Flying home

[gja1000]

Well the trip to Arkansas has taken a turn for the worse. Gary felt very tired on Fri but we thought it was due to the Wed/Thurs travel. But he felt worse on Sat. So we decided to fly home today, rather than make the 12 hour drive home tomorrow and Mon. I have an oxygen monitor with me and his oxygen drops very low when he just walks a short distance and he is very short of breath. We also have portable oxygen with us so he can use that during the day - he usually only uses it at night. I expect that his heart is in a funky rhythm or he is in fluid overload.

Gary's aunt and uncle rode with us and they will drive our pickup home and then we'll figure out how to get it home to Austin (they live about 5 hours north of us). Our daughter will pick us up and take us to the ER so we can see what is wrong with him. Fortunately, he is fine, just tired, when he is sitting still.

[Janet]

Didn't see this until now Gayle. I will certainly keep Gary in my prayers. So scary when there is shortness of breath. Please let us know how he is doing.

[gja1000]

Our flight got in at 8:30PM and we were in the emergency room by 8:50. They have done a bunch of tests. Hope they know something soon. He feels terrible. But his vital signs look pretty good.

[gja1000]

OK, maybe atypical pneumonia (he had a low grade fever fri/sat/today - but only off and on, not consistently). Maybe just plain old exacerbation of heart failure (probably)but it was so fast and so dramatic in terms of extreme shortness of breath. Maybe a blood clot that started in his legs and traveled to his lung (unlikely) but they have to check everything out - and we did travel wed and thurs, so while unlikely due to him being on blood thinners, he is down right now getting the scan. They are going to give him an IV diuretic to get some of the fluid off. I think that will help. Hopefully he'll only be here a couple of days!

[DIANE W]

Gayle

I am thinking about you and poor Gary, I hope he is soon feeling well enough to go home.

You take care now..........

[lynne b]

Gayle, so sorry to hear about Gary, I hope you can find out what is wrong and that he is feeling much better today.

[paula1961]

Just seeing this. How are things going? I hope Gary is better. I will be saying prayers for him Gayle.

[Janet]

Hope to hear good news soon. You and Gary are in my prayers.

[gja1000]

Haven't seen any doctors yet. Gary didn't sleep much in the hospital as you never do when they are in and out of your room all night. He's in good spirits but very tired and still having difficulty breathing when he is up and around. Ill keep you posted.

I got in bed about 2:00 AM. Woke up at 7:00 and came back to the hospital. I'm really tired. Hope the doc comes by soon so I can go home and take a nap.

[Blueyes]

Oh Gayle. I'm so sorry. I know how you feel. I got 'that feeling' in my stomach just reading your post. Please let us know what they find when you get a chance. Love you.

[Marilyn]

Gayle, just checked in and saw this thread. So sorry that Gary is feeling bad & so hope that things will get regulated and he will be doing well again!!! It's so hard when someone we love is not well!!!

[gja1000]

Good news. Gary is just in fluid overload due to his heart failure. This happens occasionally in heart failure. I wish it didn't but it does. We can usually prevent it from happening but we didn't catch it this time. Also he may have caught a virus that made it worse. He didn't have any symptoms but did run a low grade fever. This, combined with riding in the car for 12 hours over 2 days didn't help either. Then he was eating more salty foods, I'm sure, as we were eating family prepared meals or eating out. I think it was just a confluence of these factors that caused him to retain too much fluid and overwhelm his heart.

He's already feeling so much better. I expect he'll be here a couple of days. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

[Blueyes]

I'm so glad it wasn't worse! I hope they get the fluid off him quickly, and I hope you get plenty of rest tonight.

[Janet]

What a relief!!! So glad he's doing better Gayle....now you can get yourself some rest.

[gja1000]

YAY! I'm home for the evening. Gary is doing great and so I came home a bit early to take care of a few things at the house. Plus, Brooke brought Rex & Rowdy home this afternoon and they are sooooo glad to see me. They really don't mind staying at Brooke's while we are gone, but they MUCH prefer to be in their own home with their own doggie door! Brooke doesn't have a doggie door, so they have to wear belly bands and be let in and out, while they are there because they have not learned to "hold it" very well. At home, they can just run in and out at will - and they are much happier!

It's amazing how much better Gary is feeling. I'm so glad we decided to hop a plane yesterday - I don't think he could have tolerated that fluid overload much longer.

[judy]

Whew! Thank goodness he was diagnosed and is being taken good care of. I am so sorry your vacation didn't go well, but as long as he is okay......

[gja1000]

Oh My! My sweet hubby is in an Ambian (sleeping pill) coma. LOL! Poor baby. Ambian just knocks him out. He'll be snoring till noon or later! He always has trouble sleeping but he takes Lunesta when he needs it which doesn't just knock him out. I don't know why they gave him Ambian.

I have class this afternoon at 4:00. I hope his cardiologist who has been out of town comes by before I leave. I think he is better today, but he's so sleepy, I'm not sure! :)

[gja1000]

doctor came by - all is well - he'll probably go home tomorrow afternoon or Thurs morning.

[DIANE W]

Gayle I am so relieved and glad that Gary is getting better.

[gja1000]

Well another doc came by and is worried that gary's abdomen is still pretty big (when he is fluid overloaded, he carries the fluid in his belly) and his belly seems harder than normal. So she is going to run an ultrasound of his abdomen. I think it feels harder than usual too. Sure hope something else is not wrong!

[DianaB]

Gayle, I'm just reading that your trip didn't go as expected. I'm glad to hear that Gary's better but still going to have to do some more tests. You go through so much with him.......Hugs to you!!!! Gary will be in my prayers!!!

