Doctor Unger's Good Word

Yesterday was very successful, as I was able to get Mom to and from St. Vincent's for her doctor appointment without any major difficulties (with thanks to Metro West and the Maryville staff). The Doc had some very good general things to say about Mom, including improved heartrate, coumadin level stabilization, reduced fluid retention and excellent responsiveness. He agrees that we should proceed with the ablation and a CT scan to make sure that future complications can be monitored and minimized.

Other highlighted outcomes:

* She's likely ready for the ablation procedure within 7-10 days
* Her heart rhythm and rate are both very good (well below 100 and steady), which is encouraging.
* I will call Dr. Jones to schedule the ablation procedure, and Dr. Unger will schedule the CT scan
* UTI status is known, but a UA was processed during our visit and pending the results, she should be in the clear
* She will stay on diuretics for the near term to keep fluid retention low
* It was advised that I consult cardiologist Dr. Walsh for information before the ablation

All in all, it was pretty good news.

Mom also mentioned that since Dad and I have brought it up to the staff, everyone is responding much more quickly when she calls for assistance, which in turn makes her much more apt to use the help. I was relieved to hear that to say the least, as it means fewer chances she might fall and injure herself, though the therapists are all thrilled with her progress in terms of both steadiness and strength.

I am trying to nail down Stephen to get another face to face later this week, and once that's in place, I should have a more definite timeline regarding both parents will be released. It still sounds like Mom will be cleared before Dad, but Dad's pretty adamant that he needs to be out at least the same time as Mom so we'll have to see.