The second week was a bit rougher with the tests and on our morale.
We started out the week with a visit to the liver Dr again and we actually got good news! The paracentesis that I had had the previous week showed that the fluid in my belly is not from the liver but from the heart. So the Dr's wouldn't have to do a liver transplant just heart! I know that it still doesn't sound great but the liver with the heart would be extremely risky. On with the lung tests.
Tuesday I gave a lot of urine, went on a six minute walk while monitoring my oxygen and had the coolest chest x-ray I've ever had. I went up to the x-ray board and got in my usual position chest against the board, hands on hips and rolled in shoulders but the tech said that I didn't have to do that and to face her. Mega confusion. In walks a Dr and starts up this machine, it was than that I saw a TV on the side of me that was taking moving x-ray pictures of my heart and lungs, it was so cool that I saw my heart beating with all of my pacemaker wires moving around with every beat. That was cool but the second part was when the Dr said that he wanted me to lie on my back so I started to look around for the table to lie on when the x-ray board I was standing on started to tilt back, it was awesome, I love new technology.
Wednesday was full of tests starting with blood, everyday started with a blood test. The worst one was that day when the had to take an arterial blood gas sample, I remembered these so I asked for numbing, you know it is going to hurt when you get a shot before another shot.
This is after my arterial blood sample, it wasn't really that traumatic I was just posing.
I talked to a dietitian who basically said I need to start eating the food I hate and than I went to a renal function test, oh joy. It lasted 3 hours of peeing, blood sample, ultrasound of my bladder than an hour of rest (nap for me) then it would repeat. The nurse didn't believe me when my bladder was empty so she called in another nurse who tilted my bed feet up and than my bladder was empty. The fluid that they saw in my bladder was my stomach fluid over the bladder so they tipped me to slosh all of my ascites (fluid in the belly) towards my chest. I was so glad that that worked because they would have had to put in a catheter. Whew!
Thursday I had just the most fun CT scan ever (sarcasm) I found out the most painful place to put an IV ever and that is in the top of the foot. Wow if you can ever avoid an IV in the foot do it! I had to have another IV in my arm as well. This was an extremely fancy CT scan and 8 nurses and Dr's came to watch. I'm kind-of a big deal, I have many leather bound books (watch Anchorman and you will get that joke) I was given the IV contrast through those two Iv's and I felt like my foot was going to explode along with the rest of my leg as the contrast went through my vascular system. when I was done and the nurses came into take the IV's out I asked if I was supposed to be seeing stars. The took my O2 sats and I was at 77, that is bad. When I watched ER once the Dr's had to "crack" the chest because the patients O2 sats were 84. That is funny because 84 is my average. "Normal" people run about 98-100. That was not a fun CT.
Man I feel like such a complainer, I'm not. I joke with all the nurses and Dr's and I started to know everyone at the Mayo so I was sad to leave, a little bit.
Friday was the big long heart cath day. I was supposed to be the first cath so I was at the hospital at 6:30, I had a blood test and my blood was still to thin, increasing the chances of bleeding alot. I was mad because I had eaten a huge spinach salad the night before to thicken up my blood and it didn't work. I had to have an IV drip of Vitamin K to thicken my blood and around 2:30 that afternoon I was finally taken back for the cath. I hadn't had food or a drink of anything for 14 1/2 hours so I was beyond ready. I was kept awake during the cath which I wasn't happy with because I wanted to sleep. But I had the nicest anesthesiologist that tried to relax me by giving me a bit of versed and a head massage, I didn't want her to stop even after the cath was over. I big vein that was causing trouble was blocked off and my pressures were taken so it went well even though I wanted a lot more versed than I got and I had to put my arms up over my head for about an hour which was painful because my shoulder hasn't been the same since my motorcycle accident over a year ago in Australia.
I was done, done with the Mayo clinic and tests. I had had 19 tests and about 14 consultations with Dr's. I was so excited to just go home and have nothing to do except sleep and eat (I was sick of fasting every day for some kind of test). My main Dr that followed me the whole two weeks told me that the decision would be made on Monday the 26th when the Dr's would get together for the transplant meeting.
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