A Day of Doctors..

This morning we headed out to U of M to see Sam's cardiologist Dr. Bach. You may remember Dr. Bach was the cardiologist that told us it was "GO TIME" for surgery last summer. This was Sam's first appointment with Dr. Bach post-op and his first echo.

Sam's echo showed his atrial flutter had stopped (Sam felt it subside overnight). It showed his heart had good working valves and that it looks like a heart that just had open heart surgery (no way!). Dr. Bach confirmed that Sam's atrial flutter doesn't affect his heart or the valve surgery. The left ventricle is still large but should decrease in time. His echo also showed a SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) episode.

Here is a great video example that shows everything Sam's heart has been through recently: SVT, atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation.

We met with Dr. Bach and discussed Sam's last week of atrial flutter/fibrillation. We discussed his recent hospital stay and what Beaumont suggested for treatment. His opinion is to start Sam on medication and if it shouldn't work or he starts to get these episodes more frequently then we will go to the cardiac ablation option. Sam and I agreed this is a safer and better option at this time. Dr. Bach started Sam on propafenone medication that controls his hearts rhythm. He also increased some of his blood pressure medications as his blood pressure has recently increased with these episodes. We are hoping with the new medication and other medication tweaks his heart will focus on healing.

It takes a few doses of the new medication to really take affect on Sam's body. In the meantime he needs to lay low and can resume cardiac rehab next week in hopes that when he goes back he isn't asked to get off the treadmill for atrial flutter/fibrillation again.

We called Dr. Hanzel on our way home from U of M so we could discuss everything we talked to Dr. Bach about. He was on board with the medication treatment and reserving the cardiac ablation if the medication doesn't work. We were relieved both doctors are on  the same page and working together on Sam's health. So needless to say all of the procedures for tomorrow are cancelled and Sam now has a week to relax and hang out with Baxter :)

I would like to end on a positive note (kinda like how Brian Williams does every night on the NBC Nightly News) So below you will see an adorable photo of Baxter taken by our good friends Chris & E'Lisa Campbell. Enjoy!