Keep my Nancy(Nanners) in mind this Thursday morning.

[John Schmidt]

A couple weeks ago on a Tuesday morning she awoke to the room spinning along with the associated nausea. Was really quite bad, seems she tossed everything she had eaten since last Thanksgiving. About six months ago she had a similar episode that was triggered from the left ear semi circular canals. At the time it wasn't real bad and after I worked her through the Epley maneuver three times it pretty much went away. This time it was so bad she couldn't begin work the maneuver without vomiting so we called her primary dr. who advised us to head for the ER which we did. Their protocol for someone with her symptoms is to also check for possible stroke which wasn't evident, but results from the MRI and CT scan indicated a carotid artery blockage of about 70%. They put a small patch in place to help with the vertigo which allowed the dr. to put her through the Epley maneuver. Once done, all seemed well except once a specialist reviewed the various test results he told us the blockage needs to be addressed to prevent a possible stroke some time in the future. We were told of two methods used...inserting a stent or surgical cleanup. I'm not sure what that entails but the dr. indicated the stent approach wasn't recommended partly due to the blockage location so they scheduled her for the surgery method this Thursday morning. Are we nervous? Yes...but confident in the outcome since we don't face trials on our own power. They plan to keep her for at least one night for which I'm thankful. I'll post the results once the dust settles.

About four weeks ago we were ready to load up my 2-wheel Valk and haul it to my son-in-law in Louisiana. Before we could leave, I came down with Covid. Not a big gut wrenching sick period, just totally exhausted. I was sooo tired all the time I slept a good 18 hrs. out of 24. It finally started to pass after about a week and the day before Nancy's episode I finally tested negative. That was a good thing since her situation and testing kept her in the hospital four days. Once we knew the results and the corrective measures to be used, there was no travel to be done. Her two week follow up is Nov. 13, after which we hope to be able travel to Lousiana. That gal is full of so much life, it's hard to watch her being pinned down like this but we're confident this shall pass.

[carolinarider09]

Prayers for Nacny's complete recovery. 

[Valkorado]

Prayers from Colorado for a successful surgery and full recovery.

[f6john]

It’s heartwarming that you two have each other. It seems you have some good doctors on the job. I’m going to the hospital with my pastor tomorrow morning to be with a friend who is having back surgery, I’ll be sure to pray for you and Nancy too.

[TJ]

Thoughts and Prayers for Nancy & You.....

[3fan4life]

Prayers from VA

[Mooskee]

Praying for you both.

[Serk]

Hoping everything goes smoothly as successfully as possible! I know you will, but please update as you can...

[HayHauler]

Praying for you and Nancy!! 


Hay 
Jimmyt

[Jersey mike]

Wishing you guys all the best and hoping for a speedy and full recovery.

[old2soon]

     PRAYERS up for Nancy and You.  RIDE SAFE.

[Oss]

Prayers for Nancy and yourself     

[h13man]

I hope everything goes well for Nancy and you. Good call on the doctor being aware of the location issue for the stent. My mother had 13 of them over the years. Ole' Stentenstein 

[Rams]

Sincerely hoping all goes well.   Medicine has come a long way in the last hundred years of so.   It's amazing what they can do now.  Keep the faith and let us know when she's back home.

Rams

[Kep]

Jonni and I both have you in our thoughts and prayers.She's a great lady and deserves the best.Please let her know we are thinking of her.

[f6john]

Patiently waiting on our update!

[Robert]

How is she doing?

[flsix]

John, prayers for a full and speedy recovery for Nancy.

[John Schmidt]

Well, the procedure was scheduled for 11:30 this morning and we arrived on time. They ushered us to a pre-op room where she donned a rather fetching gown that I'm told was designed by Seymour Hinnie. Next, she was hooked up to a monitor for various vitals and an IV inserted. I hadn't looked at the monitor but suddenly the little gal busying herself with the preparations exclaimed..."oh my goodness, is your heart always beating that slow?" I looked and it was beating steady at 37-39 per minute with fairly normal(for her) blood pressure & 96% o2. After much discussion between doctors, it didn't take long for them to cancel the operation. At first they thought she might need a pacemaker but decided to use a monitor first. She was sent home with a heart monitor to be worn for seven days then sent in for the cardiologist(s) to review. After that a new date will be scheduled for the procedure. Once out of the hospital, we headed for a favorite restaurant for a hot meal since Nancy hadn't eaten since the night before and I only had time for a quick breakfast snack...topped off with cherry pie. This time, two pieces so I didn't have to share. 

