Well today has been a pretty good day. I had to see Martha today. I am glad that I contacted her (with some major coaxing and pressuring from Donna) after Debra told me she was leaving. I am fairly comfortable with Martha which is really good cause I can talk to her about almost anything. Martha has really helped me lately in dealing with my health issues.
Got busy doing other thnigs and didn't finish this cause I was just rambeling.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Another day
Well my rhythms seem to be fairly stable now. Still alittle slow but not any problems which is good.
I bowled tonight didn't do very well. The second game I couldn't get a strike or spare if I paid the pins all to fall over. It took everything I had to even break 100. Luckly the last game I redemed myself I got my average plus alittle bit. Not enough to make up for my triple but a little bit. Tomorrow I must start back at the gym. I need to work on lunges and my bisepts and trisepts inorder to keep my average where it is. Also cause I need to strengthen my arms and legs. Hell my whole body needs a good work out.
Well I have finished (almost) another project today just have to put the 10c in the stamp. I then get to make it into an envelope. I can't wait. Next I will start the baby envelope a blue one and a pink one. Have to go buy some beads to do them first. I will go to Golden Threads to get all that. Then on Thursday I will go out to Gitta's and see what patterns they have out there. I would like to get a few more different ones as well. I think they would sell pretty well.
I got my discharge report for the hospital from my Ablation. I also got the Ablation report from Dr. Downar. I wasn't too happy with part of what he said even though I know it is true. Here is the part that botherd me. " I am cautiously pleased with the acute results from the ablation, but have to accept the reality, which is that she almost certainly will present with a novel atrial tachycardia in the next few months or year. We just keep our fingers crossed and hope that this will be longer than sooner."
I bowled tonight didn't do very well. The second game I couldn't get a strike or spare if I paid the pins all to fall over. It took everything I had to even break 100. Luckly the last game I redemed myself I got my average plus alittle bit. Not enough to make up for my triple but a little bit. Tomorrow I must start back at the gym. I need to work on lunges and my bisepts and trisepts inorder to keep my average where it is. Also cause I need to strengthen my arms and legs. Hell my whole body needs a good work out.
Well I have finished (almost) another project today just have to put the 10c in the stamp. I then get to make it into an envelope. I can't wait. Next I will start the baby envelope a blue one and a pink one. Have to go buy some beads to do them first. I will go to Golden Threads to get all that. Then on Thursday I will go out to Gitta's and see what patterns they have out there. I would like to get a few more different ones as well. I think they would sell pretty well.
I got my discharge report for the hospital from my Ablation. I also got the Ablation report from Dr. Downar. I wasn't too happy with part of what he said even though I know it is true. Here is the part that botherd me. " I am cautiously pleased with the acute results from the ablation, but have to accept the reality, which is that she almost certainly will present with a novel atrial tachycardia in the next few months or year. We just keep our fingers crossed and hope that this will be longer than sooner."
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Another week down
Well this has been a pretty productive week. Got another project done for the business. That makes 4 so far this month. Now I am going to work on an envlope. Hopefully that will be easy to do. I have a pattern coming in the mail soon I hope. I have decided that February will be the time to finish my Halloween Gameboard.
As far as arrhythmias go I have not been to bad since Tuesday. My "new" heart rate is rather low which I guess is good. I have now gone just over 1 week since being in the hospital with no real major issues. Of course dealing with me there are bumps and lumps along the way but nothing to big to deal with. So far it looks like this Ablation has greatly reduced the arrhythmias which is wonderful. It will be nice not to have to call Dr. Downar before I go see him in March.
Tuesday is the big day that I start back at the gym. It will be interesting to see what happens then. I have not done a proper workout since June 2006. I did modifyed ones up until May 2007 and very very limited ones in September 2007 but really nothing at all. I will not jump full force in on Tuesday but I am not going to take it too lightly then either. I have waited along time to be able to get back to "regular" exercise so I don't want too many issues the first day. Plus I want to go check out Gitta's Needlepoint shop afterwards. Also I have to see Martha on Wednesday and I wouldn't want her to make a special visit cause I was in the hospital because of doing something stupid.
