Busy This Morning

March 27, 2023, busy morning

This was my "constant companion" through the night and apparently through the day today, too: "0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection USP," which is saline solution, which, of course, is salt water. It has been pumping itself into a vein in my left arm since late yesterday evening, and it continues to pump one an extremely slow drip. Greetings from the hospital. My wife drove me to the Emergency Room during the evening of March 25, 2023, with shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, with severe, painful muscle spasms that were possibly the result of an overdose of inhaled breathing medication and quite possibly gall bladder issues. It was discovered that I have gall stones last year when I had three surgeries: quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery in March 2022 and two reconstructive chest surgeries in May 2022.

As for today, this morning, I spoke with a woman about spirituality. I told her about my religion (Gaudiya Vaishnavism/Hare Krishna) and how I don't practice it completely. She brought me a copy of the Bhagavad Gita (Hindu holy book) to borrow.

Also, a pulmonologist and another doctor came by to check my lungs. (They were here at the same time.) The pulmonologist told me, from the test results, I do not have pneumonia; I won't require steroid treatments/pills; and I may not require oxygen anymore.

Today's testing: an EKG, an echocardiogram, and a cardiac stress test, the lying-down kind. I had that stress test done before, and it was quite unpleasant. They test the heart "at rest," and then give you an injection that immediately brings the heart to peak level, perhaps similar to a heroin injection. I will let you know if I have understood that properly.

Before my heart surgery, the output of my heart was so low that I may have required the installation of a defibrillator. My cardiologist told me that when there is artery blockage, the heart "hibernates," so he wants to check to see if I still require a defibrillator ... probably not.

By the way, yesterday's multiple testing shows that all is well with some of the tests so far: chest X-ray; ultrasound of kidneys, liver, and right leg; CT angio scan of chest and heart with iodine contrast; and multiple blood tests.

It was determined that I have cellulitis (an infection) in my right leg due to a diabetic ulcer which requires an intravenous antibiotic, and possibly pneumonia, which the antibiotic will also cure. I only required one infusion of intravenous antibiotic, and then was switched to an oral antibiotic as I was at home. I have been dealing with many cellulitis infections in both of my legs in recent years.

By the way, a nurse was just here to check my blood pressure and saw the Bhagavad Gita book on my bed. She told me that she is also a Hindu and then showed me photos of a Hindu temple in New Jersey that she visited. It was her birthday two weeks ago, so she showed me a video of her being blessed by many people during a special ceremony at the temple. Her son is a Hindu priest.

Yet another pulmonologist then asked me rapid-fire questions and decided to try different types of medication for my asthma.

I was just prepped for my stress test, meaning I was injected through my intravenous port with, I think, some radioactive liquid. They will come for me after 45 minutes to do the test.

I just had an EKG done, so now I await the stress test, not being permitted to eat lunch.

That was the story of my morning.