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medical bills

  • device implanted

      4 April 2025
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    there's a risk when replacing the aortic valve, particularly in cases like mine where there was a lot of calcification to remove, that the heart's electrical system may be disrupted. my heart rhythm was monitored for a while after surgery, and by Wednesday it was decided that l would need a pacemaker. it was installed yesterday (Thursday) - a relatively straightforward procedure that took about an hour and only required local anaesthetic - and now that my heart is beating correctly l am feeling a lot better.

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  • surgery successful

      25 March 2025
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    l have been discharged from ICU and am in a lot of pain.l believe that l will be okay

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    • 27/03/2025 by Rob

      Hey, Ivy. I cannot really read that, but it is good that you are out of ICVU. That means you are doing well. Keep up the good work, and remember it's all going to get much easier and less painful as time passes. That is the way it goes.

      Lots of love G & G

  • Surgery on Monday?

      21 March 2025

    I have heard from the nurses that I am on the list for Monday. I have been told several times that the schedule is not set in stone, so it's not guaranteed that l will go to surgery on Monday, but it seems likely. If it does go as planned, I expect that the surgeon will come and talk to me on Sunday and tell me what to expect, and then the nurses will prepare me for surgery and l will start fasting from Sunday evening. After the surgery, l expect to be in ICU for a day or two, then in another ward for about a week (assuming everything goes smoothly).

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    • 24/03/2025 by Rob

      You just hang in there, Ivy.

    • 24/03/2025 by Rob

      Granny and I are so sorry that we can not be there in New Zealand to help you through this terrible time. But our hearts and prayers are with you. Vasbyte!

  • In hospital awaiting surgery

      15 March 2025
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    I had an echocardiogram and a ct scan done last week. After reviewing the scans, the cardiologist called me to confirm that my heart condition was quite severe, and that they wanted to operate as soon as possible. I've attached an image of a letter from her addressed to my gp that l received a copy of, in case you are interested in the medical details.

    Not long after talking to her that day, l started feeling short of breath, and my watch said my heart rate was 150bpm - l checked in to the emergency ward at Auckland Hospital and, as the letter discusses, l'm not safe to discharge until they complete the surgery. They haven't set a date for it yet, but expect that it will happen some time in the coming week.

    I'm feeling well, l have my laptop and l've been able to continue work from in my bed in the cardiology ward. Hoping that nothing unexpected happens before (or during or after) the operation, but l'm quite happy to be here in hospital just in case something does happen.

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  • Discussion with the cardiologist

      18 February 2025

    Hi everyone, thank you so much for your support!

    I had an appointment with a cardiologist today, and it sounds like I'm going to be alright. This is the first time someone has officially told me I'm not at immediate risk of dying, so that's a relief.

    The plan from here is to get some more scans done - another echocardiogram, as there are some more things to check, and a ct scan of my heart and related arteries. After that there will be another appointment with the cardiologist at which I will likely be put on the waitlist for valve replacement surgery, and wait for maybe two months before being scheduled for surgery. We will confirm at that time what surgery it will be but it sounds very likely that it will be open-heart surgery to replace my aortic valve with a mechanical one. So it sounds like I will be in NZ for a while yet.

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  • Current plans - flying back to Auckland

      8 February 2025

    I have booked a plane ticket leaving Bangkok on Tuesday evening to arrive in Auckland on Wednesday evening. As a NZ citizen, I should be able to receive publicly-funded health care so I just need to make it to Wednesday evening without any emergencies and then I will have a lot less to worry about, at least on the financial side of things (I don't have enough information about my heart condition to properly worry about that yet).

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