Hi Dad.

Just wanted to let you know that Mom is in the Hospital.  On Tuesday, July 3rd, she called me at work that morning and told me she thought she was having a stroke.  The EMS was just arriving and took her to the hospital.  I took the rest of the day off and met her at the Methodist Hospital.

It was a mild stroke.  She was feeling fine other than having trouble walking and writing.  Her lip and fingers were tingling.  They had her on a heart monitor and soon found out that she was having Atrial Fibrillation, a high speed beating of the upper chamber of the heart.  This can cause blood to pool in the chamber and cause clots that can go to the brain.  This was obviously the cause of the stroke.  She doesn’t feel it when it is happening so it may have been happening for quite some time.

When it starts, it goes on for quite a while so the doctors decided to give her a pacemaker.  The surgery went quickly and smoothly and she felt fine afterwards.  We were hoping all would be well now but it keeps happening even with the pacemaker.  She says they are making adjustments to it so it will be more effective.

In the meantime, she has been in the hospital for five days now and is getting tired of being there but it may be best for her to stay until they get it under control.  I’m wondering if they should do a cardiac ablation to destroy the node that causes the fast beating.  I guess that’s not out of the question.  I wonder how they can tell where it is.  A heart has multiple nodes as backup.

Once they get it figured out, she will go directly to rehab so they can help her with her walking.   She says she is walking better now as they help her from the bed to the restroom.  I’m thinking she will breeze through the rehab and be able to go back home pretty quickly.   Wanda said she could stay with her for a while to help her out.  That would be nice.  She needs to spend more time with Mom anyway.  I’m stuck at work all the time so I can’t be there all day.

Until they get the fibrillation under control I’m still worried.   She is in good spirits other than wanting to get out of there.  Lying in a bed all day isn’t as fun as you would think.  She is, otherwise, in great health so I think she could easily have a number of good years left.  If the fibrillation stops then she may not have another stroke again.  It’s putting up a fight though.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Puddin and Wanda will probably come to town and visit with her tomorrow.  I’ll meet them there.  Jody and his wife Margo have also been visiting her almost every day.

Love you Dad.  Wish you were here.

For anyone else reading this, I know you don’t care but thanks for caring enough to read it.