An Al Update

Another day with little to no progress. He had failed to convert to a normal sinus rhythm with medication, and the heart rate has come down, but not low enough. He was scheduled this afternoon for a medical procedure called a cardioversion, which is a "reboot" for the heart. Paddles are used to deliver a jolt of electricity to the heart, hoping to jolt it back into a normal rhythm. He has had this done before, and it has always been successful. But before they can do this, first a trans esophageal echocardiogram (TEE) must be done to make sure there are no clots formed in the heart that will be flushed out and possibly cause a stroke. It all sounds like fun, eh?

They finally came and got him just after 2PM, and let me tell you, he was just a tad hungry and getting crabby by then. And to make matters worse, the cardioversion did not work, he is still in atrial fibrillation. The cardiologist is putting him on a different medication tonight to try and lower the heart rate to an acceptable level, and is consulting with another cardiologist to give us options for further treatment.

As of 9PM when he called me, he has been transferred to the "step-down" ward; not quite ICU but a step above a regular ward with higher monitoring levels. Two different heart rate lowering meds have been ordered and he needs closer monitoring to make sure it doesn't drop out too fast. He sounds good on the phone, and actually feels more confident now that there seems to be a more concrete plan.

So that is it for today. Hopefully the next couple of days will brings things more in focus, and allow us to make some tentative plans going forward. I really dread having to call our employers in Bar Harbor and beg for a later start date; hopefully they will understand if that's what we need to do. We'll figure it out as we go!