Hospital: Day IX (2)

Zora is home! News today was as good as we’ve had in a while. We found a guardian angel. A friend of a friend of a friend who just happens to be a doctor at North Shore University Hospital. I won’t say too much, but we were very reassured that the risk of stroke isn’t as high as Zora had feared. The risk decreases an the antibiotics kick in.

There is a chance (not a great chance, mind you) that Zora won’t need surgery. This wonderful doctor also recommended the same doctor we just happen to have an appointment with on Monday. We also have all of Zora’s important records, which we would not have been able to get on our own. And we got to see the actual moving images of Zora’s beating heart. Indeed, there is a little thing flapping around on the mitral valve. Actually, two things.

What I don’t understand is why we have to have a friend who knows somebody so we can find a nice doctor who is willing to take the time and give us the information that should be standard M.O. (copy editors: is that redundant?)

A nurse will come tomorrow to set Zora up with the IV antibiotics, which Zora will have to take once a day for a while.

And thanks to Deb for her car! Here she is in her trailer at Socrates Sculture Park.




This is her truck I drove. I think this shot is really an excuse to showcase my trustworthy bike.




Zora is looking great, if tired. And ever so hot back in civilian clothes!

So unless bad symptoms develop (fever, shortness of breath, or stroke), the next step is the appointment on Monday. We won’t be going back to North Shore (and to think, I just bought a 10-pac ticket for train).

Driving to Manhasset, by the way, takes a bit less than an hour. But it’s far less pleasant than the 90-minute public transportation commute.

Also, Zora asked me to keep her from people asking how the hospital was. She’s happy to be out and doesn’t want to talk about it over and over again. And she also says that talk about heart surgery makes her feel faint.