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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Oct 16, 2020 15:20:47 GMT -5
Got appointment with the cardiologist that the hospital recommended that I follow up with. My appointment is for Wednesday morning. When I told them it was a hospital referral, they logged onto the hospital system and pulled up my insurance information and my in-hospital test results.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Oct 22, 2020 20:38:30 GMT -5
Went to the cardiologist yesterday (Wednesday). I am going to have an ultrasound done on my legs tomorrow afternoon so they can find out why they're swollen. I am going to have a nuclear stress test next Wednesday.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Oct 24, 2020 20:24:20 GMT -5
Had the ultrasound of my legs (edematous, especially the right leg) done Friday afternoon. Cardiologist's office was nearly empty. Nuclear stress test going to be done over two days (Monday and Wednesday). Friday morning, I have an ophthalmologist appointment.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Oct 27, 2020 14:26:01 GMT -5
Had Part #1 of the nuclear stress test Monday. They had to try twice to poke me with a needle. Other than that, it was sit and wait for forty minutes for the isotope to distribute throughout my body and twelve minutes with a rotating gamma camera. Would not recommend the gamma camera for the hard-core claustrophobic.
Tomorrow, I have part #2 of the nuclear stress test. This is the most involved part and there's a slight chance of causing a heart attack. But the chance is less with Lexiscan than a treadmill or exercise bike. I don't move that fast any more, arthritic knee that's slowed me down since 2014. They still require the cardiologist to be in the room.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Oct 28, 2020 20:40:20 GMT -5
Had part #2 of the nuclear stress test today. I was breathing heavily (they told me to slow down lest I hyperventilate) and I was a bit dizzy when they got me up from the bed they had me in. Other than that, I didn't have any problems with the test. Now, I get to wait to November 9th to find out what's next. Saw a description of peripheral vascular disease and I have a number of symptoms.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Nov 1, 2020 12:49:31 GMT -5
Friday morning, I went to the ophthalmologist. No signs of glaucoma. He commented that I had the beginning of cataracts, but nothing needing fixing now. He wants to see me in six months.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Nov 9, 2020 0:38:52 GMT -5
Been under the weather. Had chills, cough, and fever Wednesday into Thursday. In Houston (and a number of other cities), they have a company called "Dispatch Health" that makes urgent care house calls. It was in-network with my medical insurance. Called Dispatch Health Thursday afternoon and their team (a nurse practitioner and an EMT) saw me Friday morning with a 102.2 fever. They did COVID-19 and flu rapid tests and came to the conclusion I had "bronchitis at least." They sent off a prescription. Went and picked it up and by the time I was home I was exhausted. But by the time I had three doses of antibiotic I was much better. They took an X-ray a few hours later, but they sent out a solo radiologist with a portable machine. Had my X-rays sitting in a dining room chair. Saturday, I napped a couple of hours in the afternoon but I've been up all day since about eight o'clock this morning.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Nov 12, 2020 19:39:09 GMT -5
Antibiotics worked, temperature now down to 98.1. My cardiologist has arranged for home health. No getting out except for doctor and pharmacy trips (one of the restrictions to get home health from Medicare). Don't feel like doing much anyway. I have congestive heart failure. Fortunately, I am retired.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Nov 17, 2020 19:00:39 GMT -5
Got out yesterday to have a skin wound treated (officially homebound unless I'm getting medical attention). Nurse practitioner was concerned that I had an infection with pus in it but there was none. I did a pretty good job caring for the wound and starting Thursday it's going to have daily dressing changes. Would have started today, but the pharmacy and the doctors' office had to get their ducks in a row.
Go back to the cardiologist's office tomorrow afternoon. Their latest medication change never made it to the pharmacy.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Nov 19, 2020 23:02:58 GMT -5
Got out Wednesday and went to the cardiologist. Met with one of his nurse practitioners. Got a tentative date of the 9th of December for interventional cardiology.
Picked up four prescriptions Thursday and had a home health nurse change my dressings.
Fell asleep in the business room Thursday evening.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Nov 27, 2020 18:07:14 GMT -5
Had home health visits Thanksgiving Eve and Black Friday. Not sure when they're going to look at me again right now as I have a gastroenterologist visit Monday and a wound care visit Tuesday. I have a callus on my right big toe and the home health nurse decided to bandage it.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Nov 30, 2020 19:11:26 GMT -5
Had appointment with gastroenterologist Monday around lunchtime. I told him his parts of my body are working fairly well. He asked me if any other doctor was having problems with me and I told him the cardiologist. Peripheral vascular disease in the right leg and I failed a nuclear stress test. Tentatively scheduled to have a left heart catheterization in a long week. On the other hand, if the hospitals get swamped with COVID-19 patients, they may put off non-critical patients and I'm pretty stable now.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Dec 1, 2020 19:50:12 GMT -5
Went to wound care appointment and had good news. I had two places that required intervention to heal up the best. Well, now the larger of the two has improved to the point it doesn't need medication any more. There is a small place that requires continued collagenase treatment to avoid developing into a keloid. Got a two-week follow-up visit.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Dec 3, 2020 18:21:34 GMT -5
Had phone call from cardiologist's office while I was sleeping this morning. They said they were able to do my procedures on the 8th. Turned out to be a good thing as my driver to the hospital has to do something else the 9th. Got pre-procedure instructions, nothing but pills and sips of water after midnight the day before. And you need to skip some of your medications. May or may not have to stay overnight after the procedure, depends on what they find. They're talking either a stent or a pacemaker as possibilities. Or it just may be that I have a weird EKG and stress test.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Dec 4, 2020 19:39:08 GMT -5
Had pre-procedure medical check this afternoon (blood work, COVID-19 check, EKG). My peripheral vascular disease makes moving around not easy. I was puffing by the time I got in from the hospital parking lot, and they put me in a wheelchair and rolled me to my medical checkup destinations. Was able to get up and get in the best position for things.
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