Biopsy

As I walked outside this morning to grab a coffee, I was glad that the delivery last night had a heavier pullover in it. The cold front had made its arrival, and it was a little nippy! My buddy was not outside this morning he was tucked back inside. The usual rowdy homeless must have been hunkered down somewhere else, as well. The elevators were super slow again, too. A lady I road up with and I figured the missing holiday crowd must have returned.

The transplant nurse came and spoke with us a bit, and she asked if the nurse had told us about the cath. He hadn’t, but our cardiologist was back and one of his first things he did was schedule a right heart cath and biopsy. She was on the list for later today, we didn’t have time but knew it would be in the evening. 

Not long after the nurse left, the cardiologist who was rounding when we first arrived came in. We both really like him. He appreciates our opinions and seems to want them from both of us. I had mentioned the medication that the EP said he wanted to start. I was just as ok with him making a decision as our cardiologist. He talked things over with us and the nurse. This medication raises blood pressure and can lower the heart rate as well. The other two medications she is on to lower the rate and of blood pressure. The idea is that if the new medication raises the blood pressure significantly, they could increase the others. A little counterintuitive, but I understand what they are doing. Neither Amanda nor I are fans of tons of extra medication, but the thought is, the doctor mentioned, that medication is better than an ablation. I guess, if it does work that would be good. This isn’t our first arrhythmia rodeo; I don’t think either of us feels the meds are going to work. I think we’ll be talking about an ablation soon.

Arrhythmia rodeo, all I can think about now is the Dino DNA cartoon from the original Jurassic Park. A rodeo in that style cartoon with arrhythmias bucking off medications and then running from the ablation cowboys who are trying to brand them and an announcer explaining everything like in the movie! Maybe I should make something like that and market it to Electrophysiologists’ offices to help explain procedures. I’ve been stuck in the hospital too long!!!

Amanda had asked about eating or drinking. The nurse said not to worry, but we weren’t comfortable with her eating before. She never has, but the morning StarBs weren’t an issue. The first thing Amanda wanted to do was get a shower before the cath. I was fasting in solidarity with her until she was in the shower, that is. I hit the snack cabinet then. I thought I wouldn’t be found out, but when I was helping Amanda after the shower, I guess the smell of corn nuts must have lingered on me! She was worn out; she spent too much time in the shower. No matter how often I tell her not to overdo it, she never listens! 

It took her a while to recover before she got ready. She wanted to dry her hair. It is a forbidden activity in the hospital, a fire hazard, I assume. Secretly, I wanted her to get busted so we’d be on a level playing field with the previous paging Dr. Pyro incident I had right before the transplant. The nurse came in while she was drying her hair. I thought she was done for, but he didn’t care. 

The nurse gave her the new medication they added today. We asked what time the procedure would be. After waiting for him to search and find it, he said 6 pm. We both let out a big sigh. It wasn’t 15 minutes after that when they came to get her for the cath, about 2:30.

She is back in the cath lab now. Not sure what to pray for with this. If the antibody mediated rejection (AMR) is still there it could explain the high rate but that means the rejection treatment didn’t work. If the AMR has subsided, then we have to figure out the cause of the high rate. I’m not sure what the answer is with all of this.  Praying the results show the rejection has lowered and they develop a solid treatment plan for this high heart rate. 

After I escorted Amanda to the cath lab, I went to grab lunch. I grabbed our falafel wrap from Starbucks and some fries from the Halal guys. Amanda will probably be mad. I got the wrap without her, but I wanted something light, and someone needed to be the guinea pig!

I returned to the room to eat, then headed to the cath lab waiting. I snuck past the volunteer desk, barely looking at the screen to see if Amanda’s procedure had started. Bless her heart, but I’ve listened to her spiel so many times. I was just waiting her out grab her chair when she left! I found the room I like to wait in. There was no TV on, and only another person was there. He had his Mac out and was trying away, so I followed the suit.