The Cath Plan

I took Hope on Monday, June 18th to get her blood drawn.  We went to Medina Hospital rather than all the way downtown...which was great.  I pumped her full of water all morning to make the blood draw easier.  We got a really good phlebotomist at the hospital and it only took her one stick to get the blood flowing.  I was so relieved because we love John (the phlebotomist downtown) and I honestly didn't think anyone else would be as good.  Hope did cry the minute the lady started wiping the alcohol and all through the blood draw, but she didn't throw up at all...this is good news for Hope.

We waited and waited to get a plan.  Finally on Friday I decided to call.  It seems Dr. Prieto was on vacation all week.  Ughh...I worried that we wouldn't have a plan until Monday.  I hate not having a plan.  Karen...one of the great nurses...called back and said she talked to Dr. Kwon (Hope's nephrologist...kidney doctor) and he wanted her admitted on Monday for fluids.  I was kind of disappointed, but I was also so happy because her blood work came back perfect.  He is only admitting her because her kidneys' are doing really well and he wants to make sure nothing they do in the cath lab (the contrast dye is harsh on the kidneys) affect her kidney function.  So...we head in on Monday afternoon, get an IV and start fluids to make sure she is well hydrated.

Hope will be having a diagnostic cath as well as some intervention.  She will be having her left pulmonary artery ballooned because it is narrowing again.  The narrowing is causing her to grow collateral vessels to make sure her body receives enough blood.  They will probably coil off the collateral vessels in the cath lab.  She has never had that done, so I am a little nervous.  Caths worry me a lot...she will be put to sleep and intubated and that always carries risk.