Last Straw. Update September 4, 2010

If you follow this Blog, you know that I have had a slow climb back to health from all that this last year has handed me. I was improving to the point I was venturing out more. Maybe I was pushing the envelope a bit for what was safe for me. Then in a weeks time I ended up in the Emergency Room twice and in the local hospital for three days. This time, my left eye experienced a Subconjunctival hemorrhage , a broken blood vessel that fills the membrane that protects the eye with blood. It was bad. No damage to the eye had occurred, but it sure looks gross. I was allowed to go home to recover. Then four days latter, I started to run a temperature. At 100.4 degrees F., I needed to call in and talk to both the Cardiology Team and Oncology Team. The doctors were sure I had a low grad temperature that would take care of itself. The temperature continued to climb over 101.F degrees. So I went into the hospital. A temperature could be a signal that the body was rejecting the heart, or an infection. The hospital discovered that I had the same pneumonia they were treating last spring. I was put on a regiment of antibacterial drugs. Upon discharge from the hospital, my temperature had gone back to a normal level. That afternoon, Rose and I then traveled to Seattle for two doctors appointments scheduled the following day. Rose noticed at the hotel room I was getting small red spots all over my back. At the same time my temperature was starting to climb again. That was it for me. I had been out of the hospital for five hours and now would likely go back in. I became very angry that one more thing was going wrong. It seemed that I was falling apart. From the time this disease of cardiac amyloidosis was diagnosed in February 2009, I have been very compliant with the wishes of the doctors. But now I had enough. After ranting for ten minutes I phoned the oncologist on-call to see what he would recommend. His diagnosis was that I was having a reaction to one of the antibiotics I had during my hospital stay; likely the Zosyn. They would see me in the morning unless things got worse, like a higher temperature, shortness of breath, more coughing or pain. If these things started to bother me, then I needed to get checked into the hospital. Well things did not get worse and I had a good nights sleep. I felt ashamed with my response. I reacted before I had all the facts. And really I have no excuse for blowing up at all. I just hope that these small set backs can be addressed and help to get all of this behind me. Having your health is one of those gifts that you do not want to abuse or take for granted.

September 11 marks the first anniversary of receiving my new heart. Things with the heart have been great. No rejection issues and no signs of weakness. It just does it’s job. I am grateful to my donor that he took the time to document he was willing to allow his organs to be used should he die. He never expected to have a short life. He made a choice to benefit strangers after he was gone if this is what should happen to him. I received his heart. Others received his lungs, kidneys and other organs. This guy gave a gift to several of us who continue to live.