Heart Healthy -- almost

Yesterday we went to Salida for Doug's appointment with the Cardiologist. We saw a different doc this time -- Dr. Cole, who we liked. This cardiology group comes from Colorado Springs to Salida once a week. We hope we can see Dr. Cole on a regular basis and not have a different doc each time. Anyway, the 30 minute drive to Salida sure beats going over the mountains to Denver.
Before seeing the doc, Doug had a repeat Echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound). When Dr. Cole came to see Doug, he had the report: Doug's heart is "almost back to normal". Sounds good to us!
Since Doug is still getting dizzy when he bends over, and the transplant oncologist thought the dizzness might be due to the Coreg (beta-blocker heart drug), we asked if Doug could stop the Coreg. Dr. Cole said he thinks the Coreg is still necessary. It lowers the blood pressure, which is a good thing for Doug's heart, to help it pump more easily. Doug is also on Lisinopril which is another heart drug. So although he has to stay on both drugs, Dr. Cole did stop the diuretic Aldactone. One less pill to take! Dr. Cole says he wants to see Doug in three months and will re-evaluate then, possibly reducing the dose of Coreg. "One thing at a time." Yesterday Doug's blood pressure was 90/68. Dr. Cole thought that was pretty good.

Dr. Cole also decided to do another EKG. That showed that the pacemaker is firing. Kind of surprising news to us, since the Denver cardiologist didn't think the pacer would be used. Cole said that at some point it might be a good idea to put in a different kind of pacemaker, one with the usual two wires. At the time the pacemaker was put in, Doug's atrium did not have the electrical activity for a wire (aka lead), so the primitive one-lead was used. He said the EKG showed that the heart "has not completely recovered from the heart block".

So we got kind of a mixed message, but overall it was a good report. Considering that seven months ago Doug's heart was severly compromised and barely functioning, and he was close to death's door, we are happy! Praise the Lord.

We took our truck camper to Denver a couple of weeks ago and had a nice visit with family. We look forward to many more trips -- there is much of Colorado we have not seen yet.

Today we are having snow -- the world outside is all white and very beautiful. Especially when we don't have to go anywhere!
Life is good!

Love to all.