Well one computer group I am on is doing Secret Valentine's. I signed up and am just waiting to see who my partner is so I can send them my present. It will be fun. I can't put up a pick cause that would spoil the suprise. One of the other groups I am on a couple of the kids are having birthdays (they remind me of my brother and I when we were younger) so I will send them birthday cards and a little something from the city. All this will go out in the mail Tuesday or Wednesday.
This was a finish from last week. Thought I had posted it earlier but see I didn't. So here it is.
Well that is all for tonight getting tired and heading to bed.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Rough Day
In some respects today has been a rough day. I have felt like I was in and out of rhythm (but not fast) since bowling last night. If is it my new normal rhythm that is great if it is Sinus Tachycardia I am not sure what to do. I have a call into the Cardiologist since I don't want to call the EP yet. Tomorrow is only a week. Don't figure I will hear back today, maybe tomorrow I might.
I have decided that even thought this ablation last week was not successfull I am not going to write it off as of yet. I have decided to look at it from the position of. Ok this didn't last very long BUT if it cuts down on the number of episodes I was having then it is somewhat successful. As long as I can see some benefits to this then when the next one needs to be preformed that will be fine. Only issue is this Sinus Tach now which is new. Once I get a handle on that then things should be good. Well supper is nearly ready and I want to go stitch tonight. Will update later.
I have decided that even thought this ablation last week was not successfull I am not going to write it off as of yet. I have decided to look at it from the position of. Ok this didn't last very long BUT if it cuts down on the number of episodes I was having then it is somewhat successful. As long as I can see some benefits to this then when the next one needs to be preformed that will be fine. Only issue is this Sinus Tach now which is new. Once I get a handle on that then things should be good. Well supper is nearly ready and I want to go stitch tonight. Will update later.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Ablation # 4 Part 2
Ok even thought my leg is really bothering me a few people are looking for this so here is the rest. I reread the first part and made a few corrections. I will try not to make it as long. The first part in green is just a quick repeat refresher from the last post.
We talk a few minutes and I asked him a few questions. I asked him if he would come and see me in my room that night so that we could kinda talk long term but not set in stone plans. He said he didn't know if he could because he had another case to do but we would talk.
I asked him how many more Ablations he could do and what was the next step. He told me that just because he did 10 Ablations (he picked a number out of the air) is was not strike out and that was it. He left and went to do his other case. I was still in a lot of pain and the Motrin still hadn't helped any and I was now getting a sever headache, my groin was hurting cause the freezing was coming out and I was getting sick to my stomach so I got some gravol. The anesthetist came by to see me and said I could have some Demoral for the pain. When I got that I had no pain anywhere. But then I really was sick to my stomach and the gravol did nothing. So they took the sheeths out and took me back to my room. I came out of the Cath Lab at 1:30 pm or that was when I came around and was taken up to my room at 4:30 pm.
I still had to lay flat for another 4 hours with my leg straight. The first 2 1/2 hours I did good. I kept my leg straight. Then at about the 3 hour mark with the nurse in the room I must have bent my leg to a 90 degree angle 3 times and then quickly straightened it back out. Oh well whats the difference. Well Dr. Downar didn't come to see me tonight which in one way was fine because I fell asleep from 7 till 9 when the nurse woke me up to get me up. I got up and went to the bathroom after they fisinshed bugging me and fussing because my blood pressure was only 85/55. The nurse called Dr. Downar cause Motrin was not ordered for me and I wanted my regular drugs but because my blood pressure was low they didn't want to give them too me. Well I guess Dr. Downar told them to give me what I wanted cause I got my drugs. The nurses wanted me to walk and all I wanted to do was sleep. Well I won out I went to the bathroom which I had to do badly(hadn't been since 7:15 ish that morning) and then went back to bed till about midnight. I got up again then to use the bathroom and then right back to bed. That happened once more and then I woke up at 6:30 am. That was the first time I had several hours sleep all at once since Monday night. I fell asleep at 2 am Tuesday morning and got up at 7 am. Went to sleep at 3:30 am Wednesday morning and got up at 6 am. So I really hadn't slept alot the last few days. Well you really can't count my two drug induced rests.
