Feb. 16, 2003 - 15:44 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Place Holder

Heather is home. They suspect she had a TIA even though she is on coumadin. All the figures, charts, ekg, CAT scan are in normal range. She was on a heart monitor 'til discharge today.

Doctor suspects a TIA and recommends she go on an 81 mg enteric coated aspirin per day in addition to her coumadin. This will have to be handled through the anti-coag unit as to her combined dosage of coumadin and aspirin. He explained that aspirin and coumadin have two different effects on the blood and hopes that this will prevent another TIA (if that is what it was). He also put an order into the computer for her to see her primary care physician and an order for an ultra-sound on her carotid arteries. Makes good sense to me.

I guess in the case of many of us older folks, we often go into hospital, spend a day or two there, get tested, retested, checked, rechecked and double checked, thought over, thought about, all records looked at over and over again and usually two to three doctors give the patient the third degree and do the thump, bump, reflex and strength test of extremities on both sides of the body as well as extended use of the pyhsician's time honored radar the stethescope.

Often the result seems to be quite similar in many instances, "We're not sure what was wrong with you, but you are better now so we are discharging you."

How humbling it is to realize that I am actually quite powerless to do more than get Heather to a place by our car where she can be helped or by calling 911 if I can't drive when she has an emergency. It makes me realize once again the fragility of life and how transient each individual life is in the big scheme of things. but those lives are so very, very precious to us. To me it demonstrates my ineptitude.

This evening is Heather's and my entry tonight is a Place Holder . . . . . . . . . . . .

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