COPD Support Group

Thanks for your kind responses. Unless she gets bad like she did the other night, I guess I'll just wait for the CT scan and hopefully the appt with the doc will follow soon. If not....and if she gets worse again, we will go to the ER and get abused there as well.

Wow. My mother just called me and said that she is going to BAMC tomorrow to pick up some prescriptions (our neighbor is driving her there) and she said she is going to radiology and she is going to ask them if they can work her in for a CT scan right then. If they say no, she is going to the ER (like everyone keeps telling her to do) and she is going to explain the elevated heart rate, how bad she's been feeling and that she thinks she is really sick and she wants a CT scan NOW!!! We'll see how that goes. I have my doubts about it, but she will have our neighbor with her, who is EXTREMELY outspoken and has fought for Mom before at doctor's offices. Sometimes she says too much but this might work out. I have also convinced her that if she doesn't get any satisfaction tomorrow, that we might explore the option of going to a private doctor. But this private doctor is the doctor who originally did her 2 lung surgeries. He retired from the military and now has a private practice. They said if she decides to go to him they will get her in to see him within a week. I would LOVE to hear his opinion of what is going on with her.

Sounds to me like you have it under control! sincerely sassym

Mom finally got p**sed off!!! She used to be really feisty, but in the last year or so since she has been sicker, she doesn't put up much of a fight. I think what got her going was knowing how upset I was yesterday. I was upset first of all because she was feeling so bad. Then all the bad attitude coming from BAMC was just too much.

I know what you mean. I get frustrated every time I have to deal with the people at the naval hospital. They are so uncaring. We see a different doctor every time we go there! It's so unsat. I'm glad your mom is starting to take her health in her own hands. She sounds like she might get them going. Let us know what happens.

Well, my mother called me at work at about 2:00 pm today and said that her pulse rate was 120. She called the pulmonology clinic and asked the girl what she should do and the girl said "Go to the ER!" So that's when she called me and I said "I'm on my way home." Her breathing was horrible, her pulse hit 130 before I got home and she felt terrible. We drove to San Antonio (BAMC).

FINALLY someone listened to her. They got her on an EKG machine first. Then they got her in a bed and hooked her up.....nebulizer treatment, bloodwork, CT scan ordered. There was something elevated in her bloodwork (an enzyme) that could possibly mean she had suffered some damage to her heart. That made us speculate that maybe Tuesday evening when she couldn't breathe and had such a horrible pain in her back and around to the front(under her breasts) that maybe she had a heart attack Tuesday night. They gave her a nitroglycerin and the pain got better, then they gave her another nitroglycerin and the pain got even better. Then she had to chew up 3 baby aspirins. They ordered the CT scan to see if she had a blood clot in her lung. At 7:00 pm she made me go home (my night vision is horrible.) I just kept telling the doctors,"Bless you!!" "Thank God you listened to us!" I just knew something wasn't "right. She is in good hands tonight (I hope) and I will find out something in the morning. Thank you all for listening to me ramble about Mom. You are angels!

I hope that you will get some answers now..

really, all we can do is leave things in Gods hands...

Thinking of you and your mum xox

Beth, I am so glad they finally listened and your mom is getting the help she needs. We usually know when something isn't right. I'm glad your persistence paid off. Good for you! Will continue to pray and hope things work out for both of you. We appreciate your updates.

Thanks.......I talked to her briefly this morning and she said that they haven't told her anything yet. She is in ICU so that they can monitor her heart is all she knows. She did have a CT scan, but they have not told her whether or not she has a blood clot in her lung. She told me that she really wanted me to go to work (I've missed alot lately) and so I did so that I can do payroll, etc. But I'll probably leave around noon.

Thank You Jesus! Well, he does listen, right! Your persistance, perserverence, caring, love, every effort on you part DOES effect the outcome! So, for your Mom, I will say thank You! please keep us posted! sassym