So Thursday January 17, 2008. The day I come home. Well I get started packing my bag and then decided I am not really out of rhythm but not really in sinus rhythm either. So now the fun begins.I asked my nurse if I was schedualed to go to the pacer clinic and she said they were waiting to hear back from them. So the EP Nurse Clinician sees me and says " so what are you doing to yourself". I said I was coming to get towels for a shower. She said my rhythm was out. I said I wondered cause it didn't feel like it was out but then again it didn't feel like it was in sinus either. So she told me they had called Dr. Downar and was waiting for him to call back with what to do. I said ok I will go sit in my room and wait to hear what is happening. She came in and said that Dr. Downar was sending up one of the pacer techs to over ride the pacemaker. So I asked her if I was going to the Pacemaker clinic and she said she didn't know. I said well if I am which I should be cause I always do then just send me there and for get the Pacer guy coming up. She said that he was coming and that he would do what needed to be done. I told her no he wouldn't that he would only terminate the rhtythm and that was it. I said that Dr. Harris had made some changes to the pacer in November and I had made some changes to my meds and that the pacer needed to be interrogated to see if the changes were acceptable. Plus I told her Dr. Harris is the only one I have been allowing to make alterations to my pacer. So they called Dr. Harris and she came up to see me. After talking with her for a bit she ended up interrogating the pacer and making a few changes. They were going to send me down to the pacer clinic but since Dr. Harris was the one running it there was no point she was here in the room so they just dealt with it then.
Well now I have a shower and eat the rest of my breakfast and am packing and I am out of rhythm agian. This time I never bother saying anything to anyone but my mom who is now here. Told her what the hassel this morning was. So I asked the nurse a few questions and she said Dr. Downar was coming up to see me before I got discharged. Originally I would have been discharged with seeing no one or no answers. Should have kept my mouth shut. I was told that Dr. Downar would not be there before 11 am to see me. Ok it is like 10 am now so no big deal. Well 11:30 am they want the room no Dr. Downar. So they call him. Finally they came back and said he was coming but it would not be for another hour or two but probably closer to two. So I said to them well I have to go over to his office after I see him anyway to book my follow up appointment why don't I just see him there. So they came back and said no he said he wanted to see me on the floor. Mom and I said we had to be out of the hospital by 1 pm sharp cause we had an hours drive at least and had to be back to pick up Mackenzie at the school bus at 4 pm. We didn't we just didn't want to sit around and wait any longer. Mom went to get lunch. So then the nurse came back and said he is in his office right now call him. So we did and Julie was not in the office. Finally they came and said go to his office and that I could get my discharge letter from him there.
So we go over to his office. Again he tells me that things went well. Told me that he was getting depressed while he was mapping the electrical circuit because part of it wasn't making sense and he wasn't getting anywhere. So he decided to scrap what he had done and started over. Once he did that he got some success and was pleased with that. Apparently this arrhythmia was down in the Tricuspid Valve nub that I have and was very difficult to map and burn. He told me he got it and it was successful. Then he proceds to tell me he had to over ride the pacemaker again yesterday in the Cath Lab because I was out of rhythm then also. So this makes three times in three days they have had to over ride the pacer. NOT GOOD. He tells me I can increase my meds if I need but is doubtfull they will do much on a prolonged basis. He also said to carry some meds with me so that if I go out of rhythm I can take the meds and slow the rhythm down so hopefully I would not be out as long. He tells me that they are in the middle of conferencing on what they should be doing with me since the ablations are not working. So I ask him how many ablations he can do and he says there is no limit but that there is no point in doing them when they are not even lasting 24 hours (12 hours if we are really lucky). So he said he has Dr. Cameron the "pacemaker guru" working on finding out what can be done with the pacer I have OR if there is a newer one they can replace it with. Or if there is something they are missing on this one. Sounds like he is now as pissed as I am cause he said that all three times they manually over rode the pacer it worked. But when the pacer is left on its own to work it works 20% of the time. He said that this was not acceptable and that IF I have any problems at all call him ASAP adn he will bring me right in and they will play with the pacemaker and see what they can do. He hasn't given me much hope that things will be undercontrol any time soon.
So now I sit and wait and hope that they can come up with a solution before things get as bad as last year or worse. I had 450 documented episodes last year and close to 150 undocumented episodes last year.
Well thats my story and now that my leg is killing me I am going to bed.
IF you read all this thanks very much I really appreciate it all.
We talk a few minutes and I asked him a few questions. I asked him if he would come and see me in my room that night so that we could kinda talk long term but not set in stone plans. He said he didn't know if he could because he had another case to do but we would talk.
