busy, vibrant, ant, in purple flowers

This picture was hanging in the second doctor's office of the day.

The first appointment had been with Ms. Barker at the Savannah VA, at 0800.

That had been made yesterday afternoon, when I was about to lose my mind about the distinct possibility of running out of the Eliquis.

Trust me, that was the last thing I wanted to happen, as the warnings with the drug basically guarantee a stroke if the medicine is stopped.

That's why, when the nurse (Raquel) asked what was my principal reason for today's visit, I answered bluntly.

"I want to make sure I don't die of a stroke before my birthday in two months, when I'll be 64."

Every word was absolutely true.

She knew it, too.

My blood pressure was up, my pulse was running like a wild thing, and I was in tears.

That's because it has seemed for the last two weeks that no one at the VA, either here or in Charleston, was helping me with getting prescriptions for the two new drugs, nor with approving via community care the post-hospital visit with the cardiologist.

Let me amend that statement.

Rick Bright, with the Savannah VA Pharmacy, helped greatly, and quickly.

I honestly cannot speak too highly of him and his efforts on my behalf.

He even called to check on me on Monday and see how I was doing.

However, I'd heard naught from my PCP and what little I heard from the Charleston VA Community Care had not helped at all.

The best, most useful, information I received about VA matters had been through a civilian source: the cardiologist's receptionist.

Yesterday, when I was on the third call of the day to that office, the frantic tone of my voice must have prompted her to ask if I knew whether the post-hospital visit was included with the emergency authorization for the hospital stay.

I did not, nor had anyone mentioned that to me.

She told me one post-hospital visit with the attending doctor was usually included.

Then she gave me the phone number for the National Call Center of the VA Community Care Network (1-877-881-7618) and told me to ask them if that was the case for me, and to obtain the emergency authorization number from them.

And that's what I'd done, speaking with Edith, who had assured me the cardiologist visit was, indeed, included, as well as any tests that might be run, as long as the visit was done by March 13th.

i thank You, God.

I had, of course, notified Ms. Barker of this when I saw her today.

Surprisingly, she already was aware of that and had been surprised I had not been told.

I guess that's something my PCP's nurse forgot to mention.

Sigh.

Anyway, the two medications have been added to my approved list now and I need not worry about running out of either.

Here's the funny thing: I may not need either in the future.

All that fretting, all those tears, all those emails and phone calls... all moot, quite possibly.

That's the upshot of my 1030 appointment with Dr. Cobb.

The nurse ran an EKG, of course, to see how my heart had responded to the medications and kept a blank face and cheery disposition as she exited the room.

I was left with about fifteen minutes to admire the picture directly across from me, to notice the change of focus to add a third dimension, to see that lone ant traipsing across the expanse of purple.

Had it climbed down the length of the flower, going over the edge in search of food, and now was on its return trip to the stem?

Just what was the ant's story?

That's when the doctor had entered, telling me the medications had not worked to regulate my heartbeat and I was right back into atrial fibrillation.

Damn.

The next step was surgery, a procedure called catheter ablation, in which I would be given a general anesthetic before a catheter was inserted into a vein in my leg.

That would allow him to burn out the misfiring electrode in my heart.

Hopefully, he added, I would be released from the hospital that very afternoon, after the surgical procedure at noon.

Wow.

I talked to him about my slow recovery from anesthesia, but he was mostly concerned about the atrial fibrillation I presently have.

Sure, I get that.

I'm concerned about that, too, especially, as I told him, since I've had the shortness of breath again for the last two weeks, at least.

Now, I'm scheduled for surgery on March 31st.

I miss Mama.

Just her company would be reassuring.

We wouldn't even need to talk, just be together, you know?

I miss Mama.