- Current Status
- Base-line
- Final Requests
- Previously since Friday April 30, 2010
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In 1995 I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure which is a condition where the heart does not pump as strong as normal. For a condition, unlike a disease, there is NO CURE, just a followed regimen of care and daily meds. I live a normal life, and am Class II: slight, mild limitation of activity; comfortable at rest or with mild exertion [physically lazy]. I may experience extreme discomfort every 3 or so years, leading to doctors’ visit and a few months of treatments. Though infrequent, it can be triggered by being stressed, stuffed, or near stupid people.
As a side note, since 1976, I had been said to be “heartless” or “have a soul of steel and a heart of stone.” In Tagalog that's "Ang kaluluwa ko ay bakal! Ang puso ko ay bato!"
[please note: a little humor helps]
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1/17/2011 Better at rest, straight backed, rather than reclined. Difficult to move. Deciding to move and actually doing it requires lots of effort and may take a couple of hours to move. Shortness of breath. Dizziness on standing. Have to catch my breath every 30 feet. Same problem with going up a flight of stairs. I live n a second floor apartment. I can lift but not carry ten pounds. I have not blacked out, yet. OK to drive, since i am seated. My judgement is not impaired. Moving in and out of the car is difficult.
Body swollen, retaining too much water. Expanded mid-section is causing distress of my lower ribs.
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Base-line...
Sex Male
Race Filipino
Age 52
Weight 187 lbs
Height 5'2"
Blood Type O
Pulse 65
BP Normal
Ejection Rate 17 [below 30 national danger level]
Lung Capacity 50% Normal
- 60-70 breaths per minute
Shortness of Breath 100 breaths per minute at 30% Capacity
Strength 10 pounds lift but but not carry
Walk 30 ft [stop to catch breath]; 100 ft [lean for 5-15 min]; 500 ft [one block; sit for 15 min]
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Medications...
Carvediol 25mg 1 pill 2x daily
Lasix (Furosemide) 40mg daily
Lisinopril 40mg daily
Potassium (KCl) 20MEQ daily
Spironolactone 25mg daily
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Final Requests
I have to make a decision. Once my heart stops, it will not survive a restart. I need to complete a DNR form and make the immediate family aware. Final arrangements need to be prepared for now. The police responding to the 911 call will not leave until this is done. And I do NOT want to be put in a morgue. It is my final wish to be cremated. [This has yet to be made legal]
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Previously
Date: Friday April 30, 2010
Time: 9:30 am - 2:30 pm
I got to work at 9:30am. The Dr and Mgr are due in at 10. No patients scheduled to 2pm. I am feeling constricted chest up to neck, shakes, a little dizziness, but ok breathing. Others are scheduled to come in at 12-4, 12-8, and 4-8. I ask if I can leave. “We’re short staffed right now, so can you stay and let’s see how everything goes?” I suppose so [let’s see what they do when I f&^(%(g drop dead on the sales floor]. After I help a 10:30 walk-in patient and set up a couple of other appointments on the phone, I am told that I could leave at 2pm. I call my doctor right away for an emergency appointment. I overhear Dr and Mgr saying that we are “over in hours this week. Let’s not have the 4-8 come in.” WTF, he told me we are “short staffed” and I am already reducing my time! Whatever! I was finally “allowed” to leave at 12:30, and they said “call,” Like they REALLY care!
Next time I will call 911 while at work, although they would probably “suggest” I wait outside the store.
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Date: Thursday June 17, 2010
Time: 11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Type: Appointment
Dr Feldman
Cardiovascular Consultants
365 Hawthorn suite 201, Oakland
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Date: Thursday August 5, 2010
Time: 5:00 pm
I am to check in to the hospital tomorrow at 8am for a Cardiac catheterization procedure to confirm IF I have a blockage in my coronary artery, and if so to treat it immediately.
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Date: Thursday August 5, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm
I called in "sick" for tomorrow...
"Were extremely short staffed 2moro so please bring a doctors note with the details" REALLY?!?
A stupid corporate rule: You must personally inform your manager if you are sick every scheduled day, else it is voluntary termination after three consecutive days [so if you die, you are terminated after the third day].
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Date: Friday August 6, 2010
Time: 8:30 am
Check in at Summit Hospital
Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Coronary Artery Procedure - Test shows NO blocked coronary artery to be stinted.
Time: 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Out of 1hr surgery. Good news. No blocked artery! I should be released in 4 hrs.
Coming soon...a fibrilator. I'm gonna be like Iron-Man!
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"Some patients are half-slow. I'm just half-fast." - I heard this while being operated on. [needed some humor to start the operation; the guys were also rockers :-)]
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Date: Saturday August 14, 2010
Time: 6:00 pm
It has been 14 days since I last worked, 8 days since the surgery.
I had been cleared by the doctor to work Monday, I brought the doctors note, the manager said after Home office responds, he'll call me. No one at work has called me. I went to pick up my paycheck and asked my manager why I no one called. H...e is waiting for Occupational Health to say it is OK for me to work. There is supposed to be communications between that office and my doctor. It is to be determined if my condition is a concern for the company [and the store] and what the job requires [of me]. I have another surgery scheduled for Tuesday the 17th. So that decision might be moot!
As I see it, I have 3 choices, since my remaining PTOs are about to be depleted. Apply for Disability, claim Unemployment, or wait for a Termination.
...there is a 4th choice. Look for another job! It's obvious they don't want me there after 15 years. I'm just in denial. This should be an opportunity!
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Date: Monday August 16, 2010
I am getting a cardiac synch device defibrilator implant tomorrow at 6am. It is half the size of a smart phone! On my way to becoming Iron-Man!
We are Borg!
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Date: Tuesday August 17, 2010
Time: 6:30 am
Location: Summit Hospital
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Device [and Defibrilator] CRT-D
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Out of surgery 10:30am. Just got my cell and FB back 7pm. Home tomorrow. 30 days of rest.
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Date: Thursday August 26, 2010
Time: 2:00 pm
had the heart device checked out. Everything is fine :-)
...Like a DVR, it continuously records and may occasionally adjust my pulse. They will know when I got excited! Talk about privacy settings!
What I have is 2 leads help my right and left ventricles pump in rythm, A third lead is in case I have a Cardiac Arrest [NOT Heart Attack]. They are attached to a device the size of a pocketwatch [or half an iPod] in a pocket cut just below my left collar, near my armpit.
Life Beat explains what it does.
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Date: Thursday October 28, 2010
Time: 2:00 pm
had the heart device checked out. Everything is fine :-)
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late-November
Body aches and pain. Dizziness and nausea; cannot even tolerate to look at food. Rested quietly in a seated position all day helped. Dinner of grapes, a banana, room temperature 7Up. Just sugar water the whole day.
December 26...again Januaary 2
Upper body circulation congestion due to my congestive heart. Head and upper body needs to be more elevated.
Mucus drips from my lungs into my windpipe, causing a coughing fit with no results. Lower ribs and diaphragm hurts. Robtussin DM helps. Mucinex DM tablets work better to help me sleep. Unfortunately mucus and phlegm falling back into my empty stomach causes gas. Little or no REM sleep. Constant images, phrases repeating, but no sound sleep.
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