I asked him how many more Ablations he could do and what was the next step. He told me that just because he did 10 Ablations (he picked a number out of the air) is was not strike out and that was it. He left and went to do his other case. I was still in a lot of pain and the Motrin still hadn't helped any and I was now getting a sever headache, my groin was hurting cause the freezing was coming out and I was getting sick to my stomach so I got some gravol. The anesthetist came by to see me and said I could have some Demoral for the pain. When I got that I had no pain anywhere. But then I really was sick to my stomach and the gravol did nothing. So they took the sheeths out and took me back to my room. I came out of the Cath Lab at 1:30 pm or that was when I came around and was taken up to my room at 4:30 pm.
I still had to lay flat for another 4 hours with my leg straight. The first 2 1/2 hours I did good. I kept my leg straight. Then at about the 3 hour mark with the nurse in the room I must have bent my leg to a 90 degree angle 3 times and then quickly straightened it back out. Oh well whats the difference. Well Dr. Downar didn't come to see me tonight which in one way was fine because I fell asleep from 7 till 9 when the nurse woke me up to get me up. I got up and went to the bathroom after they fisinshed bugging me and fussing because my blood pressure was only 85/55. The nurse called Dr. Downar cause Motrin was not ordered for me and I wanted my regular drugs but because my blood pressure was low they didn't want to give them too me. Well I guess Dr. Downar told them to give me what I wanted cause I got my drugs. The nurses wanted me to walk and all I wanted to do was sleep. Well I won out I went to the bathroom which I had to do badly(hadn't been since 7:15 ish that morning) and then went back to bed till about midnight. I got up again then to use the bathroom and then right back to bed. That happened once more and then I woke up at 6:30 am. That was the first time I had several hours sleep all at once since Monday night. I fell asleep at 2 am Tuesday morning and got up at 7 am. Went to sleep at 3:30 am Wednesday morning and got up at 6 am. So I really hadn't slept alot the last few days. Well you really can't count my two drug induced rests.
So Thursday January 17, 2008. The day I come home. Well I get started packing my bag and then decided I am not really out of rhythm but not really in sinus rhythm either. So now the fun begins.I asked my nurse if I was schedualed to go to the pacer clinic and she said they were waiting to hear back from them. So the EP Nurse Clinician sees me and says " so what are you doing to yourself". I said I was coming to get towels for a shower. She said my rhythm was out. I said I wondered cause it didn't feel like it was out but then again it didn't feel like it was in sinus either. So she told me they had called Dr. Downar and was waiting for him to call back with what to do. I said ok I will go sit in my room and wait to hear what is happening. She came in and said that Dr. Downar was sending up one of the pacer techs to over ride the pacemaker. So I asked her if I was going to the Pacemaker clinic and she said she didn't know. I said well if I am which I should be cause I always do then just send me there and for get the Pacer guy coming up. She said that he was coming and that he would do what needed to be done. I told her no he wouldn't that he would only terminate the rhtythm and that was it. I said that Dr. Harris had made some changes to the pacer in November and I had made some changes to my meds and that the pacer needed to be interrogated to see if the changes were acceptable. Plus I told her Dr. Harris is the only one I have been allowing to make alterations to my pacer. So they called Dr. Harris and she came up to see me. After talking with her for a bit she ended up interrogating the pacer and making a few changes. They were going to send me down to the pacer clinic but since Dr. Harris was the one running it there was no point she was here in the room so they just dealt with it then.
Well now I have a shower and eat the rest of my breakfast and am packing and I am out of rhythm agian. This time I never bother saying anything to anyone but my mom who is now here. Told her what the hassel this morning was. So I asked the nurse a few questions and she said Dr. Downar was coming up to see me before I got discharged. Originally I would have been discharged with seeing no one or no answers. Should have kept my mouth shut. I was told that Dr. Downar would not be there before 11 am to see me. Ok it is like 10 am now so no big deal. Well 11:30 am they want the room no Dr. Downar. So they call him. Finally they came back and said he was coming but it would not be for another hour or two but probably closer to two. So I said to them well I have to go over to his office after I see him anyway to book my follow up appointment why don't I just see him there. So they came back and said no he said he wanted to see me on the floor. Mom and I said we had to be out of the hospital by 1 pm sharp cause we had an hours drive at least and had to be back to pick up Mackenzie at the school bus at 4 pm. We didn't we just didn't want to sit around and wait any longer. Mom went to get lunch. So then the nurse came back and said he is in his office right now call him. So we did and Julie was not in the office. Finally they came and said go to his office and that I could get my discharge letter from him there.
