News is not good

[gja1000]

Just talked to my husband's heart doctor - his heart is much weaker and she is very surprised, as I am. Of course, we both know this is a terminal illness, but his clinical signs and symptoms did not indicate his heart is as weak as it is.

He will stay the night in ICU to give him some medications that may help. She said that she may be able to get his heart working better than it is now. But she said the "T" word - transplant - heart transplant. The thing is that I don't think he is a candidate, but of course, they need to evaluate him. What I'm afraid is that he will get his hopes up about getting a new heart, then they will find that he is not a candidate because of his asthma and diabetes, and then he will be very depressed as he will realize that he is closer to the end of life. He understands that his life will be shortened due to his heart failure - but it will be hard to think about the end of life.

I knew this time was coming - I don't mean to say that he is going to die soon, because that is not the case. It's just that his condition has taken a downturn and that is disheartening.

My daughter will be here soon and I'll get to see him pretty soon too. It's hard to know what to say..........

[lynne b]

I am so very sorry to hear this news about your husband. Hopefully he will become a good candidate for a transplant. I am sorry you have to go through this, I am glad that your daughter will be with you soon. Good luck to you all.
Lynne

[donna1990]

I am so sorry, we are all praying.

[Shada]

You and your family are in my prayers. {HUGS}

[Marilyn]

Gayle, it's so hard to find the words...... So very sorry to hear this news. Please try to stay strong and optimistic. We are here for you!!!

[Gina]

Gayle your family is in my prayers. :ghug:

[Janet]

Gayle, I wish I were with you so I could just give you a big hug and sit and just be with you. I don't think there is anything anyone can say, but please know that even though the words are not there, you're in our heart and prayers. I hope your husband can gain strength from all the positive vibes heading his way.

[gja1000]

Hi everyone!
We are OK - Gary is feeling fine and we had a long talk with his doctor. They are going to be running some other tests and she thinks that she can help him feel a little better than he is feeling now. They are also going to take a close look at his lungs and see if there is some other medicine for his lungs that will help him feel better.

We are doing OK - thanks so much for all your support and prayers, we really appreciate it. I'll check in later and let you know what's going on.

[DianaB]

{{{{{{Gayle}}}}}} You and your husband are in my prayers.

[gja1000]

Home for the evening. Rexy and Rowdy sure are glad to see me! My daughter, Gary and I talked about the transplant issue. Of course, we don't even know if he will qualify, or if he will want to go through that whole ordeal, and it is an ordeal. His thinking is that he needs to consider it, if it is an option, if not, then we'll go from there.

I'm tired, but OK. I really wasn't expecting the doctor to have disappointing news and she said she wasn't expecting to find his heart was weaker either. We'll just have to see what tomorrow brings.

He's having his pacemaker upgraded and the battery changed at 12:30 tomorrow. That should go smoothly! I'll check in again tomorrow.

[Marilyn]

Gayle, hope you were able to rest last night. Know that we are all sending hugs and hopeful thoughts your way!!!!

[judy]

Gayle,

My prayers are with you and you are in my heart. I am so sorry you got disappointing news. We are all here for you.

Judy

[Tiramisu]

Gayle, we love you!

[gja1000]

Thanks everyone!!! It almost makes me cry to know how much you care. That means more than you can ever know.

We are both in good spirits this morning. The lung doctor was here to do his evaluation for a heart transplant. He asked lots of questions, and gave Gary a good examination. He'll run some lung function tests tomorrow to give him more information.

Gary and I talked more about the transplant issue. My greatest fear is that this will get his hopes up that he might get a new heart and feel better again, but then they will find that they can't do the transplant and that will send him into a deep depression. But I guess I shouldn't project what might happen, and just focus on today.

Thanks again everyone for your kind words and wonderful support. :)

[Tiramisu]

Gayle, I can't imagine the decisions you are facing. Stay strong.

[gja1000]

Having to think about the possibility of a transplant is startling because I never thought he would be a candidate, since he has diabetes and lung problems. So, I just never thought that the issue of a transplant would ever come up. Now that it has come up and no one is dismissing it as impossible, I can see that we may have to decide - or maybe not, if he is not evaluated positively. I can live with that - I worry about Gary, that his hopes have been raised, only to be dashed. But as I said earlier, I can't tell the future, so best not to worry about that now!

[donna1990]

You have a lot on your plate. Have faith.

[Marilyn]

Gayle, so glad to see that you are keeping in touch. We all want the very best for you and for Gary. So hope this all turns out well!!

[gja1000]

Some good news!!! Gary will likely get to come home today after some tests on his lungs - WHOO HOOO!!!

All docs so far, have said that that is no reason to preclude a heart transplant - BUT that does not mean when everything is taken together in its totatility, that he will be approved. We'll have to wait for that declaration. At least there is still the possibility, and now we have time to do some research to learn a little more about what all it will entail.

I'll post when we are released from "jail" :p

[donna1990]

So glad to hear some good news.

[gja1000]

We have received our "get out of jail" card (note I did not say, "get out of jail FREE" card :D)

We are watiing until 3:00 for some lung function tests - but a kindly pulmonary doc that we have never seen before came in to tell us if they hadn't come to do the tests by 3:00 to ask the nurses to call about them, and if they weren't here to get him by 3:30, to go ahead and go on home and we can do the tests in the clinic next week. WHEW! It is rare that you get someone to be that coordinated and efficient. One time, we had to stay in the hospital on Christmas day because the discharge order was buried and no one saw it. GRRRR :mad:

So, this level of efficiency is surprising!!!

A really great thing about being evaluated for a transplant is that we get to transfer to the "heart failure clinic". At the clinic all the nurses are advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists) specializing in heart failure, and we can call 24/7 and a nurse will answer or call us back to talk with us. We'll see the same doctor, but will have expert nursing care and since I'm a nurse, I can tell you this is invaluable. This clinic is for persons with severe heart failure (which hubby does not have severe failure, yet) or those on the transplant list. It really good to get to go to this clinic - it will really help me since I function as his private advanced practice nurse (which i am, in reality, by the way - I'm a gerontological clinical nurse specialist) but I will have immediate assistance in evaluating symptoms and adjusting medications. The nurses in this clinic can prescribe and adjust his meds - so cool - don't have to wait forever on the doctors!!!

Well, I'm just babbling on, hubby is asleep and we are just waiting for the darned lung tests!!!

[DianaB]

That's good news, Gayle!!! It sounds like your husband will get the best of care at this clinic. That's great!!!!!