Gene was able to see his regular cardiologist, Dra Yap, on Monday and Tuesday. Her diagnosis was a minor heart attack caused by a very slow heart rate (34) as shown on the ECG the morning after the painful night. Also, the heart beat “skips” were dangerously long – more than 2 sec between beats when the heart skipped. She prescribed a lot of lab work, an echo cardiogram, and chest x-ray, all of which were completed on Tuesday. She also had him wear a Holter heart monitor for 24 hours. Not much sleep that night with all those sensors and wires attached!
Erratic heart beat is not unusual with him as he has had atrial fibrillation for nearly thirty years – but this dangerously slow beat is new.
Gene hasn’t seen Dra Yap since any of that was done, but we have the lab reports and everything looks pretty much normal. We don’t yet know the results of the echo cardiogram, Holter Monitor, or chest x-ray.
He has had no pain since the nine hours of pain Wednesday night and heart rate has not dropped again to a dangerously low level as it did Wednesday and actually also did a couple of times recently before Wednesday. But, he does tire easily.
Dra Yap is thinking that if there is no blockage that needs to be dealt with (there probably isn’t because he can run up steep hills without any chest pain) then the solution would be a pacemaker.
She has made arrangements for Gene to see a cardiologist in a major Philippine city for a second opinion on Friday (Thursday night US time). CT angiography could possibly be something yet to be done.
Our New Tribes pilot will fly us to the city Friday morning. Please PRAY that the weather will be good for flying that day.
While researching hotels in the city to stay in while we are there we remembered that a few years ago some friends in the States told us about a Filipino couple in that city who would be delighted to provide hospitality for us should we visit there. We were able to contact the lady via text message. We are welcome to stay with them as long as we need to. Her husband will pick us up at the airport and also drive us to the hospital!
All along the way since Gene’s heart attack Wednesday night out there in our remote village our heavenly Father has gone ahead of us and prepared the way including keeping Gene alive until we could fly out . And giving absolute peace of mind during those hours of pain. And beautiful flying weather the next day so we could fly out to town. And Dra Yap has at her new clinic a laboratory, echo cardiogram, and x-ray equipment so it was very easy to get all that done. And of course the Filipino couple who will provide hospitality in the city. And New Tribes Mission Aviation has a deacon’s fund that will cover the cost of flying to the city and return. Wow!
So, please PRAY for good flying weather and safe flying on Friday. And for wisdom for both cardiologist as they diagnose and make make recommendations as to what to do. And that we would be a blessing to all we come in contact with there in city including the couple we will be staying with. We understand that they are believers.
Thanks again for praying and sending encouraging notes!
Martha Krueger says
Praying for you all. Can identify with what you are going thru. God continually is faithful in helping us. 🙂