Friday Update at 5:30 pm CT

WELL...HERE WE GO AGAIN!

As Heather would say, "I just love this kind of stuff"

Well, here we go again, back to rehab!!! The medication for the heart rate is working, and Heather’s heart rate has stayed below 110 all throughout the night and today. The doctor from Stallworth wanted them here at Vandi to get her out of bed and do some therapy with her today while monitoring both heart rate and blood pressure. During the therapy she stayed in the low 100’s and her blood pressure was steady. She is having issues with the medication and has been very tired. When I got word that they had received her back at Stallworth, my husband suggested that I go over and speak with them directly. He and our daughter, Hannah, left Wednesday to go back to Chattanooga to be there for Church services and to get some work done. So, I went over to Stallworth to meet with the doctor. I wanted to be sure and speak with him before the weekend started, and to be sure that it had been communicated to him how lethargic Heather is. We got there a week ago last Friday, and her doctor wasn't there. He only works Monday - Friday, and there are other doctors available on the weekend. Since he was the one who accepted her back into the facility, I wanted to meet him personally and to address concerns that we have. He was delighted that I came over, and he told me that he was aware that we have new issues with tiredness. He said that he felt like it would be better to get her back at Stallworth so that he didn’t have to dictate treatment from Stallworth back to Vandi. Since her heart rate is stable now, he feels she is able to be treated at their facility.

If the beta blocker medications are what is keeping her so lethargic, those can be adjusted at Stallworth. Maybe she just needed the beta blocker to help her heart get back into rhythm, and they will be able to wean her from them soon. The normal activity for a patient who is accepted at the rehab center is that they can medically handle 3 hours of therapy a day. He understands that Heather is not able to do this right now, but assured that they will work her into therapy slowly as she can tolerate. So, we are waiting on the ambulance now to transfer back to rehab. The snow has hit Nashville again, so hopefully there won’t be any delays with the ambulance company. My husband and I wanted you to know who is the organizer and brains behind this website. Our youngest daughter, Hannah, is the designer. We type the posts, and she does the rest. She has had such a burden to share her sister’s story with others and because of her, this website has been made available to keep you updated, but also to educate others who may travel down a road of heartache with the illness of a loved one. Hannah has also sought to relieve me at the hospital and has stayed several sleepless nights with her sister so that I could get some rest outside the hospital. Hannah, you are a tremendous blessing to us as well as your sister, Heather. Thank you for your selfless acts of love.

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13