dave update....

We got up and got ready for work this morning, but Dave said he didn't feel well. I asked "HOW do you not feel well?" and he said he was having pressure and chest pain that radiated up his neck and down his arm.

SO, we went to the ER instead of to work! After 3 or so hours in the E/R, they admitted him.

(and i am so tired, i am not going to worry too much about caps and punctuation, sorry)

a little back story—dave had been talking about firing the doctor he had been going to, whom he met by default when he had the heart attack in Dec. of 09. this doctor seemed very quick to do procedures that cost a lot of money, and was also very difficult to understand, too busy (7 hours late for dave's angio—which was probably an excessive procedure— a year ago in april), and often impatient.

BUT, we went to the hospital we went to today because we assumed that his doctor was still affiliated there. one feels more comfortable with a familiar doctor, if available...am i right?

turned out that he is NOT affiliated anymore...so, we got someone else who dave liked a LOT better! he's still difficult to understand, but he sat down next to the bed, and explained everything fully, carefully, and comprehensibly.

the new doctor is FAR more conservative, and willing to work with medications and correcting balances before doing invasive procedures. the old doctor would have had dave in the cath lab with a tube in his artery in a new york minute.

ANYway....my poor baby has an insufferably bad headache from the nitroglycerine patch that has been on his chest all day. he has had some repeat chest pressure, and they gave him morphine for that this afternoon, but had not given him any more by the time that he sent me home. he also had a horrific bout of heart burn and nausea in the afternoon into evening, so that he did not want his dinner.

he is really quite miserable, but very little of it has to do with the chest pains that brought him to the hospital to start with.

the cardiologist seems highly confident that the discomfort that brought us to the hospital was NOT heart related. they are doing observation with blood draws every 8 hours to be certain of that, but so far, there have been no indications in the blood tests that a heart attack has or is going to happen.

the doctor did not yet discuss any possible other tests (ultrasound or other imaging), and said he would be back by in the morning to see if dave can come home. he would come home with a new arrangement of prescriptions to see if that keeps the discomfort at bay. the doctor says if it does, for 3 to 6 months, then we're home free.

but, tonight, he is in the hospital and feeling very ill because of the drugs they are giving him now...so please continue to send him peace, calm, and healing.....

(and i could use a little of that calm stuff, too....gonna try to rest.....)