update
jpow...@comcast.net
Update: 7/5/11
Dad had an appointment with an intern, Christina Adams, in Dr. Triffon's office today. Father was less than pleased that his regular cardiologist (Triffon) would not see him and was prepared to put Dr. Adams through the ringer, something he acknowledged after the appointment. However, as it turned out, we saw Triffon.
We arrived on time and then cooled our heels for 30 minutes. When the nurse came to collect us, Dad asked what time his appointment was. When the nurse answered, “10:30”, he pushed the button on his watch so that she could listen to the fact that it was 11:00. (Imagine that, Teresa!) We were ushered into a office, where “Kelly”, a nurse practitioner, introduced herself. As Dad was preparing to protest, she said that Dr. Adams wasn't feeling well and that Triffon would be in after she had examined Dad. (I suspect that Adams wasn't really sick, but in any case, she might well have been if she had stayed on duty.)
After Dad was weighed, Kelly commented that he had gained 15 lbs. Then, as she started going through the medications list that I provided, she began noticing lots of discrepancies with the list that she had. Finally, she mentioned that she would like to give Dad an EKG but couldn't because of his pacemaker. At this point, I spoke up and said that he had no pacemaker. Long story short, Kelly was looking at another patient's (Robert Nielson's) file. Once that was cleared up, things went more smoothly. Kelly examined Dad for 10 or 15 minutes followed by Triffon, who spent around 15 minutes with us. Dr. Triffon was pleasant, professional, and quite willing to answer my questions. Dr. Nelson was well behaved and also quite willing to answer my questions.
OK, here is the gist.
Dad has “slow atrial fibrillation” and a murmur on the right side. This, along with the slow heart rate, could explain the shortness of breath, and could have serious consequences. Triffon had Dad set up with a holder device, which will chart his heart function for the next 24 hours. The results could indicate anything from a change in medications to the installation of a pacemaker. Dad is to limit his exercise until results from the holder device are in.
The fatigue Dad complains of is probably a result of loss of muscle mass, a common occurrence after valve replacement. Because of Dad's age, a full recovery could take 6 months.
His next appointment is in 4 weeks.
During the visit, Dad volunteered that
he was much improved over the last weeks. (This is something all of
us have noticed, but it was nice to hear him acknowledge it.) After
the appointment, he was decidedly upbeat, this, despite the fact that Stacey Anthony was acquitted.
I'm definitely encouraged. It seems Dad's lack of energy is to be expected and it's just a matter of time until it will improve. Also, the AF, etc., can be addressed by either medication or a pacemaker.
I'll write again after the results of the holder test are in.
U.J. (the new best)
Emily Schuck
susa...@comcast.net
It's good to hear that the doctor's appointment went well and that your dad is in good spirits.
Only one comment. My mom had a pace maker and we discovered that having one meant that she could not undergo some standard scans and medical diagnostic tests. So you might ask your father's doctors about that limitation before he decides on whether he wants a pace maker or not.
Susan
From: jpow...@comcast.net
To: "rlnsr" <rl...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 3:31:50 PM
Subject: update
jpow...@comcast.net
How are things on the home front?
From: susa...@comcast.net
To: rl...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 8:09:14 PM
Subject: Re: update