Welcome one and all!

Hello!! Rather than texting, emailing, and calling everyone individually, Mom and I are doing a blog to update people on this new procedure. I hope to find a way for you to be able to leave me messages on this site, but if that doesn't happen, email me at bower.anna@gmail.com .

I am going to assume that if you are visiting this site, you know what is going on with me. I have a severe form of Pulmonary Hypertension. I am headed to Denver on Feb 16 to have a subclavian central venous catheter inserted. Here is a video of the procedure. And this is a written explanation of the procedure. I will be at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver for 3-5 days. When I get back home I will have a nurse come to my house and help create a sterile place for me to mix and change my medicines. The catheter that will be inserted will be carrying Remodulin.

The hope is that with this drug, my hypertension will subside a bit. The doctors are hopeful that it will work, and say it will talk about 3 months to know for sure. If needed, they will add to the arsenal oral drugs (like Viagra!) to open capillaries. Then, if that is not working, we will try another iv medication, Flolan. Now, with the Remodulin, my life expectancy becomes 6-8 years. As I am now, it is expected that I live only 2. So this is a major improvement, even if it doesn't seem that way. The Doctors in Denver have also said that I am a candidate for a lung, or heart.lung transplant, but that is several years down the road.

Now many are going to ask, "Ok, but ... how are you doing?" I am doing well. I have great support from all of my family, and I am surrounded by those that love and care for me. So many people have done so much, and I can never thank them enough. If you are looking for a way to help, first and formost is just caring. Then of course there are outrageous medical bills, and I currently have no source of income. I am not asking for anyone to help, just letting those that can know it is an option.

Well, I am off to bed for tonight. My Dad is in town until Sunday morning! And I have an aunt and uncle comming as well! The plan is to leave for Denver Monday afternoon, stay at a hotel in Aurora, and be ready for my procedure at 9am on Tuesday. Barring any FURTHER complications or issues with insurance, we are set. But let me tell you.... this system is NOT set up to help anyone in our middle class! Changes have GOT to be made. We are killing too many people because of this DAMN insurance crap, and too many poor people have no one to fight for them. I am so lucky to have to people around me that I do. Sondra, Carrie, Dr Bull, and Dr Risbano are angels. There, I have my Chihuaua back in it's cage... grrrrr.