Update on N0v 20, 2013 Since the accident on Thursday Ive felt like I had a concussion and whiplash. I was right. So first thing Monday I got up intending to go my family doc for help, trying to be extra careful, I hit myself in the forehead with the bathroom door - splitting my forehead open. The doc’s PA couldnt help because it was accident related and I didnt have the “test results” with me. So back to the Lansdale Hospital ER, 10 stitches later I was told I re-concussed myself, in addition to the first. Tuesday, I got up and got ready for my 2:00 heart appt. I was reading the prior days hospital report, Concussion, Severe Cervical Sprain (Whiplash), and Facial Laceration, I couldnt remember hurting myself on Monday. My daughter Elizabeth drove me for the heart doc. The Doc asked me a lot of questions, and then said, if you had a roll of toilet paper sitting on your hand, and photod it. It would look like it had a 3 diameter. It you turned on an angle it would look like the diameter was 5 or 6. So even though he is grateful that the test found it, we need to do a 3-D Cat Scan reconstruction to be sure. He wants to wait 2-3 months because, Im so injured, and so concussed that he would be able to truly tell what is paining me. In the meantime on Dec 3 they are going to do an echo cardiogram. Now the really bad news - he said that I am no longer allowed to push or pull any weight over 20lbs, preferably 15lbs. No more pushing wheelchairs ever! :( No more P90X. :( He told me I can cardio myself all I want, but NO weights. He mentioned a local gym that had 3 deaths, from Aortic Aneurysm’s, in the last 12 months! First I lost my career (to Huntington’s disease); now the greatest non-job (Volunteering at the SEPA Veterans’ Center) is gone too. I asked if I can push the light lil old people in the Alzheimer unit. He said “only if they weigh less than 20lbs!” When I asked him yesterday about if I got bad, what is worst case? He explained that an Aortic Aneurysm is located in the abdominal cavity and handled by a different group of doctors. His group of docs handles “Ascending Aortic Aneurysms,” which is what I have. He then said that my worst case is open heart surgery. He gave me a prescription for an echo cardiogram, Dec 3rd, and another for a 3-D Cat Scan reconstruction is 2-3 months. Today I called his office back and left him a message to call me back to answer a question I have. At the SEPA Vet. Ctr., I often run into people who are in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s - who have a knee or hip replaced and ask ”Why didn’t I get this 30 years ago?” That’s sort of my question – in reverse. 20 or 30 years from now, when it reaches the point where the surgery is required, am I going to regret that I didn’t get the surgery NOW?? Not being able to pick up my grandson, push a wheel chair, or something as simple as a push up??? Is that living? Isn’t worth the gamble to do it now? You see many people who, after open heart surgery, are back leading normal and active lives. When the doctors at Johns Hopkins put me out with Huntington’s disease, 3 ½ years ago, they have me 2 to 5 years to die or be in a complete dementia state. It’s been 3 ½ years and thru my faith, and my Co-Q-10 supplement I take; I am all but symptom free. HD can flare up quickly. I know people who have gone from symptom free to living in a nursing, in just a couple years. So even though I’m sure that GOD will have another task for me to do at the Veterans Ctr., if surgery can put me back to my old life – shouldn’t I take that chance??
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 19:47:48 +0000
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