Angie & Jim

So Far, So Goodby Jim

I just finished speaking with the doctor that did the procedure. Angie did just fine and they were able to do a venous catheter (through the neck) instead of a femoral catheter, which means she’ll have a quicker, easier recovery. They didn’t have to do any fixes (they can fix or other problems while they’re in there), which was good news. Dr. Mcelhinney said her numbers looked a little worse than her last catheterization. His initial analysis is that this will not drastically change things. Dr. Lui (her cardiologist) has not yet see the results and will be consulting with us (possibly) later today. His interpretation of the results will be more conclusive. There’s a team of doctors that would be responsible for changing her current heart failure designation (currently at mild/moderate), so we may need to wait a bit for the official word.

Angie is still in recovery and I’m not allowed back to see her. I’ll post again when she’s awake. They just called me to go see her, so it should be soon.

In the Cath Labby Jim

They’ve taken Angie back to the Cath lab for her procedure today. We’re at the children’s side of the hospital and they’re always so much more fun. The nurses were super nice and we joked and laughed together while they were getting her ready. Angie got her IV put in by a nurse that used an ultrasound and local anesthesia using a new device that is basically a hypo spray from Star Trek. It’s a little injection device that uses pressure to push the numbing medication through her skin without a needle. It sounded like opening a soda can when she fired it. We both thought it was pretty cool. Angie said the fancy IV placement was less focused pain, but it still wasn’t pleasant. For you D&D nerds out there, she said, “it felt like it changed from piercing damage to force damage.” That made me laugh. I love you, Angie.

I’ll keep you posted here as she progresses through the day.

Thank you!by Jim

Angie is now home and we’re back to our COVID isolation, but at least we’re at home and together. Thank you all for your prayers, well wishes, and happy thoughts for us over the last few days. We really appreciate it!

Back on Room Airby Jim

Good news! Angie is back on room air, which means her blood oxygen levels are good enough she doesn’t need supplemental oxygen. This is a big step in the recovery process for her. She’s due to get her next dose of medicine this afternoon.

The Waiting Gameby Jim

Angie got her second dose of Remdesivir this afternoon and they’ve been able to lower her oxygen a little bit, but she still has a way to go. The medication they are giving her is hard on your liver, so they’re also checking her blood regularly to make sure it’s safe. She’s been able to talk to her family a bit today, though, if she talks (or laughs) too much, it lowers her oxygen levels and she gets in trouble with the nurse. She’s in relatively good spirits and seems to be doing well. Next dose will be tomorrow afternoon. Please keep praying for her speedy recovery.

Fighting COVIDby Jim

Angie has a lot of people who care about her health and it is getting difficult to get the word out to everyone, so I’m going to be posting here. I’m sorry the site looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2001, I’ll see about fixing that. Please don’t be surprised if things look different when you come back in the next couple days.

Last night I took Angie to the hospital because she tested positive for COVID and had a little difficulty breathing the night before. Since I also have COVID, I was unable to accompany her into the hospital. She is unable to take Paxlovid because of the other medications she’s on, and so our only option to get her the treatment she needs was to take her to the ER. We consulted with her on-call cardiology staff and they recommended that we do just that.

Late last night she got her first dose of Remdesivir, an antiviral that helps to prevent the spread of the virus. She tolerated it well and slept without a problem. This morning when they tried to lower her oxygen flow, her blood oxygen levels dropped. They won’t let her go until she can maintain her levels with only room air. We’ve heard different stories from the nurse and doctors about how long this treatment usually lasts, but she may be in for a few days while they get her back to a safe place.

TL;DR

Angie is doing well, getting the medicine she needs, but still requires oxygen.