Dakota Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 maybe not funny-haha...but...I'm back in the hospital. Got down here Monday and got settled into the Rainbow House (kinda like a Ronald McDonald house). Had an echocardiogram and an appointment with the pacemaker doctor Tuesday morning at Omaha Childrens...that went later than expected and we grabbed a bite to eat in the caf and I wolfed down a sandwich and baked chips. Ended up just wilting...started blacking out in the caf and turned pale and was sweaty and clammy. We immediately went back up to the doctors and he said it was probably just dehydration especially considering the two diuretics I'm on which make me...uh...use the li'l hunters room a lot. After 30 minutes of sipping a water I was right as rain. Then had an afternoon appointment at UNMC with the heart transplant cardiologist. Everything looked fine and we were told my EF (Ejection Fraction of my left ventricle) was actually around 40% (which would be really good!). Went back to the Rainbow House and then went to a Creighton/UNL NCAA baseball game at Rosenblatt Stadium. It was a great time but UNL won 21-5! Man it was fun to see the UNL players slammin' that ball! Had a perfusion-echocardiogram yesterday morning where they increased the beating of my heart while looking at it. Anyways...they found some stuff they didn't like...and my EF is actually at 10-15%! They found that I have three arteries (front, side, back of the heart) that are submerged into the heart muscle tissue instead of running along the surface of the heart like they are supposed to. This is dangerous because when the heart pumps it constricts the artery and cuts off it's own blood supply...which could be the source of a lot of what's happened recently. Anyways, I'm back in the hospital and they are going to run more tests and possibly do another heart catherization to put in three stints. We still don't know a whole lot and I have no idea when I'm breakin' out of here. Continued prayers would be greatly appreciated, folks! Yesterday was especially tough considering a couple of factors: I had just been hospitalized down here less than a month ago, and yesterday was mom's birthday and we were planning on going to the Omaha Henry-Doorley Zoo and take her out to dinner as well after my morning appointment. Just kind of a bad day. Thanks for all the prayers! Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_lou Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Continued prayers for you young man. Stay Strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Hang in there Dakota. We're still praying for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Stay positive and hand in there. Prayers your way! todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterbobb Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 I hope evrything turns out Ok for you. I want you to take me pheasent hunting this fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfletch7441 Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 I can't believe the honesty and strength you show through all of this. You're one tough customer! Prayers coming your way bud. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Continued prayers from our house to yours Dakota.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTPROFamily Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Dakota, First of all, please tell your mother that we wish her a Happy Birthday even though there wasn't time to take her to the zoo and dinner she spent the day with you and that is priceless. We wish you all the best with your tests and with your doctors. God never gives us more than we can handle and you are handling things well. Take care, The Oitker Family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michiganbowhunter_SQ2 Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Wish your mom a Happy Birthday And hope you get better soon. Prayers coming from Michigan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisha Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Been praying for and thinking about ya every day, Dakota! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goinghuntin Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 I'll be praying for you Dakota! Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Continued thoughts and prayers for ya buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 I can't believe the honesty and strength you show through all of this. You're one tough customer! Prayers coming your way bud. Ben Ditto! You continue to go through more adversity and make most of our petty problems seem nonexistent. Hang in there Dakota, God has a plan for you, as he does for us all. I will continue to pray and wish the best for you and your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Thoughts and prayers for you from here, Dakota. Fight the good fight. We are all wishing you the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camoman1 Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Stay strong buddy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Hang in there Dakota. Continued prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Stay strong and keep your head up buddy, everything will be ok! Sounds like those doctors really know what their doing when it comes to cardio stuff. I'm sure they'll have everything fixed up before ya know it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clrj3514 Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Still prayin bud! Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunt or be Hunted Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Hang in there man, You know you got my prayers buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Your a strong young man Dakota...Continued prayers pal. Hope you get home REAL soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NS whitetail Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 I wish you all the best Dakota, get well and come on up here to Nova Scotia for a trip out lobster fishing with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archerjg Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 Thoughts and prayers continue for your recovery. Archerjg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairiepredator Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 I will continue the prayers for ya Dakota! I hope all goes well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA_Spike_King Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 Still prayin bud! Hang in there! Ditto to clrj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted May 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 Thanks for the prayers all! Well...yesterday was a rollercoaster filled with several ups and downs. I have so many cardiologists on my case (which they say is quite complicated because on paper I look terrible but look great on the outside ) so it's kinda become too many chefs in the kitchen...except they're all top-notch chefs! Anyways...at first they were going to do some more testing and look at the results, then they said they were going to do a heart cath to see what things look like and maybe put in 3 stints in my arteries, then they said I would either need an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assistance Device, which would act a lot like an insulin pump except it would be pumping my heart) or a heart transplant real soon and then the next hour later another cardiologist came in and said we're letting you go, see you in a month! Basically what she was saying is that I look terrible and urgent on paper and scientifically am an excellent candidate for a transplant but that I am not symptimatic. The doctors come into the room and I am absolutely fine and look great...and by rights I shouldn't! I am a very complicated case apparently. And the thing is, we don't know how long I've been functioning at this heart level...who knows...my heart function could have been this low this fall when I was antelope hunting at Steve's! Well, today we're checking out of the Rainbow House and going to do the mandatory trip to the Omaha Zoo before heading home. They want me to push myself a little more, they want me to look symptimatic before they do the transplant so I have my heart as long as I possibly can. I can shoot my bow (yes! ), they want me fishing (but not flyfishing... ), they want me to go back to work (but not lift more than 10lbs.) and basically...they want me to live my life as normal as possible! A heart transplant in the future is for certain, but I know God will see me through...He always has. Thank you all so much for the prayers! Dakota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.