Bumpy Road

As I continue my recovery, I find that the ride is not always as smooth as you'll find on Sedgwick County roads. After a few days of chest discomfort related to breathing last week, Erin made an appointment with my primary physician to see what was going on. She wouldn't let me go to work, so I didn't fight her about it since I had nothing else planned. :)  Besides, the discomfort was painful at this point, I had a low grade fever, and was unable to sleep the night before. X-rays came out clear, so it wasn't pneumonia or bronchitis. He sent me to get a CT Angiography at St. Francis just in case it might be a pulmonary embolism resulting from the heart surgery. That ended up taking the rest of the day to schedule and complete, and Erin was able to ensure a painful ride by finding every pothole and bump in the city streets driving to the hospital. I would think that she did it on purpose, but then again they're city streets so I can't fault her, can I? (Uh, huh, I said it.)

After everything I have been through since we've been married (and watching every episode of Grey's Anatomy), Erin feels as though she has the equivalent experience of a second year medical resident. She had already diagnosed me with a pulmonary embolism before she called the doctor. I have to admit, I was more than a little worried after Erin looked up the symptoms of a PE and I had most of them. I knew I'd end up back in the hospital and did not want to go back! Thankfully, that was not the problem. I did not have a blood clot in my lung, but I did have pleurisy - swelling of the tissue lining my chest and lungs. It's most likely a complication from heart surgery. It was painful for a few days, but is just uncomfortable now that I have been taking high dose ibuprofen and antibiotics. I'm fine as long as I don't move very much or yawn or sneeze or cough or burp or breathe... so the last few days have been uncomfortable. My doctor called to check on me Friday morning and was surprised I was back at work. Why sit around at home thinking about the pain when I could go to work and complain to others? :) 

I finally start cardiac rehab this Tuesday. I am confident this pleurisy thing will be taken care of by then, because I'm not putting rehab off any longer. It's my last step in recovery. Let's get started and get it done!

I'll probably update this blog once or twice more after rehab starts so I can complain about it to those still reading this, but then I think this journey to my heart will finally conclude. As always, I thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.