DAY FOUR

Sorry this took so long. I was told yesterday I needed to update because I left people hanging. 

Todays Itinerary:

8:30 EKG
9:00 ECHO
10:00 Lung Perfusion Scan
11:00 Right Heart Catherterization

The EKG and Echo really was first come first serve. So I was called into my Echo first. It was ok, nothing to it but lay on your side while they find your heart with an ultrasound. But since my ribs had been so sore it wasn't fun to get pushed around and jabbed with the machine. But it lasted about a 1/2 hour and I was off to my EKG.

It was about 9:30 when I finally got to register for my EKG and they didn't call me into until 10 (which of course made me cry because it meant I was late for my next appointment, which meant the possibility of being late for the heart cath as well...that and to tell you the truth I was so tired and drained at this point and hadn't eaten yet, that I would have cried if a person breathed on me wrong!) But they called me in around 10:15 and I was hooked up to about 7 wires for 5 minutes and it was that simple. No biggie!

I feel I need to tell you what the lung perfusion is, because I had no idea until now. They give you an IV and inject you with some radioactive dye so that they can get a great picture of your lungs from all different angles, and it measures them much better. PLEASE measure them well, so I can get the right size when its my time. So now I have 1 IV in my arm for the day, and I am off to the heart cath.

I will save you all the tears I had, drama that was there, waiting period while I was there, and loopy Cassie stories so that you don't get bored reading this update! The heart cath went really well itself. They luckily didn't have to go through the groin area and just put another IV into the other crook of the arm and accessed it from that. But Jeremy and I did have to wait 3 hours until it was my turn. So I was sitting there, with out any article of clothing (besides socks) under this short hospital gown, an IV in the crook of each arm, hadn't had food or anything to drink, and just wanting in to be done so I could get in the car. But, my name was called and the procedure went well. Recovering was quick and I got to pig out on food and entertain Jer Jon the entire time.

Kelly our coordinator will call on tomorrow to tell us how things look so far and tell me if there is any big hoops I need to jump through that she can see so far. Then the following Tuesday she will call us again and give us word on whether I "passed" or not. 

This was by far one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. Ever. The stress level and emotions that went through my body were unreal. It took a toll that now I am slowly regaining through hugs, family time, good laughs and chocolate shakes. Thanks to all of you who where there with my this entire time. Sending love and thought, prayers, texts, cards. Just thank you. 

I DID IT. I SURVIVED.