We need whatever you can throw our way...

[Marilyn. 340]

I am just glad I finally know what is going on ... the not knowing was killing me...

[mybackpages 0]

Best wishes to your and your husband Marilyn! Not knowing can be so hard- my imagination works overtime! Glad they have a name for it and a solution. Your family is in our prayers.

[rebeccajo 14]

Marilyn, I had missed this entirely.....sorry for not keeping up with you.

One of the things I think is a bit 'strange' with American healthcare is the amount of 'testing' that goes on. I can understand why your husband was not alarmed - he knows how the docs over here run soooooooooo many tests. From a purely cynical point of view, I believe a lot of the testing is done to protect the doctors and hospitals. We do have an awfully lot of people in America who will sue at the drop of a hat for any type of medical mis-step.

Lots of tests cause lots of waiting. The good thing is that now you have an answer. I hate you had to wait so long to get it.

Oh - I can relate to the bit where you feel like all you get is 'dumped on' and nothing will ever go your way. They tell me things do sort themselves eventually, and I'm old enough to know it's true. But on days when you get another bit of bad news - well sometimes I think the best thing to do is just lie down, have a good cry, get up, dust yourself off - and get out there again and keep on plugging.

I hope the surgery won't be tough and your husband has a quick recovery. After all, he's got HVAC classes to go to!

[Marilyn. 340]

thanks for all the well wishes and prayers...

hubby said he started worrying this past week, I guess ever since they told him that he had to see a specialist... we are just so grateful that it isn't cancer....

Marilyn, I had missed this entirely.....sorry for not keeping up with you.

One of the things I think is a bit 'strange' with American healthcare is the amount of 'testing' that goes on. I can understand why your husband was not alarmed - he knows how the docs over here run soooooooooo many tests. From a purely cynical point of view, I believe a lot of the testing is done to protect the doctors and hospitals. We do have an awfully lot of people in America who will sue at the drop of a hat for any type of medical mis-step.

Lots of tests cause lots of waiting. The good thing is that now you have an answer. I hate you had to wait so long to get it.

Oh - I can relate to the bit where you feel like all you get is 'dumped on' and nothing will ever go your way. They tell me things do sort themselves eventually, and I'm old enough to know it's true. But on days when you get another bit of bad news - well sometimes I think the best thing to do is just lie down, have a good cry, get up, dust yourself off - and get out there again and keep on plugging.

I hope the surgery won't be tough and your husband has a quick recovery. After all, he's got HVAC classes to go to!

I have had a lot of good cries over these last couple of months...

hubby said he is glad he decided to take these HVAC classes, he is really starting to understand stuff..... He also has his brother helping him learn about the electrical stuff on Saturday mornings for a few hours

Edited April 24, 2007 by MarilynP

[rebeccajo 14]

I have had a lot of good cries over these last couple of months...

hubby said he is glad he decided to take these HVAC classes, he is really starting to understand stuff..... He also has his brother helping him learn about the electrical stuff on Saturday mornings for a few hours

I guess we just cling to what is good and going right, and hope we can outlast the other nasty stuff!

[chri'stina 190]

I am just glad I finally know what is going on ... the not knowing was killing me...

Hope everything goes smoothly for your husband and the surgery.

I am sure you are relieved it's not cancer.

[broma25 2]

Thank goodness it was not cancer, however lung surgery can still be tough on a person.

I wish you both all the best and a speedy recovery for him.

[Marilyn. 340]

at least what he has seems to be fixable.... I know it will probably still be tough...

[Mags 112]

at least what he has seems to be fixable.... I know it will probably still be tough...

It will be tough, but he has you there to support him and be there for him. That's really important for recovery.

[Marilyn. 340]

I was just doing some reading on this...

What are PAVM's?

They appear as 1 to 5 cm round, oval or lobulated masses, usually in the lower lobes of the lungs. They are present at birth and become apparent at different ages - normally in the 40's and 50's.

PAVM's 'shunt' blood from the right (blue) heart system to the left heart (red) system without picking up oxygen in the lungs. This results in symptoms of low oxygen, shortness of breath and fatigue.

In healthy individuals, de-oxygenated 'blue' blood returns to the heart and is pumped out through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. The blood passes through the capillaries on the surface of the lungs where oxygen is picked up. The newly oxygenated 'red' blood returns to the heart through the pulmonary vein and is then circulated around the body.

PAVM's are direct artery to vein connections, with no intervening capillary network. PAVM's are generally of the fistula type, in other words high-flow low resistance lesions with a thin walled aneurysm (a sac-like widening of the blood vessel) between the feeding artery and draining vein.

Another way of describing a PAVM is an abnormal communication between pulmonary arteries and pulmonary veins. It is a short circuit between the pulmonary artery and vein. Blue blood is fails to get to the capillaries on the surface of the lungs and is channeled back to the heart where it mixes with red oxygenated blood. The result is the overall concentration of oxygen in the 'red' blood is diluted with however much blue blood is bypassing the lungs through the PAVM's.

It has been suggested PAVM's develop as a result of capillary development failure during fetal growth.

Treatment

The most practiced method for treating PAVM's is non-surgical. It involves closing down blood flow through the malformed vessel by a technique known as embolization.

A heart catheterization is performed by passing a catheter through the heart into the feeding artery into the malformation. The malformation is then blocked (embolized) by use of a medical glue, metallic coils or small beads. The procedure should only result in a single night's stay in hospital for observation. The full shrinkage of the malformations may take 4 to 6 weeks.

Surgery is an alternative, but the PAVM's will return if not completely removed.

http://llurgy.tripod.com/pavm.htm

[almaty 19]

my best to your hubby a dn uou sister marilyn, i am glad it was not cancer...i wish him godspeed on his treatment and recovery..your brother dean

Edited April 24, 2007 by almaty

[MaryandMian 1]

Just read your update Marilyn and will be remembering you and your family yet in my prayers.

[Marilyn. 340]

thanks for the prayers everyone.... we are still waiting to hear from hubby's doctor who needs to refer us to another specialist....

[LuzyC 0]

Wishing all the very best to you both and praying for your hubby's treatment and speed recovery! (F)

[SoL. 0]

Marilyn,

I am glad that it can be fixed. My best wishes for you both and hope he has a speed recovery