Well and truly scared

I will be thinking about you tomorrow. Take care of yourself and post here to let us know you’re ok.

May all good things come your way on Friday. Positive thinking brings positive outcomes!

Praying for the BEST for you tomorrow!! I couldn’t help but remember every times I’ve had to have some type of surgery I would end up working my buttie off , but I slept good that night!

Thinking of you today M1. Your partner and MC staff will get through this period one way or another; you have done what you can. Sending positive thoughts your way for a good outcome from your surgery.

I looked it up cause I was curious too:

“An arteriogram is a procedure that produces an image of your arteries. During the procedure, your doctor will use contrast material, or dye, and X-rays to observe the flow of blood through your arteries and note any blockages.”

So I’m guessing it’s diagnostic.

@M1 - Thinking of you today and hoping for the best today and in the coming days! Good information so far!!

Thanks for the update.... not medical so have decided that is good news!

Please keep telling yourself that you can not "fix" what is happening at the MC and keep your oxygen mask on tight.!!!

M1 - so sorry you are going through this. Last March I also had open heart surgery but my DH was and is still living at home. Setting up the logistics (what to do with the dog, the house, how to get to the hospital and home after discharge etc.) was difficult. I too live in a rural area 16 miles from a grocery store . My advice to you is the following: cook and freeze as many meals as you can. If you have the surgery, you may need visiting nurse service to come to check your wound. I had my surgery in NYC, but live 200 miles away in the mountains. The social worker couldn't figure out how to access the service in my county. I suggest that you call hospitals in your county, and ask them how to access visiting nurse service. Don't rely on the hospital you are going to. Get a list of car services that will come to you, and try to have someone stay in your house and take care of the dog. You will have one less thing on your mind if the dog is safe at home while you are in the hospital. After the surgery, do the breathing exercises as much and often as you can. Don't be surprised if you have insomnia, or experience psychological effects - messing with the heart has far reaching effects that the doctors don't mention or understand. I wish you the best of luck - maybe you won't need the surgery at all.

Fingers crossed ! I'll be watching for your posts.

So; here, there and nowhere - medical limbo! Comforting though that it is not the worst case cardiac scenario. Pulmonologist necessary.

Recently; within last month or so, I had abruptly exerienced onset of SOB with exertion out of nowhere it seemed. One day it abruptly became very, very difficult so off I went into the diagnostic whirlwind of multiple specialists, in hospital stay and tons and tons of blood and tests . . . . .

Cardiologist told me my heart is in excellent condition - no problem issue there whatsoever. So . . .

Pulmonary called into consult while I was in the hospital . . . more diagnostics and tons and tons of blood work taken each day ; some going to high speciality labs. NO SOB at rest, just when up and about . . . exertional . . .

Suddenly; there it was, so unexpectedly . . . Ideopathic Pulmnary Fibrosis! ????? What the dickens . .

No genetic family history; never smoked, not exposed to chemicals, absolutely no long term prescription meds in my life and none for years. What the heck . . .

What I have found after close, close examination of my life - what one thing or several things were "different."

Well; only thing was . . . I have had full complement of COVID Vaccines and Boosters . . . to my utter surprise, the literature is more and more indicating onset of Pulmonary Fibrosis after receiving COVID Vaccine (MAB); for some people . . . data slow coming in, but it is coming bit by bit more each week.

Who knows . . . .yet; this is the only single thing in my life that is different . . .

May not be, but it is a possibility for my situation; strange things happen in healthcare land.

So hoping your situation is going to be easily addressed; having Pulmonary step in is really importan and ensure he/she looks at EVERY possibility no matter how remote rather than trying to "make nice" one MD to another MD - this is important.

Okay; nuff of my stuff . . . am going to be thinking of you and imagining the delightful Christmas you will spend with those sweet granddaughters . . .

J.

Hi, M1,

I've got no answers, but know that enjoying your grandkids has to be a tonic for your spirit if not for your body. I hope you can set aside some of these things, even though I know that "limbo" is a very, very tough place to be.

Through all this I hope you still can relax your mind a bit and enjoy being with your grandkids. Best thoughts to you.

H

@M1 had no idea. I can only imagine how frustrating that must be. Especially if you are an MD - almost worse, the doctors probably think you either know everything already, or that you will be calling the shots. God I feel like that sometimes.

Anyway I hope it turns out ok, and that surgery or no surgery all goes smoothly. I also hope grandkids are a welcome distraction.

Right when my mom was moving I had a growth they didn’t like the look of on my lower back and they did emergency incisive biopsy. I had to wait for the results while moving my mom and thought well, if I have to go get chemo then visit my mom, that’s how it will go. It turned out to be benign but I just kept thinking how happy I was that I had the wherewithall to keep going to the doctor and taking care of myself in the midst of everything.

It’s really good you are too.