Quick Update

This will be just a brief note to update you all.  Lee is still in the hospital.  He looked much better last night.  The Milrinone drip is working to help with heart contractibility, correcting pressures, thereby helping flush the kidneys, liver, etc.  The catheters that were put into his neck (and guided down into his heart and chest cavity) were removed late yesterday afternoon.  They were replaced by a new PICC line in his upper arm.

One of our wonderful nurses removing the catheter from Lee's neck.

The new PICC line will go home with him.  It has two ports.  One port will be for a monitor, the other port will be for the medication, Milrinone.  Lee will wear some type of a pump to infuse the medication into his system 24/7.  We don't have the details on that yet.  We will have a lot to learn.  A home health nurse will be coming to our home once a week to change the dressing over the ports of the PICC and to check on Lee.  

Yesterday was exhausting for Lee.  He was feeling better once the catheter was out of his neck.  It was pretty uncomfortable and made it nearly impossible to sleep.  I've been reading all the texts and Facebook posts and emails many of you have been sending.  He is amazed at how many people are praying for him.  

THANK YOU ALL.

1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

OH -- P.S. -- here's a funny story from yesterday.  One of the issues we've had since the very first diagnosis over 21 years ago is that Lee does not fit the picture of a person with heart issues.  His heart transplant/Heart Failure doctor with the UW Heart Transplant Program always greeted us with, "You are the healthiest LOOKING sick person I've ever known."  There's always a triple check of information to be sure the medical staff are looking at a person with a mechanical aortic valve, heart failure, with an ICD.

When we were in the Cath Lab recovery area, I overheard the nurse calling up to the cardiac floor about the new patient (Lee) being sent up to them.  She briefly described his diagnosis, history and why he had needed the Right Heart Cath; then said, "the patient walked into the procedure room on his own (many patients at this advanced stage cannot walk that far;) the staff thought he was the "family support person" for the patient because he looks so healthy!"   Yep.  That's Lee, but when they look at his numbers and readouts it becomes quickly apparent that he's much sicker than he looks.  I, for one, am glad he's so darned good looking!