From Tuesday:
Mike visited the cardiologist in Dallas today. They had a good visit and were able to have most of their questions answered, as the cardiologist spent at least 45minutes with them. They were finally able to talk about the results of the Cranial Doppler test. Basically, they rate the patient on a scale from 0-6. Mike was a 4 which is 
moderately to mildly severe. This is the reason the cardiologist and neurologist want the heart repaired. In addition to the hole, he has an aneurysm on his atrial septum. The umbrella procedure should fix both problems. The cardiologist is still optimistic that we will be able to do the catheter procedure through a vein in his leg and he says the success rate is very high. If complications such as a heart puncture were to arise during the two-hour surgery, then they would have to perform emergency open-heart surgery. The cardiologist says he has had this happen once, but it is very rare. There is also a risk of embolization(sp?) of the umbrella device. This is where the device works loose and eventually lodges somewhere in the bloodstream. If this were to happen, they would have to go in and retrieve the device. I'm not sure how common this is. During the surgery, Mike will be under conscious sedation, which means he'll be awake but he want real be aware of what's going on. Leading up to the surgery, they will take him off Coumadin (blood thinner) 4 days prior to the surgery and replace it with Lovenox shots. Immediately following the surgery, they'll place him back on Coumadin. They suggest that Mikes stays at the hospital for 48hrs, but insurance will only pay for 24 hours. So, we'll have to keep him in a hotel room near the hospital for an a
dditional day. When they start the surgery, they'll put a little balloon instrument in his heart that will measure the exact size of the hole. This will help them determine which size umbrella to use during the procedure.
moderately to mildly severe. This is the reason the cardiologist and neurologist want the heart repaired. In addition to the hole, he has an aneurysm on his atrial septum. The umbrella procedure should fix both problems. The cardiologist is still optimistic that we will be able to do the catheter procedure through a vein in his leg and he says the success rate is very high. If complications such as a heart puncture were to arise during the two-hour surgery, then they would have to perform emergency open-heart surgery. The cardiologist says he has had this happen once, but it is very rare. There is also a risk of embolization(sp?) of the umbrella device. This is where the device works loose and eventually lodges somewhere in the bloodstream. If this were to happen, they would have to go in and retrieve the device. I'm not sure how common this is. During the surgery, Mike will be under conscious sedation, which means he'll be awake but he want real be aware of what's going on. Leading up to the surgery, they will take him off Coumadin (blood thinner) 4 days prior to the surgery and replace it with Lovenox shots. Immediately following the surgery, they'll place him back on Coumadin. They suggest that Mikes stays at the hospital for 48hrs, but insurance will only pay for 24 hours. So, we'll have to keep him in a hotel room near the hospital for an a
dditional day. When they start the surgery, they'll put a little balloon instrument in his heart that will measure the exact size of the hole. This will help them determine which size umbrella to use during the procedure.I wanted to explain what we found out about the heart surgery before I forgot. However, THE HEART SURGERY HAS BEEN POSTPONED. Read on and I'll tell you why.
You probably remember me talking about one of Mike's wisdom tooth that was giving him problems right after he had the stroke. The cardiologist will not perform the heart surgery until at least 6 weeks after the tooth has been removed. The risk of infection is high and he's afraid bacteria, or vegetation around the heart may form. Once again, realize I'm no doctor, so I could be saying this wrong, but I'm trying here! The bottom line is that Mike's tooth has to be fixed before the heart surgeon will proceed. Mike has a consultation appointment with the oral surgeon next Tuesday, 10/9/07.
In addition to the tooth, Mike has had a spot turn up on his neck. He recently visited the doctor and had it removed. After a biopsy, they determined that the spot was cancerous and it will need to be looked at by a dermatologist. The dermatologist will use a technique called the Moh's procedure to cut it out and check the tissue until the margins are clear. This is to insure that all of the cancer is removed. Once again, this is a step that must happen before the heart surgery will be scheduled.
Lately, it's been one thing after another and we are on the edge of our seats at this point. Once again, we are grateful that Mike has been triumphant against the stroke so far, but the road is long and we still have a long journey ahead of us. I realize that our journey is no different than yours. We all have our struggles and trials and triumphs-I guess life wouldn't be worth much without these things. I believe that it's during these times that we really are more alive. It's amazing how your eyes are opened to what matters and things are instantly placed in perspective. We are thankful for the Lord's graciousness so far and know that he will carry us through, as well as you.
I've been constantly reminded of my attitude lately. It needs some work.
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