Dr. Kenny the heart specialist......

Despite having to wait almost an hour and a half past the appointment time, it was a very good visit. When Dr. Kenny came in it was obvious that he had read through the file and was familiar with her last two hospital stays and the tests they had done. He told Mama that she was doing well and she didn't need to come back unless she was having a problem.

Sadly Mama's hearing aid battery died just as she walked into the exam room and she heard almost nothing that he said. After I introduced myself and told him I was her POA, he asked if she had made a living will. I told him our lawyer had written one for her but she had not yet signed it. He then asked her what she would want to happen in the event she was so ill she could only be kept alive by machines. Would she want that or would she rather nature take it's course. She replied, "I don't know". She was shaking her head and sounded like she didn't want to have to think about that.

He went on to ask me about her medications and she finally broke in and said, "Well, I wouldn't want to be an invalid and have to be on those machines." He looked at me and said, "Well, there's your answer". I told him I was already pretty sure that would be her answer. He said it would be good to get her to tell Dr. Lee that so he had heard it as well. He also wanted her to stop taking one of her medications and to talk to Dr. Lee about slowly taking her off another.

When we left and were in the hall, she said she didn't like that he didn't talk to her. I told her that he had said everything to her twice but she just couldn't hear him. She could barely hear me. She seemed satisfied with that .

When we got home she put in the new battery and could hear again. It was almost like magic. She was relieved that it was just a battery. I think she's been sleeping in the hearing aid, and that really uses up the battery.

I was good to know her heart is doing well and I think it relieved her some as well.
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Below is the note I sent to Ryan, Amy, Elizabeth and John:

Granny saw her heart doctor today. He had read her chart and looked at the tests that had been done during her last two hospital stays. He said her heart looked good and that she didn't need to come back unless she has a problem.

She couldn't hear a thing he said since her hearing aid battery died just as we got into the exam room. I think she's worn it non-stop since she got it. I know she's slept in it a couple of times and that really uses up the battery. We put a new one in and she could hear again. Just like magic! I'll now be carrying a package of batteries in my purse for emergencies just like today.

I introduced myself and told him I was her POA. He asked me if she had a living will because those decisions would fall on me if she didn't. I told him we had a copy from the lawyer but that for some reason she wouldn't sign it. He asked her about her wishes. She couldn't hear him so I had to repeat everything for her. She then shook her head and said, "I don't know.." While he talked to me about her medications she was thinking about it because she popped up and said she certainly didn't want to be an invalid and on a bunch of machines. He looked at me and said, "There's your answer." I thanked him but also said I'd already figured that would be her answer. He said I should get her to tell Dr. Lee as well so he hears it from her as well as from a living will.

When we left, she looked at me and said, "I don't like that he talked and didn't tell me what he was talking about." She was angry and frustrated. I explained that he tried to talk to her and had told her everything twice, except about the medicine. I reminded her she couldn't hear him and it wasn't his fault that he couldn't get her to hear. She calmed down and I repeated everything he'd said to her, and she realized that she wasn't being left out, just that she couldn't hear.

Boy was she much happier when we got the new battery into the hearing aid. So was I!

She ate some peanut better and crackers and had something to drink. Then she went to lie down on the couch and is now sleeping.

She see's Dr. Lee (primary) and Dr. Debow (ENT)during the last week of the month. Dr. Lee also mentioned the possibility of seeing a neurologist but that appt. hasn't yet been made.

At least one doctor is happy with how she's doing because.... her heart is looking good!

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I added the letter to make sure I had not left anything out.

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She says she's been up all night but she looks well rested to me. She also said she had let Sam out last night and he didn't want to come back in. I heard that happen so it couldn't have been very late. I think she slept more than she realizes.

Last night after we got home, she ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We had been to the new Dollar Store and she'd bought a new jar of peanut butter so she must have been hungry for it.

This morning Sam got me up at 5:00 and I spent almost an hour cleaning up the kitchen. She had peanut butter everywhere, she had put chicken in the microwave but never ate it. She cooked an egg and it was stuck in the pan and dried on the stove top. It's all cleaned up now and the kitchen looks more normal.

She just started the coffee maker. I need a cup too!