Monday, September 3, 2012

Fluid Retention Is No Joke

Carlos has been doing well...except for his fluid retention.  His weight contains to creep up and up - and it's not from eating.  Just to give you an idea.....

1/31/12 Admit to all the drama - 235

2/28/12 Discharge from Hospital after LVAD placement - 180.1

3/12/12 Discharge from hospital after GI bleed - 173.5

4/16/12 Discharge from hospital after f/u colonoscopy - 178.4

6/1/12 190.8

7/1/12 200.2

8/1/12 207.4

9/1/12 212.6

Just in case you aren't good at math - that's 32 pounds.  Now, granted, some of that comes from regaining muscle mass and he was dehydrated in the 170's.  But I've seen this before twice.  He goes into the hospital and comes out a week later weighing 30-40 pounds less.  And he wasn't wasting away in bed on a ventilator for either of those two previous big hospitalizations.  He gains that fluid gradually over a long period of time....only not so long this time around.  They aren't concerned about it at the Mayo though, as long as he doesn't have any symptoms.  I figure, once he hits 230-240, he'll become symptomatic (coughing, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite) and then get admitted.  Problem is, he doesn't want to be admitted for anything less than a transplant.