So we go over to his office. Again he tells me that things went well. Told me that he was getting depressed while he was mapping the electrical circuit because part of it wasn't making sense and he wasn't getting anywhere. So he decided to scrap what he had done and started over. Once he did that he got some success and was pleased with that. Apparently this arrhythmia was down in the Tricuspid Valve nub that I have and was very difficult to map and burn. He told me he got it and it was successful. Then he proceds to tell me he had to over ride the pacemaker again yesterday in the Cath Lab because I was out of rhythm then also. So this makes three times in three days they have had to over ride the pacer. NOT GOOD. He tells me I can increase my meds if I need but is doubtfull they will do much on a prolonged basis. He also said to carry some meds with me so that if I go out of rhythm I can take the meds and slow the rhythm down so hopefully I would not be out as long. He tells me that they are in the middle of conferencing on what they should be doing with me since the ablations are not working. So I ask him how many ablations he can do and he says there is no limit but that there is no point in doing them when they are not even lasting 24 hours (12 hours if we are really lucky). So he said he has Dr. Cameron the "pacemaker guru" working on finding out what can be done with the pacer I have OR if there is a newer one they can replace it with. Or if there is something they are missing on this one. Sounds like he is now as pissed as I am cause he said that all three times they manually over rode the pacer it worked. But when the pacer is left on its own to work it works 20% of the time. He said that this was not acceptable and that IF I have any problems at all call him ASAP adn he will bring me right in and they will play with the pacemaker and see what they can do. He hasn't given me much hope that things will be undercontrol any time soon.
So now I sit and wait and hope that they can come up with a solution before things get as bad as last year or worse. I had 450 documented episodes last year and close to 150 undocumented episodes last year.
Well thats my story and now that my leg is killing me I am going to bed.
IF you read all this thanks very much I really appreciate it all.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Ablation #4 done and flopped PART 1
WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Well ok here is the update everyone is waiting for. I went had it done and am home. End of story. That's all she wrote.
No seriously I think if that was all I posted a few people would shoot me.
Well I went to the hospital on Tuesday January 15, 2008. I got there and went to admitting where I was told to go on Monday. What do you know wrong place. I was supposed to go straight up to the floor. Screw up number one but not by me cause I was just doing what I was told to do for a change. HA HA. So I get settled in my room (I had a private room which was kinda nice) and was supposed to have chest x-rays at 10:50 am. So by 11:20 am and I still hadn't gone down I figured they were getting cancelled. I had to be in the Echo Lab at noon and the CCU (Coronary Care Unit) at 12:30 pm for a TEE (Trans Esphogeal Echo). Finally they take me down for the chest x-rays and we (mom and I) stress to them I need to be sent straight over to the Echo lab right after.
I get to the Echo lab at like 11:55 am and sit there for about 10 minutes before they take me in for the echo. At this point I send my mom home cause there is no point for her to hang around anymore. So she leaves and will return on Thursday to bring me home. What I don't know is she stops by Dr. Downar my EP's (Electrophysiologists) office and tells Julie his secretary that I am in very bad shape and would she make sure that Dr. Downar comes to see me.
