Minor bump in the road

Greetings to you all, my stars and angels, my family and friends, on this holiday weekend:

Well, the good news is that my new ticker is doing great. But, unfortunately, I am writing from the University Hospital again, where I had to be admitted yesterday afternoon, hopefully for a short stay.

So, I awoke yesterday morning feeling . . . well, just not quite right, a bit lethargic. In the afternoon, when I decided to go take a nap, I laid down and my heart rate felt fast, so I checked it, and it was. I then called the transplant team nurse and she called the cardiologist on call. The nurse called me back and advised me to go to the ER to get checked out. When we got to the ER and I told the guy at the desk I was a recent heart transplant patient, they whisked me back so quickly that Pete did not know where I had gone to when he came in from parking the car (great service, but I don't advise having a transplant just for this benefit)! In any event, a chest x-ray soon revealed that I had a "pneumothorax," otherwise known as a partially collapsed lung (right side), with an air pocket between the right lung and chest cavity wall apparently putting pressure on the lung and collapsing it. So, the ER folks called the transplant team folks, who called the cardiothoracic (CT) surgeon on call, who came in and inserted a chest tube on my right side between two ribs. It was quick and relatively painless, and out came a bunch of air. A second and third xray showed that the lung was recovering/filling itself again nicely when the air was removed. However, because the chest tube needs to stay in for 24 to 48 hrs., I had to be admitted. UGH. I was pretty bummed -- emotionally it is hard to be back here -- but at least it is not really my heart that is the issue. It is hard when I know I have been doing what the doctors ordered, taking my meds, doing all the follow-up, and really trying to take good care of myself. But, I know I don't have control over it all! The heart rate is back to where it has been and other than some pain in my back due to the chest tube, I am fine.

Dr. Hawkins (one of my amazing CT transplant surgeons) and Dr. Stehlik (one of the fantastic transplant team cardiologists) visited this morning and, based on our discussions, think that the likely cause of this pneomothorax was a small puncture to the right lung during that first heinous biopsy I had almost two weeks ago. (Post-biopsy, the day I was discharged and the next couple of days, I experienced a bit of wheezing & a little cough, and my voice sounded off, like I had a bubble or had inhaled some helium - it was a bit nasal.) So, there was a slow leak which only just yesterday presented enough pressure to stress the heart a bit so that the heart rate increased. They hope to remove the chest tube tomorrow and get me discharged, so keep your prayers coming! The doctors and Pete joked this morning that since everything went so well for the transplant itself, we just had to tack on a few more days in the hospital. In any event, I am praying for more smooth sailing from here on out. It is not soo bad to be here, but I much rather be home and have no more setbacks or hiccups! My mom comes out again tonight for about 5 days. Ooh, lunch just arrived - yum yum more hospital food! Hopefully you are all enjoying this holiday weekend, wherever you are.
Lots of love and peace,
Emily