Well spending once of the wettest winters in history has given way to triple digit temperature for the summer.   We didn’t have the greatest spring, but it is looking better now.  At the end of March Dave had 2 Mitral Valve clips installed to help the mitral valve in his heart close better, so no more back leakage from the valve.  They are able to do this using ultra sound and threading a the wires up from the groin area and into position to clap on and hold the wobble parts of the valve closed.  It took two clips to but he was left with just traces of blood leaking, which the cardiac surgeon was happy about.   And the next day he was walking without help, doing two laps of the 4th floor of the hospital without stopping.   He walked out of the hospital, across the parking lot, and home we came.  Unfortunately. that was the last good day he had for about 2 months.  

He was still tired, and we knew that he needed rehab, so we didn’t expect him to snap back, and he seemed to be making some steady improvement.   After about two weeks we ended up in the ER one very, very early morning.  After tests, etc., they decided he was dehydrated, so gave him some fluids, etc.  He felt better, his labs at looked good, his 1 month follow up was good, echocardiogram was great, but he felt off.  We hoped that he would start feeling better when he started cardiac rehab, but that was not to be.  He did well the first two days, then back to the ER where the physicians decided that he had too much fluid because he had stopped the diruectics as instructed 2 weeks before!  UGH!.   Anyway, we started them again, he felt a little better, back to rehab and they stopped him after about 10 minutes when his oxygen level went down to 82%!   Next day at cardiologist’s office, they had him walk in the halls, sure enough his O2 level went way down.   So they decided to do another TEE (transesophageal echocardiogram).  The results were that everything was healing correctly, he was going to get better.  

Back he went to rehab and this time, he started to do better.  We still don’t know what caused the more than a month’s downward spiral, but things have been going better.  No one has any idea why he was had problems keeping his O2 level up, but that has resolved now.  

In the middle of June Megan flew in to spend a few days with her dad - including spending one day suprvising him as he did is exercise sets.   To show off, he worked a minute longer on each set, and did so without any problems.   Once he got up to 15 minutes at each set (they do 2 with a 5 minute break in between) they have been increasing the resistence each time. 

While he does ‘feel’ it, Dave hasn’t had any problems with it, his BP is doing well and things are looking up.   I really think having Megan here helped him a lot.   

Of course, he had to take Megan out for Ice Cream one day - at Creme and Chocolate.  Of course Megan also had to try the crepes, and completely devoured hers.

So now we do rehab Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the afternoon, and a couple of times a week out to breakfast.  Intersperse that with physicians appointments and we have a full calendar to things to do on the fridge.     I am going to start doing some sewing again - it is summer so that’s something to keep me off the streets when it gets to hot to be outside.