Makenna is turning 3 in a just a few short days. It's so hard to believe. I was looking back through pictures taken since the day I brought her home. What an amazing journey the past 3 years have been. There have been so many trials and tribulations but there have been many more great times and experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything. Enjoy the slide show.
Ok, so here is the latest. My dad and I went to the doctors this morning to meet with the Electrophysiologist. He said there is nothing electrical wrong with my heart. So, this doctor really said was I am dehydrated ~ probably because I'm taking 2 diaretics. He told me to stop them and folow up in 2 weeks. I'm so frustured. This has been going on since Janaury and I still really don't have a solution. I feel like I'm getting the run around. The only thing the doctors can agree on is that I need to keep loosing weight. I'm down approx 40 pounds since January 4th but apparently, it's not enough to help with the problems I'm having. So, I'll keep plugging away and try to ingnore the symptoms. It seems the only other thing is that there is not sign of heart disease or other functional problems.
Thank you all for your prayers and continued support.
Mom and dad treated the Parker and Castle Rock Dinkins' to lunch at the White Fence Farm today. We had Fried Chicken and boy was it yummy. I don't think any of are going to eat for a few days -- Especially Matthew. For such a little tyke, he sure can pack it away. ;-)
Here are a few pictures of the event.
The girls enjoying a ride on the old
John Deere Tractor
Makenna feeding the goats &
Candi being a good sport about holding
the dirty goat food in her hand.
The Castle Rock Dinkins'
petting the big red cow
Kyra coming out of the 2 story slide.
Makenna was too short and they wouldn't
let her gown down. She cried of course.
I just wanted to post and let you all know that Wednesday August 6th is when I have my surgery consultation. My did is going with me so I don't forget to ask any questions, as well as for the moral support. Dad's are great for that. ;-)
I picked a new primary care doctor a few weeks ago and had the chance to meet with her this past Monday. She said that she thinks that the surgical procedure I will have is called Cardiac Ablation. If she's correct, essenially what will happen is the doctors insert a catheter into the main atery in the groin and run it up to the heart. When there, the tip of the catheter gathers data and a variety of electrical measurements . The data pinpoints the location of the faulty electrical site. Once the damaged site is confirmed, energy is used to destroy a small amount of tissue, ending the disturbance of electrical flow through the heart and restoring a healthy heart rhythm.
So, at this point, I really don't know much else. I will post an update next Wednesday when I know more about the procedure and the date it will happen. Hopefully soon ~ I want to move on.
Thanks for the continued prayers.
As I mentioned in a previous posting, I had an Echocardiogram on July 11. I received a call on Tuesday night from the cardiologist. The results were not what I was expecting. He told me I have 3 things:
1). Ventricular Premature Beats (VPB): This I already knew
2). A reduced left ventricle
3). Irregular Sinus Tachycardia - aka: Super Fast Heart Beat
What does all this mean? I'm still trying to figure this all out, but essentially, I need to have some kind of surgery to fix the problem. If I don't have surgery, these things are potentially life threatening. The Cardiologist says I have an electrical problem in my heart which is causing the fast heart beats. There are several different types of surgeries that may fix this problem, however I need to have a consultation with an Electrophyisist (sp?) to determine exactly what needs to happen. Someone is supposed to call to schedule this appointment sometime soon. The sooner the better in my opinion. After nearly 8 months of drug therapy that hasn't worked, this is logically the next step.
I'm really scared and could really use all the prayers I can get. Your heart is something you can't do without and although the margin of error is relatively low, I'm still frightened. I have a 3 year old that needs me to be here for her. I would really appreciate the few extra prayers over the course of the next few months as I go through this rough time. I also ask for prayers for my family as they will need the strength to not only take care of my daughter, but also take care of me not only while I'm waiting but after the procedure. I am an emotional wreck right now, but at the same time, need to keep my stress levels to a minimum. All prayers are appreciated.
Look for future updates as I get more info ~ hopefully soon.
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I finally finished my personal training sessions that I signed up for in January on Thursday. Here are the results. I have lost 29.3 pounds of fat. I have gained 8.8 pounds of muscle. I have lowered by body age from 45 to 36. I have increased my strength from 54 pounds to 110 pounds. Considering all of my obstacles so far this year, I guess this isn't all that bad. I wish it was better, but I think all the meds I'm on are making it difficult for me to loose weight.
I went to the cardiologist on Friday for an Echocardiogram. The tech that did the ultrasound said she didn't see anything abnormal, but that my cardiologist would have to review to be sure. He should be getting back to me by the middle of next week with the final results. When I was at the cardiologist about 6 weeks ago, they diagnosed me with VPB. That stands for Ventricular Premature Beats. Essentially, that means that I have an irregular heart beat and sometimes I get double or triple beats. The doc said by themselves, VPB is not life threating, but if there is something functionally or structureally wrong with my heart, they will have to look at different treatment. The Echo will determine if I need anything else. If he gives me the ok, I'm going to join a 12 week program at the gym called Team Weight Loss. They meet 3 times a week for an hour for 12 weeks. There isn't much strength training, but they work a lot on nutrition and weight loss via zone training. Essentially, everyone has their own zone that are customized for them and you train within those zones. For some it might be walking, for some it might be running. I need to take the "zone test" to determine mine, but I'm wiating for the cartiologist first. Hopefully I'll know something soon.
My blood pressure seems to be down thanks to meds. Yesterday it was the best it's been in a long time. It was 130/76. Since things are looking up, hopefully the doc can figure out how to lower my heart rate ~ part of the reason it's high is the VPB.
It's been a long 2008 so far with everything that's been going on. I'm ready for this to be over so I can resume living a normal life without having to worry everytime my heart beats a little too fast.
I'll keep you posted on the outcome of the results as soon as I get them.
