In case of Death...

[lornaschinske]

Since David recently had a heart attack and his doctor isn't extremely optimistic about his recovery, I have been thinking about a few things. Since we have little cash and no "home" to base from.... This is what we have come up with...

How to Write A Free Will

Science Care Whole Body Donation

Depressing subject that many folks don't want to think about but we need to and if far from family, it only makes sense to do this. Besides I don't want my Mom and sisters making decisions about me that I do not agree with. David & I (our kids as well) are firm believers in organ donation. And there are some states that would not recognize what we consider to be basic survivor rights (who ever out lives the other gets the "junk")

 

[bus-bro]

Sounds like David's heart attack was more than just a question of getting a coronary bypass, and involved signifigant heart damage. I'm sorry, if that's the case.

Of course there is a lot that can be done, but those options, as I'm sure you know, are extermely expensive.Without quality health insurance, and a lot of money, and a bit of luck, those options can be out of reach.

I hope David makes as full a recovery as possible, without extreme expense.

Of course planning for ones death is important, more important is planning for disability. As I age, I'm finding out that what I plan to do comes up hard against what I can do.

....and one little blood clot can ruin a whole life, saw that happen just last summer.

 

[somewhereinusa]

I have been thinking about the body donation for a while, I have a cousin that was registered with her husband. He recently passed away, and she had nothing but praise for the company and the way things were handled. Such a big relief to not have to deal with funeral homes etc. Mumsywumsy is all set to go, but feels for some reason that we need the kids blessing.

 

[bus-bro]

Basic cremation isn't too expensive, and if the funeral director is ethical they'll let you do the lowest cost option. At least that was my recent expeirence.

When I worked for the state I told my family that if I died on the job that they could tell the state to: "keep him, he's yours now." I guess that would be stiffing the taxpayer, though I don't think I'd be worrying about it.

 

[lornaschinske]

Sounds like David's heart attack was more than just a question of getting a coronary bypass, and involved significant heart damage...

There is really nothing that can be done. His heart attack was caused by his blood pressure. He has had high BP all his life. Currently the big problem is that he has partially blocked renal arteries (?) and an operation could remove the blockage but the operation could kill him. So for now they are hoping the meds will get rid of the blockage.

 

[bus-bro]

May the meds for the kidney blockage work, and David get good heart treatement.

Then he can work on the bus.

 

[lornaschinske]

So sorry about your little girl. I have been pro organ donation for many years. We had family friends who had a son with Down's syndrome (high functioning). Among his medical complications his kidneys started failing. For starters, the doctors said he wouldn't live to see 4 yo, then they kept upping his life span as he kept passing by the last one. He went on dialysis and had to travel about an hour away for that until the town we lived in finally got a treatment facility. He didn't get on a transplant list until he was almost 30yo. And then he kept getting bumped because anyone, even an old man, "deserved" the kidney more than a person with Down's syndrome did. He finally got a kidney when he was around 45 yo. He's still going strong and he's older than I am by several years. It always made me angry that he kept getting "bumped" off the top of the list. I once heard that some European country had automatic organ donation. Unlike the US where you have to opt IN to the program, there you would have to opt OUT. I think it should be like that here.

 

[browncrown]

Lorna,
You and David are in my thoughts. I hope you are both blessed with a good recovery and many good days ahead together.

 

[The_Stuff]

in 05 my father had a heart attack. ended up having 5 bypasses and a 6th for a coronary i think? part of the main artery above heart.

Anyhow had to get his friends to come in and kick his butt to get him out of bed to the medical center to at least get him some medical help. he was scared it wasn't worth trying so he wouldn't leave.

After his surgeries and he was out of ICU, the next biggest thing was to give him a kick in the behind and get him out of bed and moving around. then when he got home it was to eat right and walk. next thing after that was some basic exercises and now i cant get him to slow down! its like he is a new man..

the doctors believe it is because he shows signs of a previous stroke or heart attack that might have blocked his arteries.. after his last he had 5% blood flow to his heart, when the "router routed" his veins and returned blood flow, they said he went to over 95% flow to the heart.

but i guess back to topic, they were talking about using a baboon heart or a pig heart etc. and at that point he we starting to give up because he didnt want some beast inside him.. I just hope that David has a good recovery and proves the doctors wrong!

 

[The_Stuff]

in 05 my father had a heart attack. ended up having 5 bypasses and a 6th for a coronary i think? part of the main artery above heart.

Anyhow had to get his friends to come in and kick his butt to get him out of bed to the medical center to at least get him some medical help. he was scared it wasn't worth trying so he wouldn't leave.

After his surgeries and he was out of ICU, the next biggest thing was to give him a kick in the behind and get him out of bed and moving around. then when he got home it was to eat right and walk. next thing after that was some basic exercises and now i cant get him to slow down! its like he is a new man..

the doctors believe it is because he shows signs of a previous stroke or heart attack that might have blocked his arteries.. after his last he had 5% blood flow to his heart, when the "router routed" his veins and returned blood flow, they said he went to over 95% flow to the heart.

but i guess back to topic, they were talking about using a baboon heart or a pig heart etc. and at that point he we starting to give up because he didnt want some beast inside him.. I just hope that David has a good recovery and proves the doctors wrong!

