karenulijohn

This has been a week of medical visits, all with a positive ending.  On Monday, we had an appointment with the oncologist, Dr. Suhag.  He has been very attentive to Harvey’s condition and conscientious about blood work and follow up appointments.  During the visit, he kept looking at Harvey’s chart and saying “Wow!”  He acknowledges that Harvey has been through a lot and that it was a seriously life threatening period.  Results of the latest blood test show that he is still a little anemic, but the other blood levels are normal or very close to being in range.

On Tuesday, Harvey had an appointment with the cardiologist.  After his atrial fibrillation episode in the hospital, he was given amiodarone, a drug used to regulate the heartbeat.  We were uncertain whether or not we should renew the prescription because the cardiologist in the hospital had indicated this was likely a “one off” incident.  The cardiologist we met on Tuesday agreed and said that he should not stay on this drug any longer than necessary because it is very toxic to the skin, lungs, liver, kidneys, you name it.  He said that it would take about a month for the drug to leave his system, and we should be especially aware of his pulse rate should it go above 100 bpm.  According to him, Harvey will know if he is experiencing atrial fibrillation and should seek immediate medical attention.  I appreciated his candor in detailing possible outcomes.

Wednesday was truly a milestone for Harvey.  He had the port in his chest removed.  Believe it or not, it was almost a year to the day that he had the port placed.  It isn’t often that Harvey is willing (or able) to get out of bed before 7:00 AM, but on Wednesday, he was up and at ’em, ready to be at the hospital by 8:00 AM.  A very young, pretty, tiny surgeon, Dr. Cho, performed the procedure.  She was meticulous and chatted to us the entire time, even showing us the “used” port.  Harvey refused to take it home as a souvenir.

The home nurse visited us on Thursday morning and signed off on the pressure sores.  They are mostly healed now, though he will still have to be careful and not sit too long in one position.  It’s amazing how quickly these sores began to heal once he began eating and moving around.  The human body is marvelously resilient.

Next week we will celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary.  We are happy to close this chapter as we anticipate a new one in our marriage.  “For better or for worse…”

I have been reluctant to write over the past couple of weeks, fearing that if I said too many good things, I would jinx Harvey’s progress.  Confidently, I am happy to report that he is continuing to make good progress on many levels.  Blood tests taken at two week intervals have shown that all of his blood levels are returning to normal including white blood cells, platelets, potassium, and protein, although his red blood cell count and hemoglobin are still low enough to indicate he continues to be slightly anemic.  He is no longer taking any antibiotic and shows no sign of infection.  The pressure sores are healing nicely, and he is looking forward to being able to sit squarely in a chair rather than on one or the other butt cheek.  (TMI?)  The edema has disappeared, and, coupled with his weight loss, according to him he looks like an anorexic.  Since this whole ordeal began, he has lost over 60 pounds.  His weight in the morning is holding steady at about 165 pounds and increases to about 170 pounds in the evening.  The home physical therapist has signed off on Harvey saying that he has gained a good deal of strength and endurance over the past couple of weeks and his balance is so good that she doesn’t worry about him being at risk for falling.

Since he came home from the hospital, he has enjoyed the phone calls and visits from friends.  Last week he attended his first Rotary meeting in a couple of months and was deeply touched by the outpouring of affection from fellow Rotarians.  I am convinced that these acts of friendship and kindness have provided much of the impetus for his recovery, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has been sending prayers and healing thoughts.

Harvey has been wanting to ease back into driving so earlier in the week, I asked him if he would pick me up at the green market by the Wave Fitness Center.  He agreed and said he would drive the golf cart.  I asked him if he had charged it since it has not been driven for several months.  He assured me that it was fine.  Can you guess where this is going?  He picked me up at the agreed time, and we headed home at a much slower pace than I remembered.  By the time we got to Kilaga Springs on Sun City, we were barely moving.  A woman walking along beside us asked if we were just enjoying the scenery.  I responded by saying that we hoped people would think that.  We did not make it home.  The next thing I know, Harvey suggests we get out and push.  We managed to get it around the corner onto Stag’s Leap before I said I really didn’t think this was a good idea for someone who nearly died and is still recovering.  At that point, he suggested we walk home and get the Chrysler and tow the golf cart.  After walking the short distance to the house, he got down on all fours to see how he could attach a tow rope.  It became clear that this was a bigger job than he could manage, so he called the golf cart maintenance people and had them come pick it up and give it its annual service.  I was grateful that he came to his senses.

He surprised me this afternoon by suggesting that we go to Starbucks and have a hot chocolate.  We have not done that for months, so I was happy to agree.  We ordered our drinks and when I went to the counter to pick mine up, I noticed the name on the cup was “ROF.”  I thought, the recalcitrant old fart is back!