So I am done having the echo and then it is time to go to the CCU to have the TEE done. This test I hate having done. I only trust my Cardiologist who is not at this hospital. So we get down in the room and I am expecting Dr. Heggie to come and she doesn't someone else does. Well I was rather upset. Partly cause I don't want the test done, partly cause I am in the hospital, and partly cause Dr. Heggie is not there and I don't do well with change. So the Respiratory Therapist was Andrew and he was wonderful and the Anesthetist was Max and another fellow. Max was really nice as was Andrew. So I am in tears really upset about having the test and not having Dr. Heggie there. I have never seen three grown men fuss over one person like they did with me. Andrew sat and just held my hand for a few minutes and talked with me. Max was behind him drying my tears reassuring what Andrew was saying and the other fellow was at my feet talking to me as well. Then they called Melitta she is the head of Echo Department so she came in and when she saw me I lost it. She was there in October and knew how upset I was then. When she saw me she said " I thought we said we were never doing this test on you again". She told me it was going to be ok. She told the guys that they could go ahead as I was alright. I think me being that upset really bothered them. Melitta just held my hand till they knocked me out. So they knocked me out did the TEE without freezing my throat this time which made recovery faster. When they woke me up out of the anasetic I was out of rhythm. So we called Dr. Downar and he called the Pacer people to come and over ride the pacemaker. Dr. Donwar stayed with me for a few minutes after the TEE. He told me my mom stopped by his office and mentioned to Julie I was rather distressed. I was still really upset while he was there talking with me. Dr. Downar held my hand a talked with me. He was wiping the my tears with the blanket they had on me. It really bothers him when I am upset. He is always telling me to be brave and that he will do everything for me that he can. I know that and appreciate that very much. But it still doesn't make things easier.
So I was sent back up to my room and things were done for the day. Well cause I have no support system in the hospital I had them call the Chaplain on call. So he came. He was just a young fellow. His name was Ajit and he was very nice. We talked for quite awhile. I could see that how upset I was really bothered him as well. He told me he felt like crying right along with me and I think he did a few times. He told me that he was only 30 years old ( I didn't think he was younger than I am but thought close to my age). Ajit told me he could understand how I felt about being alone, mad, frustrated, and feeling like I had no support because when he was 22 he was totally paralyzed and spent a long time in the hospital. That really helped having some one that understood. While Ajit was there I was out of rhythm again so he went and told the nurse. When the nurse came, Ajit left and said he would be back on Thursday. I told him if he wanted to he could come back later that night as I wasn't going anywhere and would be up and probably could use the support.
So the nurse asked me what I did when I was out of rhythm and I told him I either took my meds, did nothing, or sometimes they had the pacer guys come and over ride the pacemaker. So he went and called Dr. Downar to find out what to do. So when he came back he was a little surprised Dr. Downar wasn't too concerned. Apparently he was told to do what I suggested. I really should have my MD by now. So that make twice I have been out today.
I didn't get to sleep until 3am.
Wednesday January 16, 2008 the big day. I am first case to be done today which is good. I go down around 7:30 am to the holding. The holding nurses start to put an IV in and the Anesthetist comes in and stops them. He wants to do it all. He didn't seem to knowledgeable but he was nice. So he finally gets organized makes a mess of my hand and Greg one of the EP techs gets anal. Greg and I have dealt with each other a few times now so I was joking around with him. Finally we go in to the Cath Lab and get me situated. Dr. Donwar comes in and comes to talk to me. Reassures me that everything will be ok and that he will be there and do his best and he won't let anything to happen to me. Rajh was the resident working with Dr. Downar again ( had him in October too) he is very nice. As he was turning the therapies off on the pacer the anesthetist knocked me out. I was out for a bit then started to come to. I heard Dr. Downar's voice and could see him so I tried to fight the sedation to stay awake. But I think they noticed and the anesthetist must have done something cause I was out again. I know Dr. Downar would have been ok if I was awake while he was doing the mapping cause he would have kept me informed as to what he was doing. So I wake up in the recovery after everything is all done. I am lying there waiting for them to take the sheeths out of my groin and I am in pain. So they give me 400 mgs of Motrin to try and help with the pain. Rajh told them to give me that and I could have the Motrin PRN as well. Well that order never got written up. So I am laying there on my back in aggony and tears cause the Motrin never did anything. My blood had to be a certian thickness so they can take the sheeths out. I was fading in and out because of the sedation.
So Dr. Downar comes to see me. Explains that things went well. Told me that he was getting depressed while he was mapping the electrical circuit because part of it wasn't making sense and he wasn't getting anywhere. So he decided to scrap what he had done and started over. Once he did that he got some success and was pleased with that. Apparently this arrhythmia was down in the Tricuspid Valve nub that I have and was very difficult to map and burn. He told me he got it and it was successful. We talk a few minutes and I asked him a few questions. I asked him if he would come and see me in my room that night so that we could kinda talk long term but not set in stone plans. He said he didn't know if he could because he had another case to do but we would talk.
