I'm starting this blog in the middle of our odyssey..lots of ground has already been covered this year. Nana has congestive heart failure, brought on mainly by a faulty heart valve--which we found out about this year. Because of this, her heart is not strong enough to flush the fluids that our bodies naturally make, and it just collects. Her legs swell and feel wooden. She has a difficult time breathing. I'm going to try documenting some of the things we've been through to hopefully provide an outlet for the stress and turmoil on our family and hopefully provide something for others in a similar situation to read and commiserate with. :-)
Most of the posts before today will read more like a blow-by-blow description, and really will be more to document what's gone on before. It will either be interesting or dry as toast, depending on your perspective.
Here's the cast of characters in this real life drama:
Real People:
- Nana: My 81-year old mother in law. She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
- Laura: My lovely bride. She's also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. She's a stay at home mom, home educator, digital scrapbooker, and of late, Nana's health advocate. Watch out, my wife can go from sweet to mama bear in about .02 seconds.
- Aunt D: One of Laura's two aunts and Nana's sister
- Cousin D: One of Laura's cousins, and daughter to Aunt D
- Aunt M: Laura's other aunt and Nana's sister
- Uncle A: Aunt M's husband
The Physicians:
- Dr. M: Nana's primary health physician
- Dr. W: Nana's cardiologist
- Dr. Y: Nana's cardiac electrophysiologist
- Dr. C: Nana's kidney physician
- Dr. L: Nana's lung physican
- The Pharmacy: This one should also be obvious. The Pharmacy is located in a large store that prides itself on saving money and living better. All in all, the people working at the Pharmacy have been incredibly helpful.
Other characters:
- The Oxygen Supply Company
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