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Heart Health Issues Addressed
In the hour-long appointment we had with Steve’s new cardiologist, Dr. Rider, he addressed each one of Steve’s heart health issues, which included peripheral artery disease (PAD), coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure (CHF), and atrial fibrillation. He recommended that Steve take a stress test to determine the condition of his heart right now. He hasn’t had a stress test since 2000, so we scheduled one for June 19. Based on those test results, the doc might want to do a heart catheterization to further determine its condition. He is very up to date on the newest technology and he was very optimistic and hopeful…just what we needed.
Another issue was the PAD. Steve has a blocked artery in his right leg behind the knee, and Dr. Rider feels he can do something to improve the condition of that artery. But that will have to wait until the most important issue is addressed, and that is the atrial fibrillation (AF).
He explained that with AF the upper chamber of the heart quivers instead of pumps, resulting in the blood pooling. This pool of blood has a tendency to form clots which can go right to the brain resulting in another stroke. Steve is in AF continually even though sometimes he can’t feel it. This was proven by the Holter monitor he wore for two days back in January. When he was recently in the emergency room and hooked up to all the monitors, he was in AF the whole time then too. Dr. Rider thinks a blood clot resulting from the AF originally caused Steve’s stroke. Since the risk of having another stroke increases 20% per year with this condition, it’s imperative that it gets under control. Although nothing can prevent the AF, something can be done to prevent the blood from clotting.
This is why he wants Steve to take an anti-coagulant (blood thinner) like Coumadin. If the blood is thinner, it won’t clot as easily. I expressed my concerns about this drug, and he offered an alternative. Cardiology Associates is involved in a world-wide clinical trial conducted by Bristol-Myers-Squibb for a new drug that they feel is better than Coumadin. Half of the people in the 3 1/2 year trial will get the new drug Apixiban, and the other half will get Coumadin, but we nor the clinic knows which drug anyone is getting. So each patient will be treated like they’re getting Coumadin, which requires frequent (weekly) blood draws. Steve was accepted into this double-blind trial and he will start getting the drug on June 2.
One of his blood tests showed that he has anemia, so as a precaution, he will be undergoing a colonoscopy next Tuesday. If all goes well, he will be administered the new drug right afterwards. They just want to rule out any bleed. The prep for the colonoscopy will be the hardest part for Steve. With his difficulty in getting up and down, it will be quite strenuous for him to be going back and forth to the bathroom. Please pray that God will strengthen him to go through this bowel evacuation process next Monday.
Things are looking better and we are more optimistic. With the new medication helping with the breathing, and the new doctors encouraging us that they can help improve Steve’s condition, we are more hopeful for a brighter future.
Thank you so much for your prayers. You may sometimes think that they don’t matter much, but they do, and they are effective. We love you and thank God for you.
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just writing to see how the HBOT is coming along. are you still going every day? i wonder – was there a reason you chose the invidivual chamber therapy vs. that big chamber where several people can go in at once?
March 29th, 2010 at 5:26 pmHi Vicque,
March 29th, 2010 at 8:43 pmSteve is going to HBOT about 4 times a week, and he just completed his 10th treatment. We’re seeing some small improvements…mostly in pain relief in his leg. There is only one clinic available in our city that offers HBOT (other than the hospital), and they have only one chamber. The larger chambers you referred to are quite expensive and most clinics do not have them. Check out Steve’s First Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to see a video and pictures of him in the chamber. Each week I’ll be posting updates on his HBOT progress.