

-on way out, saw wife of someone waiting for an O blood type donor. They are having a rough time, and we talked for quite a spell.

-back in the waiting room, am approached at 11:00 by S. from the cath lab. It seems there is going to be a little delay. Roughly 3 hours worth. *sigh* Loren has been given Fentanyl, a narcotic, and is "comfortable." (code for feeling greeeaaaaaatt.....)

Loren's ACT is high. The Activated Coagulation Time is a clotting test used to keep an eye on high doses of heparin. The heparin is needed for the exploring of the coronary arteries, so as not to induce clotting into the process. So, since Loren's ACT is high, they cannot pull out the groin stick yet. The doctors want to wait for the level to come down naturally, which should take about 3 hours.

The whole reason for the angiogram is to provide a baseline for Loren, against which other angiograms will be compared. In a transplant situation, the heart becomes denervated. (I'll change that later if spelling is wrong-I'm at the library)

The nerves have been cut, to put in the new heart. Nerve sensitivity will not return for at least two years, if that. Being denervated means Loren would not feel the symptoms of an impending heart attack: angina, chest pain, etc. That is why he will have to have regular angiograms for a while, at least. Possibly the rest of his life. (I have to check on that. My research capabilities here in the library are less than optimal since I cannot pull up extra tabs. Don't want to lose the screen I'm on!)

With time to kill, I have wandered to the library to get in a quick blog, check email and make a brief scan of worldly events. Hopefully, I'll find something other than "Jen and What's his face."

Loren was supposed to get a chest x-ray at ten, but that can be worked in any ol' time. Thankfully, the afternoon doctor appointments over at the clinic do not begin until 4:15. I figure we just might be outta here by then. Maybe.

Tweet