Well I am going to stop here and go to bed now. I will pick up very soon with the rest. I know the suspense is probably going to kill you all as the best is still yet to come.
Well ok here is the update everyone is waiting for. I went had it done and am home. End of story. That's all she wrote.
No seriously I think if that was all I posted a few people would shoot me.
Well I went to the hospital on Tuesday January 15, 2008. I got there and went to admitting where I was told to go on Monday. What do you know wrong place. I was supposed to go straight up to the floor. Screw up number one but not by me cause I was just doing what I was told to do for a change. HA HA. So I get settled in my room (I had a private room which was kinda nice) and was supposed to have chest x-rays at 10:50 am. So by 11:20 am and I still hadn't gone down I figured they were getting cancelled. I had to be in the Echo Lab at noon and the CCU (Coronary Care Unit) at 12:30 pm for a TEE (Trans Esphogeal Echo). Finally they take me down for the chest x-rays and we (mom and I) stress to them I need to be sent straight over to the Echo lab right after.
I get to the Echo lab at like 11:55 am and sit there for about 10 minutes before they take me in for the echo. At this point I send my mom home cause there is no point for her to hang around anymore. So she leaves and will return on Thursday to bring me home. What I don't know is she stops by Dr. Downar my EP's (Electrophysiologists) office and tells Julie his secretary that I am in very bad shape and would she make sure that Dr. Downar comes to see me.
So I am done having the echo and then it is time to go to the CCU to have the TEE done. This test I hate having done. I only trust my Cardiologist who is not at this hospital. So we get down in the room and I am expecting Dr. Heggie to come and she doesn't someone else does. Well I was rather upset. Partly cause I don't want the test done, partly cause I am in the hospital, and partly cause Dr. Heggie is not there and I don't do well with change. So the Respiratory Therapist was Andrew and he was wonderful and the Anesthetist was Max and another fellow. Max was really nice as was Andrew. So I am in tears really upset about having the test and not having Dr. Heggie there. I have never seen three grown men fuss over one person like they did with me. Andrew sat and just held my hand for a few minutes and talked with me. Max was behind him drying my tears reassuring what Andrew was saying and the other fellow was at my feet talking to me as well. Then they called Melitta she is the head of Echo Department so she came in and when she saw me I lost it. She was there in October and knew how upset I was then. When she saw me she said " I thought we said we were never doing this test on you again". She told me it was going to be ok. She told the guys that they could go ahead as I was alright. I think me being that upset really bothered them. Melitta just held my hand till they knocked me out. So they knocked me out did the TEE without freezing my throat this time which made recovery faster. When they woke me up out of the anasetic I was out of rhythm. So we called Dr. Downar and he called the Pacer people to come and over ride the pacemaker. Dr. Donwar stayed with me for a few minutes after the TEE. He told me my mom stopped by his office and mentioned to Julie I was rather distressed. I was still really upset while he was there talking with me. Dr. Downar held my hand a talked with me. He was wiping the my tears with the blanket they had on me. It really bothers him when I am upset. He is always telling me to be brave and that he will do everything for me that he can. I know that and appreciate that very much. But it still doesn't make things easier.
So I was sent back up to my room and things were done for the day. Well cause I have no support system in the hospital I had them call the Chaplain on call. So he came. He was just a young fellow. His name was Ajit and he was very nice. We talked for quite awhile. I could see that how upset I was really bothered him as well. He told me he felt like crying right along with me and I think he did a few times. He told me that he was only 30 years old ( I didn't think he was younger than I am but thought close to my age). Ajit told me he could understand how I felt about being alone, mad, frustrated, and feeling like I had no support because when he was 22 he was totally paralyzed and spent a long time in the hospital. That really helped having some one that understood. While Ajit was there I was out of rhythm again so he went and told the nurse. When the nurse came, Ajit left and said he would be back on Thursday. I told him if he wanted to he could come back later that night as I wasn't going anywhere and would be up and probably could use the support.
So the nurse asked me what I did when I was out of rhythm and I told him I either took my meds, did nothing, or sometimes they had the pacer guys come and over ride the pacemaker. So he went and called Dr. Downar to find out what to do. So when he came back he was a little surprised Dr. Downar wasn't too concerned. Apparently he was told to do what I suggested. I really should have my MD by now. So that make twice I have been out today.
I didn't get to sleep until 3am.
