Heart, Version 2

Mom went to visit the cardiologist again today to check on the progress of the heart fibrilation that has been causing her weakness and tiredness. They performed an EKG that showed heart atrial fibrillation again, and the cardiologist is concerned that there may be some blood pooling in some chambers of the heart that increases the risk of blood clots forming within the heart that can travel to other parts of the body.
The scheduled a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), which is a procedure in which a probe is placed down the throat because the esophagus lies just behind the heart and provides a clearer image of the heart than a normal sonogram or EKG can. The probe uses ultrasound to examine the heart, and the images will show the actual shape and motion of various chambers of the heart and show the blood flow through each of the chambers. Pretty amazing technology that makes diagnosing heart problems much easier and more exact.
The medication that Mom has been taking is supposed to keep the heart rhythm more regular, but it has not worked as well as anticipated, so Mom may need to go in for another heart "reset," called a cardioversion. Cardioversion is the shock treatment for the heart in which a brief low dose electric shock through pads on her chest and back is used to reset the electrical timing of the heartbeat. There is no discomfort during the procedure and she will be awake. Where the pads were connected to her skin the skin may feel slightly sore, like a mild sunburn for a day or two after the procedure, but it is considered a safe and very low-risk procedure.
Other than those pesky heart problems (and the doctors were sure to reiterate the fact that hearts are tough to live without :) ), Mom's recovery is progressing, albeit a little more slowly than normal due to the additional issues. It has now been a little over three weeks since the surgery and normal recovery time for the the of surgery she underwent can be as long as six weeks assuming no complications. She has found great use for several of the essential oils that she has tried, especially for controlling nausea and allowing her to rest peacefully.
Her home ward is still bringing in dinners every night and her good home teacher has been taking great care of the yard and outside of the house. She is in great hands and has had so many friends and acquaintances call and come to visit that her days have been very full.
Taylor has been a slacker at getting Mom's internet connection set up, so she hasn't been able to send or receive email since her surgery. We're hopeful that will be up and running in the next few days, although it may take Mom a few days after that to sort through all the messages that have come through. The upside of all that is that Mom can't see what we're posting in the blog either, so we can write whatever we want. :)
Love to all and deepest thanks for all the good love and care being sent to Mom.