We had a pleasant though very low-key visit with Dennis and Sharon on Saturday and Sunday (May 5-6)—low-key because Steve's energy level was very low, and I continued to be concerned about his low blood pressure. Phone and email consultations with the doctors led to some attempts to adjust the medication, and to a Monday visit to the oncologist. He took a blood test, found the hemoglobin level down a bit, and scheduled us to come back Wednesday to re-check in case transfusion might be indicated. However, Monday night Steve slept badly and by Tuesday morning he was extremely weak—and though his blood pressure was within normal range, his pulse was up to 106. So we called the doctor again and were told to come in (with ambulance help if necessary). We managed to get there on our own, and once there the higher pulse (now in 120s) sent us for an EKG, which showed atrial fibrillation, which sent us to the Emergency Room for treatment to control that.
We went from the ER to the Clinical Decision Unit for more heart stabilization and overnight observation, and then we stayed through Wednesday also for the blood transfusion which had been on the horizon, since the hemoglobin level did dip below 8. By the end of the day on Wednesday (yesterday) things seemed enough nearer to normal for us to be discharged, and we got back home around 8 p.m.
Steve is feeling much better, and we are still planning (with the doctor's concurrence) to drive down for our visit with Melissa in Silver Spring from Saturday to Monday. We're still adjusting meds, and don't know exactly what the forward progress with chemo will be—that will need to be re-evaluated next Wednesday. For now, we're looking forward to the weekend visit, and are glad that the current adjustments seem to be making that trip a reasonable undertaking.
Thanks again to all of you for your ongoing support.
--Carol
