csutherland
Well-known member
Jerry's 6-mo CT scan to measure the aneurysm is coming up in 2 days. He's just getting tired of all the medical stuff he's been dealing with for 6 yrs. First, Jan 2000, due to just plain weird teeth (I won't go in to all of it), he had every one of them crowned, to the tune of $14,000. That has been an ongoing process which still isn't perfect, but he's stopped going back.
At the end of that same year he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had a radical prostatectomy in Dec 2000. Two months later while being pre-admitted for inguinal hernia surgery a heart murmur was found that was never noticed before. One year later he had AVR and 1 bypass. Two months after that complications arose and he spent 13 days in hospital after a pericardial window procedure.
Somewhere in that timeframe he was diagnosed with a form of T-cell lymphoma, called Mycosis Fungoides, that affects the skin. After bone marrow biopsy, PET scan, etc. etc. and much trouble with skin lesions, that disease has gone by the wayside. Hopefully it was a mis-diagnosis.
Suddenly in Jan 2005 the 5.2-5.3 cm ascending aortic aneurysm popped up in a routine echo. Where did that come from? Up until last Sept it hadn't grown, so we'll see what Friday holds.
Last night he made the comment that he's wondering if he should just live with it as long as it allows, rather than going through a 3rd heart surgery with all the implications of that. He mentioned that if he lives another 20 yrs (he's 69) he'll be going for another 120 monthly INRs as it is. He's had bad cold/flu 4 times this winter after having the flu shot. After the 3rd flu, he's had additional hearing loss and pulsatile tinnitus in one ear. Very annoying at best. He has an app't w/ENT next week for that.
He's quite an active guy who can't stand sitting around, and he's not liking this "old age" stuff, and this aneurysm is just about the last straw.
He wasn't being morbid or depressed, just thinking outloud. And don't worry, he would never be suicidal--he's not wanting to die. He's crazy about me and our 3 daughters and our 8 grandkids and would never do that to us. We have a wonderful church family too. I think he's kind of going through what folks who endure chemo after chemo and still keep getting cancer again, and wondering "what's the point?--just let me live as long as I live."
Thanks for letting me vent. I don't think our daughters would like hearing this and I had to get it off my chest! Maybe it should've been put under Significant Others heading.
At the end of that same year he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had a radical prostatectomy in Dec 2000. Two months later while being pre-admitted for inguinal hernia surgery a heart murmur was found that was never noticed before. One year later he had AVR and 1 bypass. Two months after that complications arose and he spent 13 days in hospital after a pericardial window procedure.
Somewhere in that timeframe he was diagnosed with a form of T-cell lymphoma, called Mycosis Fungoides, that affects the skin. After bone marrow biopsy, PET scan, etc. etc. and much trouble with skin lesions, that disease has gone by the wayside. Hopefully it was a mis-diagnosis.
Suddenly in Jan 2005 the 5.2-5.3 cm ascending aortic aneurysm popped up in a routine echo. Where did that come from? Up until last Sept it hadn't grown, so we'll see what Friday holds.
Last night he made the comment that he's wondering if he should just live with it as long as it allows, rather than going through a 3rd heart surgery with all the implications of that. He mentioned that if he lives another 20 yrs (he's 69) he'll be going for another 120 monthly INRs as it is. He's had bad cold/flu 4 times this winter after having the flu shot. After the 3rd flu, he's had additional hearing loss and pulsatile tinnitus in one ear. Very annoying at best. He has an app't w/ENT next week for that.
He's quite an active guy who can't stand sitting around, and he's not liking this "old age" stuff, and this aneurysm is just about the last straw.
He wasn't being morbid or depressed, just thinking outloud. And don't worry, he would never be suicidal--he's not wanting to die. He's crazy about me and our 3 daughters and our 8 grandkids and would never do that to us. We have a wonderful church family too. I think he's kind of going through what folks who endure chemo after chemo and still keep getting cancer again, and wondering "what's the point?--just let me live as long as I live."
Thanks for letting me vent. I don't think our daughters would like hearing this and I had to get it off my chest! Maybe it should've been put under Significant Others heading.
Jerry certainly has had his share of medical problems and I can understand his feelings, but we all use Nancy and Joe as our prime example of perseverence and I know he get through this latest situation with the aneurysm. Sending you our best wishes for Friday. Who said the Senior years are the "golden years"?
