Update On D #3

By Bill Craig
Not good. We learned this evening that her pulmonary hypertension is worse than we thought: a pulmonary artery pressure of 70 - dangerously high, and high enough for a blood clot in the lungs.

What this means is, she's a poor risk for her neck surgery for the arthritis in her neck. What happens now is we treat the pulmonary hypertension with drugs and (we're about 80% sure) a right-sided cardiac cath.

Both of us are optimistic, but with both of us being respiratory therapists, we know the score and we know she's in trouble unless we do something quick.

I'm sure you know that a blood clot ("embolism" - in this case a pulmonary embolism) is like a dormant bomb: No one knows when it might blow.

Meanwhile, the blood thinners, anti-arrythmia drugs, blood tests, etc. continue. Tomorrow, she'll be seen by a doctor in one of the finest pulmonary groups in the nation: Dr. Chad Miller of Georgia Lung. Dr. Miller actually specializes  in pulmonary hypertension and comes highly recommended.

2 of our friends from The Straight Dope sent her a teddy bear and a musical flower, and as I write, I see her lying in the hospital bed with the teddy bear in the crook of her arm.

She looks like a little girl.

Thanks, everyone for the well-wishes. We appreciate it!

Bill and Dondra

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