Cardiologist visit, from Mom

Well, I am feeling happier now that we have seen the cardiologist. He explained to me that the pacemaker is working just fine. It is designed to keep his heart rate from going too low and the defibrillator part will keep it from going too high. Richard's heart seems to be going in and out of rhythm--which it did in the hospital, too, when he was in intensive care. This afternoon it was back in rhythm.

There are things they can do medically for this problem. In fact, he could live with the problem if the meds to regulate the heart don't work. Dr. Sher put him on an alternative to amiodarone, which Richard had stopped when we read the dreadful possible side effects. I can't remember the name of the prescription, and we left it at the pharmacy--it sounds something like Sokolow. (Richard has ventured out on his own to dump a squirrel or I would ask him.) He is also starting him on coumadin, so that if the other drug is not effectiive, he will be less likely to form clots. We still have to get the Holder monitor tomorrow (Friday) and the echocardiogram on Monday.

Then Mom mentioned yesterday:

Dad got his Holter monitor this noon. He started his new meds this morning and he feels terrible--very tired and light-headed. I don't know if it is from the meds or from his heart being out of rhythm.

More - from Mom

We saw Dr. Shear yesterday, who was pleased with the way Dad's surgery has healed up. But when Dad complained about just not feeling well, he called Dr. Maff--Dad's internist--and asked him to work him in. So we saw Dr. Maff this morning. I mentioned that Dad's pulse had been 58 last night, and it was 116 this morning, so he did an electrocardiogram which showed Dad's heart is out of rhythm. He had his secretary schedule a holder monitor for Friday, and an echocardiogram for Monday. He then told us to see Dr. Sher, the cardiologist, sooner rather than later, and gave me a copy of the electrocardiogram to take to him. He will only be in his Reisterstown office this week, so we managed to get an appointment there for tomorrow afternoon.

I am really upset that the pacemaker doesn't seem to be doing its thing! I want to call the doctor who implanted it, but Dad says to wait until he sees Dr. Sher.