HAPPY HALLOWEEN - by Ane

We are HAPPY!!!  Mark continues to do amazingly well.  One week ago he met with Dr. Zemsky, the cardiologist who performed the catheter ablation.  Mark heart continues to beat in steady rhythm, and he no longer needs the blood thinner or the diuretic.  The only medicine he takes now is Zelboraf – the cancer drug.  The negative side effects have tapered off.  His hair is growing back although it is now really curly. (No worries with even combing it!) He has some joint pain especially in his left hand, but he can live with that.  We almost feel like life is back to normal.  He has energy and stamina and a spring in his step.  Often we are reminded of what could have been, and we know that miracles have blessed our lives.  How grateful we are!!!

I feel great - by Mark

I went for a three and a half mile hike around our neighborhood this week.  What a wonderful experience.  I walked up and down hills and didn’t even slowdown.  I actually jogged part of the way.  It is great to have a normal heart back again!!

Thanks again for your faith and prayers and good thoughts, what a difference it has made:-)

My heart is in the right pace - by Mark

The procedure went great!  I was out for several hours while they stuck probes down my throat and then up through a vein in my lower abdomen.  The team found the hot spot in my right atrium and zapped it.  Last night, after the procedure, for the first time in four and a half months my heart rate was normal at about 60 BPM instead of the 90 to 100 or even 145 that it had been.  So as of today I am off of the two heart meds and on to another one for 6 weeks (Warfarin).  Modern medicine is great; all the way into four places in the heart with a little incision in the abdomen.  We went home late last night. How wonderful to sleep in my own bed after that kind of operation.

We have been blessed and are so grateful.  Thanks again for your care and support.
Warmly,
Mark

The Heart Procedure is Tomorrow! - by Ane

Both the oncologist and the electrophysiologist have given approval to proceed with the Catheter Ablation.  It took a week to get approvals and we were anxious to schedule it, but we were told that the only person who could schedule this procedure was out of the office until next Monday.  Yesterday we got a call from the oncologist office telling us that Dr. Urba wanted to see Mark soon after the procedure was done.  Mark told them that it may be awhile because we haven’t been able to schedule it.  That must have set things in motion because we got a call this morning that there was an opening tomorrow! We took it!!
 

We will check in at 10:00 am.  There will be a pre-procedure to be sure there are no blood clots in the heart.  If that goes well, the main procedure will begin immediately.  Estimated time for both is about five hours, and then recovery for several hours.  It is possible that we will be home tomorrow night, but he may need to stay the night for observation. 

How grateful we are that this has worked out.  We are hopeful that Mark will soon have increased strength and stamina. With his heart working properly he will be able to discontinue the heart medications.  YEA! 

Thanks again for the tremendous support you have given to us!