In my last post, I told you about my side trip into the world of pulmonary embolisms. I was diagnosed with bilateral PEs in both lobes. I was put on Xarelto and sent home.
It was a relatively calm couple of weeks before my "shortness of breath" symptoms returned. On Thursday night, January 14th, I returned to the E.R. This time, much to my surprise, I was diagnosed with "congestive heart failure." Following an echocardiogram, I was informed that my "ejection fraction" had gone from 55% in June to 30-35%. This means that my heart is currently unable to pump enough oxygen throughout my body. They do not know if this is a permanent situation for me. I will have a repeat echo in a few months.
I stayed for four nights at The Christ Hospital. They gave me an angiogram which showed that I had "basically normal" arteries. In addition, a CT Scan showed that my pulmonary embolisms of a few weeks ago have "cleared." This is great news. They sent me home on several new medications designed to keep fluids from around my heart. The doctor explained to me that they may never be able to give me a definitive cause for why this happened. I have several followup appointments, including one for genetic testing.
For my grandchildren, please note that I am writing this as I watch the inauguation of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. What a historic day.
Here's hoping that my health issues will improve over the next few weeks.