Wednesday January 16, 2008 the big day. I am first case to be done today which is good. I go down around 7:30 am to the holding. The holding nurses start to put an IV in and the Anesthetist comes in and stops them. He wants to do it all. He didn't seem to knowledgeable but he was nice. So he finally gets organized makes a mess of my hand and Greg one of the EP techs gets anal. Greg and I have dealt with each other a few times now so I was joking around with him. Finally we go in to the Cath Lab and get me situated. Dr. Donwar comes in and comes to talk to me. Reassures me that everything will be ok and that he will be there and do his best and he won't let anything to happen to me. Rajh was the resident working with Dr. Downar again ( had him in October too) he is very nice. As he was turning the therapies off on the pacer the anesthetist knocked me out. I was out for a bit then started to come to. I heard Dr. Downar's voice and could see him so I tried to fight the sedation to stay awake. But I think they noticed and the anesthetist must have done something cause I was out again. I know Dr. Downar would have been ok if I was awake while he was doing the mapping cause he would have kept me informed as to what he was doing. So I wake up in the recovery after everything is all done. I am lying there waiting for them to take the sheeths out of my groin and I am in pain. So they give me 400 mgs of Motrin to try and help with the pain. Rajh told them to give me that and I could have the Motrin PRN as well. Well that order never got written up. So I am laying there on my back in aggony and tears cause the Motrin never did anything. My blood had to be a certian thickness so they can take the sheeths out. I was fading in and out because of the sedation.
So Dr. Downar comes to see me. Explains that things went well. Told me that he was getting depressed while he was mapping the electrical circuit because part of it wasn't making sense and he wasn't getting anywhere. So he decided to scrap what he had done and started over. Once he did that he got some success and was pleased with that. Apparently this arrhythmia was down in the Tricuspid Valve nub that I have and was very difficult to map and burn. He told me he got it and it was successful. We talk a few minutes and I asked him a few questions. I asked him if he would come and see me in my room that night so that we could kinda talk long term but not set in stone plans. He said he didn't know if he could because he had another case to do but we would talk.
Well I am going to stop here and go to bed now. I will pick up very soon with the rest. I know the suspense is probably going to kill you all as the best is still yet to come.
New Finishes for 2008
This snowman I got as a prize from one of the game on a cross stitch board I belong to. He worked up fast.
This is my second finish of the year. This is on a white kitchen towel. I have another towel to put master Chef on. The patterns called for aprons but since I don't have any I made towels instead.
Today I bought three new patterns. They are envelopes. You stitch the envelope and then you can put a photo or a hasty note or a love letter in there. They are really cute. One is a Peace envelope, one is a Baby envelope ( colours for both boys and girls) and the other is a Friends envelope.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Well tomorrow is the big day
Well tomorrow is finally here. I am really not looking forward to going but I know it has to be done. I can't continue like this much longer tho the last few weeks haven't been too bad. I have been working on different things to tryand build some stock. I did finish a beaded snowman, almost have a towel done and am working on another snowman. Then second one is on plastic so my finger get sore fast trying to puch the needle through all the time. I only have the outlining to do on him now. I will have to post pics when I am home from the hospital which should be Thursday. Probably will update my pics over the weekend.
Well I downloaded 2 movies on my MP3 player. One I have seen and one I haven't so that should kill about 3 hours. Plus I have about 45 songs downloaded. I also have an FM radio so I get to listen to my radio station.
I have my Halloween Gameboard to take with me which I hope to make quite a large dent in finishing. I have almost half done now. I am also taking my Sparks Manual to see what these kids have done and what badges they can get. Some of them are really keen on earning badges so I am all for it but the other two leaders hate the fact that the program has badges. They would rather run it like a daycare. Anyway enough about that topic.
Well I downloaded 2 movies on my MP3 player. One I have seen and one I haven't so that should kill about 3 hours. Plus I have about 45 songs downloaded. I also have an FM radio so I get to listen to my radio station.
I have my Halloween Gameboard to take with me which I hope to make quite a large dent in finishing. I have almost half done now. I am also taking my Sparks Manual to see what these kids have done and what badges they can get. Some of them are really keen on earning badges so I am all for it but the other two leaders hate the fact that the program has badges. They would rather run it like a daycare. Anyway enough about that topic.
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