Hey Rosso!!
I KNEW you'd remember!! You are just way too sweet!!!
Yes, two years today, I have been thinking about it all day (ooo, I'd be going into the ER now, ooo, I'd be getting sliced open about now....) It all seems so surreal. Last year I got thrown from a horse, then had my wires removed the next day. Today I splurged and bought a DVD player, but I can't seem to get the dumb thing set up. I think my TV is so old that I'm just not able to hook things up correctly. Who knows. I borrowed four DVDs from the library to celebrate (including "BLOODWORK", isn't that appropriate?!) but I don't think I'll be watching them any time soon....
Anyway, thanks so much, Rosso, for remembering, and for your email earlier this week. Just a very very lousy week in many ways, huh? As I said, my new valve now has a leak, and I don't know how bad, because neither the cardio nor I have seen the actual numbers yet. I asked him to send me a copy when he gets the report, but I wonder if he actually will, so I might have to try to get the secretary to send them to me. I would like to send them to my surgeon just so he knows about this, especially with the new type of valve, for the study he's doing. My insurance wouldn't pay for me to go back out to Mayo Clinic, even though my cardio out there wanted me to come, plus I am still fighting my insurance over my bill from last year. So, I got an echo up in DC on Monday. I was seriously less than impressed by the whole deal, but I won't get into that. Anyway, the lady took the results off to get analyzed by the Big Dog, and ten minutes later, he and his assistant are in my room asking all sorts of questions and wanting to take his own pictures (of my heart, not of ME, hee hee~), and he said my new valve has a LEAK. WHAT??!! I just about started crying on the spot. My mitral valve is still leaking as well, that started up soon after my surgery. So, the Big Dog calls my cardio to yak about the report, as I am walking over to that building to see him. Cardio says all looks good, heart function, etc. I said, well, why was the Big Dog coming in and talking about a LEAK? I asked if it was a trace or 1 or 2 or what, and he said he doesn't know, he hasn't seen the numbers yet. I am glad the Big Dog took his own pictures though, because if it was up to the lady alone, I probably wouldn't have believed it.
So. I mean, I am not WORRIED, I am sure it is minimal and probably "normal" to some degree, and no one is going to be dragging me in for another surgery any time soon. But, I am UPSET. Living with the regurg hanging over my head for 23 years, then finally getting out of the rut and seeing the sunshine for two years, and then, bam, back in the rut again. It was just so nice to not have it there, you know? Just the potential, the very THOUGHT of having another surgery at some point, I just can't deal with it. But like I said, that's not going to happen any time soon. Just my happy little bubble has a pin prick in it. It's just that these leaks, they start out small, you know....?
Anyway. Enough of this. Today is a day to celebrate Life, my Borrowed Time. Chocolate cake and champagne for everyone! And if you have any of this stuff at your place, PLEASE send some my way, because I need some BAD!!!! Or if you have any DVD setup advice....!
Rosso, you're the best. Are you peeing yet?!! Maybe you can monitor the situation for us, you know, post a chart with some numbers. I mean, that's what the nurses do at the hospital, right, they keep track of quantities and stuff. I do hope everything comes out okay! (And I am serious!!)
lots of love,
JEnnie
