Mom is home!

Mom was released from the hospital late this morning after tests showed no lung damage or pacemaker problems. The doctor is assuming that she had some kind of muscle spasm (like she had in her neck several years ago) that caused the painful inhalations. She is feeling better and slept most of the day. Pop Pop says that although he likes to "play dumb" when it comes to doing laundry, he will do his best for a few days. I'll be going over every day to help out, too. Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and prayers. It was quite a day yesterday, but much better today!

Status 8am Wednesday

A very nice night nurse talked me into going home at midnight last night, assuring me they would take good care of Mom. Dad got some sleep last night, and then was back at the hospital at 7am. Mom feels better but did take pain meds through the night. She is hoping to be released today so she can recuperate at home.

Gong Gong's Status Tuesday night

Gong Gong was moved to the regular hospital part of Medical Center Plano at around 6:30pm because she is having a lot of pain when she inhales, and although the xray does not show a collapsed lung, there is something going on out of the ordinary. I'll be going back and will post again next time there is any change. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

Gong Gong's Status

Gong Gong will be staying at the hospital (Medical Center of Plano) later than originally anticipated because she is experiencing pain in her right shoulder (in addition to the normal discomfort to be expected on the left side, where the pacemaker was inserted). The doctor is speculating that she may have pulled a muscle while on the operating table, possibly in reaction to the icy cold "goop" that they put on her to "ground" her during the procedure. So, she is on morphine and sleeping now. The earliest that she would be able to go home would be around 6pm. She is in an outpatient surgery recovery "bay", so I'm not sure what they will do if she isn't feeling better when she wakes up... move her to an inpatient room to spend the night? Will post again when we know more.

Gong Gong

I think most of you know by now that Gong Gong will be getting a pacemaker on Tuesday morning. She and Dick Cheney will be pacemaker buddies! (smile, Gong Gong!!!) Gong Gong doesn't like to discuss her medical issues, and she may tell me not to post any more about them, but for now, please keep her in your prayers that she will experience no side effects and will feel so much better after this procedure. We all love you, Gong Gong!

Spring is Blooming!

Crossing my fingers
that my few little plants
survive my brown thumb!
These images are NOT from
my garden, unfortunately,
but from public spaces around
Coppell.

Mom in the Hospital

Mom was admitted to the hospital Friday morning when she woke up so dizzy that she couldn't move. She'd been experiencing off and on dizziness for awhile, but nothing like this. Two days before, her new doctor, Dr. Mike Lee, had started her on a new drug, Metoprolol, a blood pressure lowering med, to treat her recently-diagnosed leaky heart valve. Mom's sensitive to the effects of all medications, but she started feeling really bad, and the doctor told her to "tough it out" for another week and he'd reevaluate her symptoms. Well, Friday morning she was so dizzy and weak she couldn't move, so Pop Pop called 911 and she was taken by ambulance to Centennial Medical Center in Frisco. Her heart rate was fluctuating between 42-45. They discontinued Metoprolol. Fast forwarding to tonight, her heart rate has been fluctuating, but is now starting to level back off near 60, and the cardiologist says he will probably discharge her in the morning. She will see a highly-recommended ENT doctor, Dr. Hwang, who will evaluate her ongoing vertigo-like dizziness that she's been experiencing for several months, beginning with a hearing test. She had an MRI while she was in the hospital, so that Dr. Hwang can evaluate the results with regard to her dizziness. Her doctor will need to decide what the next step needs to be in treating the leaky heart valve. We love you Mom/Gong Gong and Pop Pop!!!