Strangely enough, Nancy has never had any side effects due to slow heart rate. In fact, this evening sitting watching TV I put my oximeter on her finger and the heart was steady at 47. The dr. told her to stop one BP heart med she takes, thinking she might be a bit over medicated. My cardiologist did that with me since I was having some light headed moments 3 yrs. ago, but once I did that there were no more light headed spells. Also, my resting heart rate at the time was running in the low 40's. Now, it's usually high 40's-low 50's. I'll be watching her rate over the next week to see if dropping the one med makes a difference. When she goes for her daily walk she doesn't experience any effects from exercise so the heart apparently picks up speed to accommodate. In any case, we look at this discovery as a second blessing in disguise. The first being when she went to the ER for her extreme dizziness and they discovered the blockage in the carotid. This never would have been discovered until it was possibly too late. Today, the low heart rate discovery may well be found to be a real issue not associated to the meds. I hope not but we shall see. If so...blessing #2. Stay tuned.

[Rams]

John,
Thanks for the update.   Know this, we are all pulling for Nancy.

Rams   

[cookiedough]

Sorry the surgery cancelled but glad the found the lower than normal heart rate per minute.  I am no Dr. but my dad age 76 at the time me NOT knowing but my mom knew the week before I took him into to see his Dr. (dad could no longer drive and mom never ever got her driver's license so I was chauffeur for both of them for about 6 years) that he was passing out gurgling and eyes rolling in the back of his head sitting in his recliner at home and luckily the few times that week CAME OUT of the passing out.  My mom knew it happened 2 or 3 times that week and NEVER said a thing.  

Well, I got over there to pick him up to go to his DR's appt. 13 miles away and that morning he could NOT get up off his recliner totally dead legs and short of breath, totally lethargic no energy at all.  It was WI winter guess 20 degrees out bitter cold so started his 1986 caprice classic and drove it up front of his house letting it run with the HEAT ON full blast.  I had to drag his 220lbs dead weight literally into the car 80% by myself that was a chore in itself.  Just glad big car but still took 20 minutes to accomplish all of us freezing about 15 yard drag into car.  

I knew something was wrong he was not really responsive just sitting there looking in outer space  not saying a thing to Drs. appt. in car.   Got a wheelchair after I picked him up out of the car and as soon as the DR took his heartrate was around 30 beats per minute is all.  Dr. said need emergency pacemaker installed NOW.  Dad sorta refused and Dr said if you go home now you will NOT make it thru today.  Dr. was right as soon as Dad got into a hospital bed he passed out eyes rolling back in head and heart stopped not once but happened 2x's in a row.   I YELLED for a nurse and they rushed in right in front of my mom and me shocking him back to life.  After about 1 hour they finally got a surgeon (was not in hospital that day) to perform emergency pacemaker and although surgeon told us surgery went as well as expected they had a  few instances of heart issues to keep it going during surgery.  Not sure what that exactly meant but guess had to massage the heart or shock it some to keep it beating?  

After emergency surgery with pacemaker, Dad felt fine was totally shocked he made it thru pacemaker surgery with no ill effects.  

Am sure your Nancy is in overall better health than my Dad was at age 76.  So pacemaker surgery if heartbeats say around 30 is and can be done with better success than I originally thought.  

Best of luck with her new medical condition.  

[Rams]

Got my Pacemaker after my heart rate dropped to 20 beats a minute.   I wasn't asked, they just did it.   Thankful that occurred when it did, I was already on the operating table for another procedure.

It amazing the strides medical science has made over the last hundred years or so.   I am confident Nancy is in good hands but I'll still keep her in my thoughts and prayers.   

Rams 

[old2soon]

     Far as that fetching nightie thing goes Yuppers I Know ZACKLY what ya mean there! And a might airish to boot er booty!  Had my go round with that particular indignity a week yesterday. HAPPY GLAD yer Lady is being watched and taken care of. PRAYERS continue fron SoMo.  RIDE SAFE.

[John Schmidt]

Thanks for all the support you folks are sending, Nancy really likes the VRCC gang. I tease, telling her it's because she has so many more people to talk to all in one place. They say that when it comes to a person's health in later years you have to use it or lose it. My ears will live forever. 

She laughed...but didn't deny that. 

[f6john]

Nanners is blessed in more ways than one. The outcome sounds like great news to me!

[OnaWingandaPrayer]

Good to hear Nancy is in good hands , the medical team and yours. Prayers that the Lord holds you all in his hands as you move ahead on this medical journey.