One Month Post-Heart Attack

Today we marked one month since Mom's heart attack. 


Since her heart attack, you've probably noticed I've had a difficult time keeping up with any sort of email, blogging, or Facebooking. Our energy has gone into simply surviving our days. We are so ready to crawl into bed by 8 O'Clock at night! Mom does the basics of meal preparation, laundry, shopping, errands, taking care of me and Mr. Fuzz, and dishes, and that does her in.


We've been navigating the new health challenges, lifestyle changes and medical appointments in addition to continuing to deal with my health issues. It's difficult to explain the challenges and paradigm shifts that have been happening in our lives. We have been challenged on so many levels, sometimes to the point of struggling how to navigate our own relationship through this all.


Here's the abbreviated (and 'non-emotional') update on what's been going on the past month:

• Today we received some excellent news in the health care department. Mom's health insurer has been in negotiations with one of the major providers in town. Many people feared that this provider would no longer be covered in-network, but as of today they are. We are so incredibly relieved, as now the doctors that we most want to see will be covered. Phew!

• Originally, Mom had been scheduled to have surgery on her cervical spine today, but is now in the six-month waiting period required after a heart attack. The good news is that she had the heart attack before the surgery. Had she not, what might have happened while she was in surgery is unthinkable. The bad news is that the delay means a long wait to get pain relief and regain the lifestyle she enjoys. The biggest obstacle at this time continues to be her orthopedic challenges, which I had just planned to write about before her heart attack, so there is a bit of an update needed there! 

• We met with a new cardiologist last week. I was able to go along to listen and ask questions. The appointment was wonderful, and we both felt relieved to have better care in place. Mom is now on a fairly standard protocol of Plavix, baby aspirin, Zocor, Toprol, a calcium channel blocker, and something to deal with indigestion (Zantac/ranitidine). We had a much better understanding of what happened and where we go from here. The goal is to keep Mom alive for another 30 years, so she can be just as crabby and cantankerous as my Grandma was in her old age! :) She's finally tolerating the medication choices, with no more rash, and no more 'up all night stomach pain' from the first statin she tried. While I'm still scared that she could have another heart attack, the cardiologist reassured me that the chances of a second even any time soon were not likely.

• She's going to cardiac rehab twice a week, and gradually working up her endurance. Beyond the orthopedic issues, she's mostly fatigued and tired. Understandably.

• We still don't have answers to the source of her anemia, so she was cleared for a colonoscopy in January.  She will be in good hands with the same GI doctor who has helped me with all of my problems, including finally diagnosing my abdominal migraines. 

• Mom resigned from her job at the library after her heart attack. Since then she has also met with her financial planner, which did give us some peace of mind. We'll see if she's really retired for real this time or not! Even before she resigned we had spent a great deal of time discussing the pros and cons of her work schedule and the toll it took on our lives. Still, the resignation came suddenly and not on her own terms--financially or emotionally.  She very much misses those she worked with and the interaction with the patrons, many of whom she had gotten to know well. I miss getting all of the 'scoop' on the town! Our library is such a wonderful community institution, and we both miss being a part of it in the way we were when she worked there. 

• My own health has been poor. I am feeling awful. We are navigating the new treatment path for me at the same time we navigate Mom's new lifestyle and healing. At this point it is very difficult to sort out what is due to stress, anxiety, and depression and what is due to medication changes. I do very poorly with stress, and this has certainly been one of the most stressful and traumatic events of my life. I've been busy working on my own physical and mental health as much as possible too. Before Mom's heart attack, I was already running on empty, so it is very hard to know what is going on. I am not quite ready to blog about where I am at with things, but I have been struggling tremendously. I've had a very difficult time going online and emailing, so I apologize for my quiet, especially during a time of such love and support coming our way.

• Fuzz Face is back to sleeping with me. And Mom is back in her own bed. I finally subscribed to Netflix, and Mom and I have made it a point to watch a movie together once a week. It's one of the only things we can do together right now with how we are both feeling! We are always up for a good movie recommendation! :)

Yes, really, that is the abbreviated version. So many blogs are swimming in my head, but my body and mind have been too tired to write. 

As always, thank you to all of you who continue to support and love us in so many different ways. Currently we are very much enjoying all of the holiday snail mail, and have our piano covered in your lovely cards and photos. (I mean, what else is the piano used for these days? It makes a great display area! :)) Going to the mailbox is one of my 'favorite things', but seriously, it could be a tad bit warmer outside!

We know that this time of year can often bring a variety of emotions. Some of us love this season, finding it joyful and exhilarating, while others of us struggle with the expectations, the stress, and loss. We are certainly keeping a low-profile this holiday season!

Blessings,

Emily

Photo:  Vegetarian meal from our friend. It was AMAZING. We even fell in love with the super food kale, which Mom has tried to cook several times without us finding a way to enjoy it. This was a meal made with great care and love, and enjoyed very, very much! And look, the plate she brought was pink!