Mom's Home!
Two weeks ago, Mom & Dad went out for dinner, to Da Vinci's, I think. One minute mom was talking and the next she was face down in her pasta. Dad jumped to her aid, and very quickly Mom came out of it. She had fainted.
The next day was Thanksgiving. She did the family rounds (no cooking), but was tired and went to bed early. The next morning, she woke up and her arm was numb. That frightened her. So, she called the M.D. at 8:00, who said (all together now) "Go to the emergency room."
They ran tests. Lots of tests. Mom has been in treatment for high blood pressure for about 10 years, I think. Her blood pressure was low. Very low. Low enough that even though she wasn't in any pain, and they kept running all these tests and not finding anything, that they didn't want to send her home.
Echocardiogram. MRI of the head (checking the carotid arteries). MRI of the heart. Angiogram. Ultrasound. Finally the problem was mostly identified (this was just Friday, last week, after 8 days in the hospital). All this time, mom's BP in her lower body was high (because they took her off her BP medicine) but very low in her upper body. They found blockages in the arteries leading to her arms and her kidneys.
Yesterday, they did an angiogram of her heart, which came back excellent. Mom's family has a history of heart disease, so this is Very Good News. They also inserted a stent in one of her arteries; the left subclavian, I think. She came through it with flying colors. She has blood pressure in her left arm now, and she went home today. She's going back soon to do the same for the other arm, and for one of her kidneys.
The next day was Thanksgiving. She did the family rounds (no cooking), but was tired and went to bed early. The next morning, she woke up and her arm was numb. That frightened her. So, she called the M.D. at 8:00, who said (all together now) "Go to the emergency room."
They ran tests. Lots of tests. Mom has been in treatment for high blood pressure for about 10 years, I think. Her blood pressure was low. Very low. Low enough that even though she wasn't in any pain, and they kept running all these tests and not finding anything, that they didn't want to send her home.
Echocardiogram. MRI of the head (checking the carotid arteries). MRI of the heart. Angiogram. Ultrasound. Finally the problem was mostly identified (this was just Friday, last week, after 8 days in the hospital). All this time, mom's BP in her lower body was high (because they took her off her BP medicine) but very low in her upper body. They found blockages in the arteries leading to her arms and her kidneys.
Yesterday, they did an angiogram of her heart, which came back excellent. Mom's family has a history of heart disease, so this is Very Good News. They also inserted a stent in one of her arteries; the left subclavian, I think. She came through it with flying colors. She has blood pressure in her left arm now, and she went home today. She's going back soon to do the same for the other arm, and for one of her kidneys.
2 Comments:
I'm glad your Mom is doing better. What a scare!
Oh, the poor dear. Hospitals are no fun, but I'm glad they got things figured out. You've been sitting on this news a long time, Ann; you must have been a bundle of nerves for a while there.
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