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.