2/13 and 2/14 - Out of ICU

2/13. Now able to move a little, I spent all day Sunday in the ICU. My veins were open, but I was still in Atrial flutter and I was on Heparin, and also still a real risk of bleeding. The Coumadin was also being brought up to therapeutic levels. My left groin wound (from Wednesday’s procedure) had opened and bled several times, causing all kinds of concerns for the nurses.

Kathy had been with me all week, checking out of and back into hotels as we kept thinking we’d be leaving anytime. We had no idea my vein would keep clotting, and we had no idea that my heart wouldn’t come back into rhythm on its own as it had previously. We decided that Kathy had to get back to Las Vegas to take care of business while I pickled and fermented, so she took the 4 hour drive home on Sunday night, getting home around 9pm. Before she left, she stopped by Verizon and picked me up an iPhone, so I could do a little more than rot my brain watching TV all day.

2/14. About 4:00 today I was transferred out of the ICU to the DOU (Definitive Observation Unit), which is a notch below the ICU. I had been through 5 procedures in 5 days, and in the ICU for 4 days hardly moving while completely alert for about 99% of the time. I managed to walk over to the DOU from the ICU, and other than a few brief moments of standing up and another short walk on Saturday, this was all the exercise and movement I got.

Prior to heading over to the DOU, I spent some time thinking about why my heart was out of proper time. I asked Dr. Arata if it would make sense to have me cardioverted to sinus rhythm, and he agreed it would be a good idea. I had a cardiologist assigned to me since I arrived because of the atrial flutter, so Dr. Arata coordinated this with the cardiologist. We got the cardioversion scheduled for the following day.

One other thing I should note here is the progress of my MS symptoms. Dr. Arata and others kept asking me about how my legs were among other issues, and I can honestly say I have no idea. Laying in a hospital bed for this length of time with minimal movement and abnormal bodily function was really no way to tell how I was doing. The one thing I can report though was my head felt clearer - a bit less cog fog than previously.