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…”