 

[lornaschinske]

Just got back from Albuquerque doctors. Everything is going well. One of David meds was cut in half and his BP is 140 over 74. It's never been this low since I've known him. David said it's never been that low since he has been having his BP taken. So apparently the meds are working pretty well. And he hasn't has a cigarette since the Friday before Mother's Day (when he went into the hospital). So things are going well in the health dept. Maybe things will pickup on the money side.

 

[The_Stuff]

good to hear!

maybe it will keep him off the sticks now that he has been without long enough.

 

[Skunky Bus]

Rich: my condolences for Hannah. I do not have kids and cannot imagine what it must be like for you.

Lorna: I'm glad to hear that David is doing better and hope his recovery continues. Earlier this year, my girlfriend had a quad-bypass without which she would have died. Now it's my turn for scary stuff of the cardiovascular kind. Your posts re: wills and organ donation are timely. :shock: Just before the Fourth of July I experienced a transient ischemic attack (commonly referred to as a TIA or "mini stroke"). Unlike regular strokes, TIAs often leave no permanent brain damage or disability, which was my case. But they are often harbingers of more serious events.

I may have Marfan's syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder. My gf called my attention to it because I'm tall, have extra-long arms and legs and limber joints. Reading about this syndrome's warning signs has been one "oh crap" moment after another: discovering that I have enough "obvious" signs that only a series of special (read: expensive) tests can rule it out. The worst effect of Marfan's is that the weak connective tissue leads to a propensity for aortic dissection or aneurysms. In some persons, sudden death the first symptom of aortic problems. Others experience TIAs and occasional stabbing and burning pain in the chest and/or upper back interspersed with mild discomfort or feeling of pressure.

Damn...I wish the worst effect of Marfan's was a tendency to bang one's head against the ceiling of a standard-height school bus.

I'm going to have an echocardiogram to check for the presence of a dissection, which would require going into my chest to repair it. Having neither job nor health insurance, I sure hope I don't end up in that situation: face expensive surgery or kick the bucket.

But I'm not ready to go...I don't have my skoolie yet, to say nothing about spending years enjoying it!

I haven't seriously considered donating my body to medical education, but I'll check out that website. Thanks.

 

[lornaschinske]

I like the "first sympton is sudden death" thing. Sounds sort of like those lawyer commercials " If you or a loved one have experienced death..." To which we always say "If I experienced death just how do I contact you... seance?" We all talk to the TV a lot.

Current vehicles:
1976 Winnebago Minnie Winnie class C Dodge 360, less than 40k miles

Hmmm.... one year older than my 1977 Midas Mini Class C and 53K miles less... you need to get that thing out more! 8)

 

[TheRainbowBoxer]

I have a friend who has Marfan's. He had open heart surgery around 30 years old. On the positive side, he is doing well and his yearly heart screenings have all been positive. He has resigned himself to eventually needing his pump serviced again, but happy that he keeps getting good news.
Hope things go well for you.

 

[Skunky Bus]

Hmmm.... one year older than my 1977 Midas Mini Class C and 53K miles less... you need to get that thing out more! 8)

You said it...and how! My gf and I want to go in it to Skunk Fest in North Ridgeville, Ohio, this September. Besides, we all know that travel is good for body and spirit!

Incidentally, my parents' first RV was a 19-foot 1972 Midas Mini.

As for those lawyer commercials, I hope on behalf of everyone who's needed a retrofit aorta that those things never need recalling. I know it's already happened with replacement heart valves. Yikes!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Best wishes to David, Lorna.

Take this for whatever it's worth: my great-aunt had a heart attacks (actually, 2 in 4 hours) when she was 58. She survived, but her doctor told her she would be lucky to live a year. Her mother insisted the doctor was crazy...and that she needed to drink a bit of wine with dinner. After that day, she drank two (small) glasses of red wine every night with her dinner and also took an aspirin every night before bed.

She died in her sleep, age 91. Her mother lived to be 102.

 

[Skunky Bus]

I'm going to have an echocardiogram to check for the presence of a dissection, which would require going into my chest to repair it. Having neither job nor health insurance, I sure hope I don't end up in that situation: face expensive surgery or kick the bucket.

Update: had an echocardiogram today and it ruled out aorta problems. Whew!

The alternative explanation for the aches and pains is that they are skeletal in origin. I guess my ribcage is to other people's ribcages like a stix-n-staples RV body is to a bus frame.

 

[lornaschinske]

... I guess my ribcage is to other people's ribcages like a stix-n-staples RV body is to a bus frame.

Realistically... try chiropractic. In particular try one that uses nutrition in addition to chiropractic techniques. Everything is related.