For Family and Friends: The Latest Update for Ron

An update to this post: On October 26th Ron went to the hospital for the scheduled procedure to address the atrial flutter through shocking his heart back into its normal rhythm. Before the procedure was done, Ron was given an EKG which revealed that his heart had returned to its normal rhythm on its own. So Ron did not need to be zapped after all. Yay! He continues to feel better and we are so very grateful! Thank you so very much for all the loving support and caring coming to Ron and to us. We are deeply appreciative. 💗🙏💗 Molly

 

 

 

Dear Family and Friends,

Ron and I just returned from a busy morning at Legacy Health in Vancouver. I know that some of you are aware that Ron has recently experienced some setback over the last 1-2 weeks. And regardless of this, and with Ron's okay, it feels like it's time to offer this update.

Ron has definitely been feeling stronger for some time now. We're so grateful for the excellent medical care and support, the needed medications, the two new infusion treatments that he's safely received, the ongoing caring and support and love of so many, and for his renewed strength and improvement. This has meant that Ron's been able to do things like pressure washing and other tasks around the house, enjoy taking Shira to the river again plus a three day trip to the beach, and more. He's definitely had more energy and has been spending a lot less time needing to rest and be in bed. Every step forward has meant so much. We are grateful!

Recently, Ron also began to experience a return of some of the symptoms he's had before — pressure in his chest, shortness of breath, less energy, and spaciness. All of this prompted him to call his doctor over the weekend. Gratefully, he was scheduled right away for an appointment.

This morning began with a lengthy appointment with Ron's primary care doctor. During this time he was given an EKG along with vital checks and a lot of conversation about what's going on. From there, and all in the same building, Ron was able to see a cardiologist on a different floor. And from there we were back on the ground floor for both a chest X-ray* and also blood work**. All of this was able to be done on the spot and within just over two hours. YAY! Again, we are so very grateful. 

(*Ron just got back X-ray results and his lungs are clear and look good. YAY!)

(**Ron has learned that his CK enzyme levels are down to 503! When he was first hospitalized they reached 17,000. Normal is around 150-200. This is great news!)

The primary diagnosis that Ron is now given by Chris, his primary care doctor, is "atrial flutter." The origins causing these changes to his heart rhythm could be the blood clots in his lungs from several months back that he'd had as a reaction to the original IVIG infusions given to treat the myositis. Gratefully, we were told that the atrial flutter is very treatable. And I was very relieved that there was no sense of emergency or to check into the hospital again now. YAY! So after 2-1/2 hours we were sent home.

Ron is now waiting to hear back for the follow up treatment***, which should occur within 1-2 weeks. He will be scheduled for both an ultrasound of his heart and also a "cardioversion" to try to "shock" Ron's heart back into a normal rhythm. This sounds a bit scary, but the primary care and the cardiologist both assured us of the low risk and high rate of success in treating the current abnormalities. 

(***Ron has learned that he's now scheduled for this next step on October 26th.)

And thus is life for Ron as a man in his 70s. We are both just so grateful for so much  — the ongoing prompt and excellent medical care, the diagnosis and reassurances of its being successfully treatable, the insurance coverage that makes all of this affordable, every step forward and each precious day together, all the love coming Ron's way and our way, and on and on. Scary times. And hopeful times. We are even planning a trip to Kauai in December to celebrate Ron's 75th birthday. YAY!!

So there are these scares and sorrows and setbacks. And there is the love and laughter and beauty and gratitude that fills our hearts each and every day. 

I find myself returning again and again to the wise teaching of Francis Weller: "The work of the mature human is to hold grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them." So the stretching goes on. And thus is life in these human bodies with all of its challenges and all of its gifts.

Thank you again for all of your caring and loving support. We are so appreciative.

With love and warmest blessings to all,

Molly