Medication Adjustments

We are beginning to realize that it takes a while to adjust to the medications post-lung transplant and heart surgery.  So many of Lee's complications have been the result of either too little or too much of a certain medication.  I will try to explain:

1.  Atrial fibrillation is usually the result of his surgcal procedure, but it can also be the result of a high potassium level in the blood.  Lee was on Potassium for weeks after surgery.  Now his potassium is high and he is having to take medication to bind and remove the excessive potassium in his body.  ( hight potassium levels can cause atrial fibrillation).

2.  He was having fast heartbeats ( atrial tachycardia) and was put on a medication to slow the heartrate and reestablish a normal rhythm..................this drug, however, caused his blood pressure to fall too low to function.  Fortunately this has been discontinued for now.

Lee is on so many medications that  we are both becoming more educated to these drugs as far as their action, interactions and adverse side effects.  It is important that we also recognize the medications as to their appearance.  One almost feels like an amateur pharmacist when preparing the weekly doses of medications all at once.  That is my task every Saturday.  I must fill all meds into the proper time slots for the following week.  This makes it very convenient each day of the week to have the meds ready in their correct time slot in the medicine box.

Lee wants you to know that this was a GOOD day.  He was able to complete one full session at the CFL this afternoon.  We were all  ( staff, other patients and caregivers ) so very proud of him and so happy to have him back.  After we left we made a run down Guess Road to the Walgreen's Pharmacy to pick up another 2 bags of medicines that were called in for refills.  On the way back, Lee wanted some fish so we picked up some flounder.  Again, he ate with gusto!  At 163 lbs, I am letting him have some fat!  Right now, he is napping during the news...............he is very tired and very pleased from his work-out.

For me, it was good to have a couple of hours free in the afternoon.  I put them to excellect use...............I took a nap!  The I.V.'s have been discontinued so now I can go to bed by 9:00 if I wish and not @ 11:30.  I can now also sleep later and not have to get up @ 5:00 for the I.V.  Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

As you can see, we have once again moved over the "mountain" and are on the other side of yet another crisis.  We just hope for no more but if there is, hopefully they will be small hills and not mountains.

More Later.................................................Brenda