Where's Dodi...

[Granbonny]

Hey Dodi..Are you all ready for the big day Thursday? Haven't heard from you in 10 days..Getting ready for your recovery at home..because I know you will be fine.. Any last minutes questions? Let someone post for you after operation..Ross gets really nervous if he doesn't hear from our folks right after their surgery. Bonnie

 

[Dodi]

Here I am...

Here I am...

You will never believe this but here goes. I went to the hospital, stayed 5 days and was sent home. They admitted me early due to a dramatic fall in my inr to 1.6. My doctor was concerned that it had gone from 3.5 to 1.6 with just 2 days off the coumadin. He started an IV of Atraban rather than Heparin and had me tested for Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia assay or something like that. When my inr fell so quickly my cardio played a hunch that he had been seeing alot lately and ran a special test to see if I was HIT positive. Well, I was. The Heart Surgeon, the Cardiologist and the Hemotologist decided it added an addition risk to the surgery and suggested that I have the Cardiac Cath only and come back in 3 months (When the sensitivity should wear off) and do the surgery. I just came home today, and I am actually kind of disappointed. I can't believe that after the worry and ups in downs in my life the past month, my 2 boys flying home from Indiana and Washington, DC, and my employer hiring a temperary person for my job that - I have to do it all again...

I have never mentioned that at the same time my 2 valves were going to be replaced, I have a nodule they found on my right lung that the Lung surgeon was going to remove during the open heart surgery and have biopsied. The end result - I did have the cath done which showed no blocked arteries. and a third cat scan of my lung did not show any change in the size of the nodule, hense, both surgeries have been put on hold til August of September.

I do want to thank you all so much though for thinking of me. You guys really do keep track. Sorry for the ratteling on and on, but I am so frustrated. Anyhow, I guess I do not qualify for the Post surgery postings yet as I have slid down the mountain and must start my journey again.

Thanks loads for your prayers and concerns - you are all great people and it made me so happy to hear you were looking for me. I will try to keep in touch better.

Dodi

 

[Ross]

I don't see why your surgeon would see something wrong with your INR dropping to that in two days. Heck if I hold a dose for one day, mine is in that range. Sorry but something doesn't sound right. I can see why they want to kill two birds with one stone when doing the surgery, but I really don't think they should monkey with your lung during heart surgery. I guess they should do whats most important and worry about the other at a later time. I know that's not the ideal though.

 

[Georgia]

Hey Steve and Betty: dust off a chair

Hey Steve and Betty: dust off a chair

Dodi, I'm really sorry to hear that you got all geared up and the whole thing fizzled. I guess the only plus about this is that you'll probably enjoy the summer a lot more, if you can forget the surgery thing most of the time.

I can only imagine how awful this was. I had a boss who used to say "it's only a little bump in the road." And yes, I used to want to hit him.

Stay with us this summer.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Dodi,

I am very sorry to hear about your extended stay and lack there of surgery. We will be pulling for you.

Located some very interesting information on HIT. Regular thrombocytopenia is an autoimmune disorder. Some of the other disorders in the 'autoimmune family' include Lupus, Marfans, Rheumtoid Arthritis and many more. Have you been tested for autoimmunity? I have learned one thing it can rear it's head in many different forms throughtout generations.

I find it interesting that many of us have valve disorders along with an an autoimmune disorder of some sort.

Hang in there.

http://www.mesinc.com/education/monographs2/heparin/content/01.html.

 

[shana23]

Man what a let down!!!!Sorry to hear about it all.Just think there is always areason for everything so you just have to accept this ...I know how hard that is after waiting and waiting and waiting which is so stress full.Know that we are all here thinking of you and cheering you on.You will be in our prayers.All my best,Shana

 

[Lorraine]

Hi Dodi,

I'm sorry to hear you didn't have surgery! I understand the feeling well! I went in in Jan 12, 2001 for a balloon valvulopasty, in hopes they could just widen my worst valve. The cardio ended up nicking my heart and the surgery was stopped for fear of bleeding and a clot forming. Had to go back in March to try to do the same procedure and the cardio blew the valve. Thus three days later i ended up with OHS and two valves replaced. I told the surgeon if they were going to do OHS, they may as well fix everything at once!

Don't let it get you down. Its just a bump in the road. Better they wait, than do something that may make things worse. I am concerned about the lung issue though. I agree with Ross. I think it should have been two different procedures. I guess they should know best, though.

You'll make it through the next few months with the help of your family here at VR.com! Don't hesitate to vent here, as we do understand and care Like Georgia said, you can stay with us for the summer!

We'll al be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers as you head back up that mountain! God Bless!

 

[Dodi]

HIT Info

HIT Info

Hey Gina, Thanks so much for that web site. There was lots of extremely interesting info. I did not get to the part about Rheumatoid Arthritis though I am going to go back and peruse it again. I do have RA.

I can't believe that with the internet we are able to educate ourselves like that. Evidentally this is a fairly new happening and it seems most doctor's do not test for it. Wow. Anyway thanks for your encouragement, and I will definitely keep in touch.

Dodi

 

[Nancy]

Hi Dodi-

I have to agree with the others about the lung surgery scenario. My husband Joe has had 2 lung surgeries as well as 3 heart surgeries. He thinks the recovery from the lung surgery was longer, and far more difficult and painful than the heart surgery.

So they are both major, major surgeries. You will want your body to be in tip-top shape when going for your lung surgery.

I would ask lots and lots of questions from lots and lots of doctors before submitting yourself to such a double-whammy.

Unless there is an excellent medical reason to have this done at the same time, it sounds very problematical.

Make sure you understand all the risk factors, and the expected recovery and outcome.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Dodi,

Happy the site helped. Also interesting that you and I both have RA!

Would be nice to know the correleation between RA and HIT. Heparin must be acting as trigger and bringing out an additional autoimmune response. Do you have a Rheumatoligist? Your answer may lie there. It's tricky and very confusing stuff for sure.

Hang in there and keep us posted

 

[Dodi]

Hi Everyone,

I hope that I didn't misrepresent my lung problem. It has been determined that my heart condition is far more serious then the very small nodule found on my lung. This is actually my 3rd opinion. The first two suggested that we follow it with a cat scan every 3 or four months. The latest one did a pet scan in November which came back negative for malignancy. 3 months later, a cat scan showed no change in size. 3 months after that it still shows no change. His opinion now is that it is most likely scar tissue, but he of course won't know til it is out and biopsied. With this in mind, after consulting with my Cardiac Surgeon the Thorasic Surgeon felt that since it was time for my valve replacements that it would be very easy to reach this small nodule on the bottom of my left lung and send it out for biopsy while I am already open.

I will keep y ou all posted and thanks again for the input. Nancy's info on HIT was excellent, it is a very serious condition and I am now more thankful than ever that my cardiologist caught it.

Dodi.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Dodi-

Gina supplied the info. on HIT.

One of the reason's for Joe's partial pneumonectomy was due to a tumor in his lung, which ended up being benign, however, the surgeon opted to take a portion of the lung to be safe, prior to the final analysis on the removed tumor.

He didn't expect that would be the case, but unfortunately it was.

 

[bvdr]

Welcome back.

Welcome back.

Hi Dodi,

I know this isn't the place you wanted to be but nevertheless, welcome back to the waiting room. Your chair is still warm. We can all keep each other company for a while longer.

Betty (bvdr)