On May 29, 2008, at 10:55 AM, Jim Nichols wrote:
> I went through a similar period in 1993, before they finally diagnosed
> endocarditis, with resulting deposits on my mitral valve. I hope
> it doesn't
> come to this with your son, but, in my case, the solution, after the
> treatment with dual antibiotics, was to perform open heart surgery and
> implant two mechanical valves. In my case, I must always take
> Coumadin, to
> avoid clotting, but I have been problem-free for the last fifteen
> years.
Thank all of you for all the kind words, prayers and thoughts. Ben
seems to be getting better, and that's what's most important. Jim, I
feel your pain. Really. Ben has an aortic stenosis, a bicuspid valve,
which causes blood turbulence, which allows for a possible site for
bacteria to hang out. Because they are unable to find the actual site
of the infection, he's been treated for worse-case, which means the
dual antibiotics. The heart does not appear to have sustained any
additional damage, though they prepared us for that when they went
a'looking for "vegetation" on the valve. They've also set him for a
colonoscopy after treatment because the most common origin for this
bacteria is the bowel. No obvious abscesses , but that doesn't mean
something's not there. So it's a colonoscopy. Sigh. Poor guy. I
_knew_ why they were doing it to me, and I still didn't like it. <g>
That said, the artificial valve is likely in his future, but
hopefully not for a while yet. At least as long as he keeps
responding well to the antibiotics, and the lab work keeps looking good.
Met some very attractive medical folk, too, but unfortunately, I'm
too damned old to make it count. Sigh.
Anyway, keep Ben in your thoughts and we'll all hope for the best.
--Bob
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