[gja1000]

The fluid is all gone, but his abdomen is still distended. They did the ultrasound today but we haven't gotten the results yet. He can go home tomorrow, IF nothing is wrong with his abdomen. I'm ready to be done with hospitals too, although the care has been very good.

[lynne b]

Gayle, glad to hear Gary is feeling better. Praying that he continues so he can go home tomorrow, I bet you are exhausted.

[gja1000]

Yes Lynne, I am exhausted. But tomorrow will be much better work-wise tomorrow and Fri. so that will help.

I'm not convinced that something else is not going on here, but there's no reason to sit in the hospital.

[Blueyes]

Well that's scary! I wonder what the heck is wrong?

You and Gary stay strong!

[gja1000]

Well that's scary! I wonder what the heck is wrong?


His abdomen is just too distended and hard for there not to be something going on - but maybe it's just gas or something, although he has bowel sounds meaning his bowels are working - but maybe he is accumulating gas in there. He is not hurting though, and you would think he would be hurting if it were gas.

I just don't know but things are not right in his belly - since the ultrasound didn't show anything, maybe it will be OK soon and I should stop worrying.

He got up to walk without oxygen and his oxygen number dropped to 83 - it is supposed to be above 90, and that makes everyone nervous. But we have an oxygen monitor at home and his oxygen drops to 85 when he walks for any length of time - so this is not that much worse. He gets more short of breath than usual, and I think that is normal for all the stress that has been put on his heart.

Yet, I can't help but worry that something else is going on.......

[Blueyes]

It's hard not to worry. Impossible in fact. Is Gary eating? It seems like his stomach would be hurting since it's like it is. Hmmm. Liver function ok? Mikes gut twisted once and he was distended but it hurt, and he had no bowel sounds. Gosh, it's mind boggling, but I can't help but try to figure it out.

Do you have the feeling that something is really wrong?

[gja1000]

His liver function is fine and they checked his liver by ultrasound. I don't think anything is badly wrong or he would be in pain or having other symptoms. Yet his abdominal distension is not right. Sigh.

We haven't seen any docs today, of course. Hopefully he can go home today!

[Blueyes]

Maybe somebody will come by soon and send him home.

Is he pregnant?:eek:

[gja1000]

Maybe somebody will come by soon and send him home.

Is he pregnant?:eek:


LOL! His pulmonary doc asked him if he was "24 weeks along"! Gary just cracked up!

The heart doc came by and we have been paroled. Whoo Hooo!

BUT it is still all such a mystery as to why this happened. His echocardiogram showed that his heart function is exactly like it was before all this happened last weekend (which is much better than in the past few years). This makes all his symptoms even more puzzling. His cardiologist contends that this was probably caused by a virus and he did have a fever, but no other respiratory symptoms. Now, he did feel very badly so maybe that was due to the virus.

He is still very short of breath with activity and he'll have to use oxygen all the time till whatever this is goes away. His cardiologist seems to think this will pass pretty quickly. I sure hope so cuz he is not a happy camper when he has to use oxygen during the day.

[DianaB]

Pregnant!!!???? Hmmm......is there something else that you're not telling us, Gayle!!!!! Just joking!!!

Poor Gary.....At least he's not in pain.......hopefully it will be gas and just work itself out.........Just stand back, Gayle!!!!!!

[gja1000]

Pregnant!!!???? Hmmm......is there something else that you're not telling us, Gayle!!!!! Just joking!!!

Poor Gary.....At least he's not in pain.......hopefully it will be gas and just work itself out.........Just stand back, Gayle!!!!!!

Diana, you are tooooo funny! We actually just made it home! When I last posted that we were paroled, we hadn't yet left the hospital - but now we are home! We stopped to get a bite to eat as there is NOTHING in the house fresh to eat. We also had to run out to where our trailer is stored because we had left some portable oxygen equipment out there from this summer and Gary is going to need it for a few weeks.

He's tired, but so glad to be home and the yorkie boyz are so glad that he's HOME!

[judy]

Glad he is home! How is his stomach now?

[DianaB]

Gary is in good hands and I'm sure he's doing just fine!!!!

[lynne b]

So glad to hear Gary is home, I hope he continues to get better.

[DIANE W]

There is no place like home is there..... I am glad he is home and you can relax a little.

[gja1000]

I think his stomach is a little less distended and less hard today. Maybe he just needed to get out of the hospital!!!

He's feeling pretty good. We went to the sporting goods store to pick up the THREE :eek: fishing rods he had ordered before he left for Arkansas.

[DianaB]

THREE fishing poles!!!!! That's more than he can hold in two hands!!!! Gary does love his fishing!!!!

[gja1000]

THREE fishing poles!!!!! That's more than he can hold in two hands!!!! Gary does love his fishing!!!!

That's what I said too - THREE FISHING RODS!!!! I think though, that he bought one or two for his aunt and uncle. At least I hope so - he already has 59,462 fishing rods in the garage. :D I know he is keeping at least one of them. They are white - and it is hard to find a white fishing rod. He likes white because he does some night fishing and he can see them better in the dark. Makes sense.

[Blueyes]

Uh huh...and the more rods you have the less often you have to change baits. I've heard ALL of those same stories:rolleyes:

I'm glad he's feeling better:)

[gja1000]

Uh huh...and the more rods you have the less often you have to change baits. I've heard ALL of those same stories:rolleyes:

I'm glad he's feeling better:)


LOL Betsi, I can see you know this drill just as well as I do! :D

[JJJ]

Happy to hear his doing well now. I'm sorry your trip didn't go as plan but there will be more time for that later. I did get curious of why his stomach got hard :confused:

[gja1000]

We still don't know why the stomach was so hard - but it went away. I think maybe he was a bit constipated, yet, that shouldn't have caused the amount of hardness that he had. Oh well, he has so many strange things going on! LOL!