Jean's Posts

Mom was to have gone into the hospital for observation as the doc started her on Tikosyn and to have a cardioversion if she couldn't tolerate the med. This would have been the third anti-arrhythmic she tried. However, she called the doc and said that, because the side effects from Amiodarone and Flecainide were unbearable, she refused to be a "guinea pig" for the Tikosyn. No word on whether the doc will go ahead with the cardioversion or continue to treat her, since she is getting very balky about the interventions. Meantime, she had another near-fainting spell in the grocery store. I suspect she's nearing the point where hospice will be her next move. While I've tried to be encouraging, it may be the right thing at this point. She is in the early days of renal failure, the anti-arrythmics are hard on her liver, and the side effects have been difficult (uncontrollable diarrhea, loss of appetite, and high anxiety). At least off the meds she feels well if she doesn't do much more than putter around the house. Not sure what the lessons learned here are. Is OHS really feasible for those over 80? Did the doctors fail to take into consideration her generally poor health? Would the outcome have been better at a major heart center? Did her refusal to participate in cardiac rehab affect her long-term prognosis? Why has the a-fib become worse post-op? Why haven't the treatments worked? I feel I need to be focused on what our next steps are and not waste too much time looking back. But as someone looking at valve surgery at some point down the road, I am not "heartened" by the difficulties Mom has faced.

Mom is in almost constant a-fib ... again. Another cardioversion, her second, has been scheduled for January 10. Meantime, Flecainide has been prescribed because she refuses to take Amiodarone. Flecainide sounds like another side-effect-ridden danger drug. Anyone have any experience? Cardiologist recommended an ablation, but electrocardiologist went with cardioversion because of Mom's poor health. She has CHF and early kidney failure. She is also having chronic diarrhea, which is really getting her down. The docs have asked me to be there for the procedure (of course I would be!) to discuss her condition. I don't expect good news, and I think they want someone there with her when they talk to her. Christmas Eve is the fourth anniversary of her AVR. It's been a long, rough four years.