Friday, January 11, 2013

Friday Quick Update

The pulmonolgist, Dr. Chacey, of the KC Pulmonolgoy Practice, has NOT released us as I thought and instead was very, very specific with Hubby.

"Buddy (aside -- I loved that this young whipper-snapper was calling my fierce Hubby Buddy), you have some of the worst sleep apnea we've ever encountered.  You wake up 35 to 65 times an hour."

Hubby snorted. 

"Yes, you do!  And this is causing your A-Fib to be considerably worse than it needs to be.  You WILL (aside-- notice he's giving my husband orders) wear a C-pap and you WILL feel better when you do.  We will get home health care out to fit you and you WILL wear this at least two hours to start, then work up to three hours, then go to five.  If you wear it five hours a night your heart condition will be considerably better.  If you don't, you WILL get much worse.  You simply cannot go on as you are and you MUST start taking care of this very, very serious problem."

And Hubby, looking thoroughly disgusted, bowed his head and agreed. 

Dr. Chacey went on some more but Hubby had gotten the message loud and clear.  At Christmas he had told us in Houston that the one wish he had for the New Year was for his heart to heal.  We all knew that wasn't going to happen, but it could get better.  The pacemaker was the start of Hubby giving in to events he hated but would keep him from feeling lousy so much of the time.  Now comes the sleep apnea mask. 

It's amazing how much Hubby wants to get better.  I was never sure he'd agree to the surgery.  Now this.  He's come a long way, baby -- let's see if, once that mask gets delivered, he will actually use it. 

This is probably what the one he will get looks like:

 Keep your fingers crossed for us. 

2 comments:

Donna. W said...

This is something I have NO experience with. Here's hoping!

Margaret said...

Glad to hear that Hubby is cooperating. My husband wouldn't do so when they tried to get him to wear one, but he went on oxygen anyway not too long after that, so what was the point?