Today was another day.....

So, I'm guessing y'all wanna know what happened this AM when I showed up at the Dr.'s office right? I got there and the usual receptionist wasn't there.  They told me she was out that day, I said ah ok. I asked for my doctors nurse so I could give her the bag of goodies I had for her then sat and waited for her.  She came out and we talked for a few minutes. I told her what happened and that she and the doctor she was the nurse for were the only reasons I was staying and I may not be after what had happened Friday. She went and got me a stool test kit and we were talking for a few more minutes and I got her to write her address down and slipped it in there as a very nosey nurse came over to butt in and see what we were up to.  So we broke it up and I left.

So then I went to the Pulmonary Dr. and they did indeed have more information than Western Wakemed did. Basically, they are going with Pulmonary Hypertension. Basically right side heart failure. The basic definition is a type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of your heart. It begins when tiny arteries in your lungs, called pulmonary arteries are narrowed, blocked, or destroyed.  This makes it harder for blood to flow through your lungs, and raises pressure within your lungs' arteries. As the pressure builds, your heart's lower right chamber (right ventricle) must work harder to pump blood through your lungs, eventually causing your heart muscle to weaken and eventually fail.

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious illness that becomes progressively worse and is sometimes fatal. Although pulmonary hypertension isn't curable, treatments are available that can help lessen symptoms and improve quality of life.

My next test is a Right Heart Catheterization. I've had all the other tests thus far.  During this procedure, a cardiologist will place  a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a vein. The catheter is threaded into your right ventricle and pulmonary artery. Right heart catheterization allows your doctor to directly measure the pressure in the main pulmonary arteries and right ventricle.  It's also used to see what effect different medications may have on your pulmonary hypertension.

Right Heart Catheterization is usually performed during local anesthesia and sedation in a hospital setting. you often can go home soon after the procedure. You'll need someone to drive you home after the test.

So you will know more when I know more! The test has not been scheduled yet.