10-31-16  A really scary Halloween!!!!

 The day was finally upon us!  Can't say I was looking forward to Halloween this year!  Not with a cardiac ablation on the to-do list!

Originally we were told to be at the Mercy Heart Hospital at 5:30am, but about a week ago I got a call to be there at 6am.  So we went out and bought an alarm clock the night before the procedure! ( We had taken our alarm clock to Georgia)

 We made it there on time.  Checked in and waited here for someone to come take us elsewhere.  Then waited about 3 more hours!  Josh's folks even came to stay with Ken while I was in surgery, but they even got to visit with me.  The nurses told them my surgery was changed to an hour or so later---too bad they didn't tell me that!

Eventually 2 guys came in and said they were the anesthesiologists and would be putting an iv in my arm.  Then one of them left and the younger one started probing away---again, and again and again, and .... .   I'm sure he stuck me at least 15 times over 45 minutes.  He also used 3 shots of numbing agent.  He did manage to get one in, so we thought.  Then started poking away again for an artery.   But it wasn't until the other guy came back and took over that it was done correctly.  He even used an ultrasound machine to get it right. Finally, 2nd one in and ready to go.

Eventually I was wheeled away to the operating room.  It was a large room.  I was surprised how many people were in there.  I was also surprised when the young anesthesiologist said he was putting me to sleep and I didn't go to sleep.  After attempting that a couple times they realized the iv wasn't in a vein!  So both anesthesiologists grabbed an arm and started sticking away again---this time without numbing meds.  The young guy managed about 3 more sticks in the time the --- whom I'm going to call "more experienced" guy--- skillfully put one in the back of my hand.  Then I was off to la la land.   Apparently when I was asleep, they put in a 3rd iv, too, or maybe let the first guy practice some more!  But i had 3 iv's in when i woke up.

The ablation procedure seems to have gone without any problems.  The catheter sites for them (3 on each side of my groin) didn't ever hurt or bruise (except for a short sudden pain when the guy removed the one after recovery and forcefully stuck his fist there to stop the bleeding.  The gal on the other side was much more gentle).  My heart doesn't hurt.  And it seems to be in rhythm all or at least most of the time since.  Hopefully the ablation (burning spots around where the pulmonary veins join the left and right atria) is a big success and I don't have to go through that again.  At least I won't worry about the procedure anymore, just the other peripheral stuff that goes along with it like ivs and being intubated.  I presume the same young anesthesiologist was also practicing doing an intubation because my throat was killing me and extremely swollen for about 10 days!  Note to self---ask for the most experienced anesthesiologist in the hospital if there's ever a next time!!!  The Dr. ordered the intubation to do an echo of the heart to make sure there were no blood clots before starting the ablation.   This particular type of echo is called a TEE (trans-esophageal echo-cardiogram).   The esophagus lies close to the upper heart so pictures are better from the TEE.  If there were any blood clots, there wouldn't have been an ablation, they would have wanted them dissolved first---and all the fun with the ivs and intubation would have been for nothing.

 I did have problems with my blood pressure when they went to thicken my blood back up.  It was thinned for the ablation.  But my blood pressure dropped to about 100/40 when they tried to thicken up my blood again, so I was in recovery longer.  I presume Ken took this while I was still in the later period of recovery.  

 I now have a new appreciation for my Mom having to lay still for 32 years due to paralysis!  I had to lay flat for about 9 hours and my back was killing me by then!

Finally got into my hospital room at about 4pm---still laying flat.  Was able to finally sit up around 7pm.  Ordered some dinner.  They have a pretty impressive room service menu, but my throat was killing me. 

 The sun setting as seen from my window.

 The flowers Ken brought back when I sent him out for throat lozenges.  My dinner came --- a salad trio of tuna salad, chicken salad, and egg salad; vegetable soup; pudding; applesauce; angelfood cake with strawberries and whipped cream. 

 I ended up with the pudding, Ken ended up with the rest.  My throat wasn't letting anything else down.  It even hurt to eat ice chips.

 I even had some visitors!  Good friends Coni and John came by with another bouquet of flowers.  They visited until about 8:30, then left.  Poor John kept dozing off.

Had the oddest nurse for the night!  His name was Ryan.  A young man that mumbled instead of talked.  I hardly ever knew what he was saying!  After asking him to repeat himself a couple times, I just gave up.    Next morning, I got another  Ryan for a nurse---one that could speak.  But all the nursing personnel were friendly.

 Someone from the hospital even came  by with a card---probably the young anesthesiologist! 

 I was really impressed with the room.  It was large.  The bed was comfortable.  There was a large nurses station to the far right.  Cable TV and lots of storage to the left.

 Even had a reclining chair and a day bed.  Ken wanted to join in the party so he spent the night on the day bed or recliner.  Nice big window with blinds that opened like storm shutters.  If I didn't have to push 2 rolling iv stands around whenever I wanted to get up, I would have enjoyed it much more.

 The bathroom was even large and clean.  Too bad our cruise ship cabins and bathrooms aren't as nice!

 I did discover some interesting things from the heart rate/oxygen levels/respiratory rate machine.  I knew my oxygen levels drop at night into the 80% range---thus the C-Pap machine, but was surprised my oxygen levels were in the high 90s with the same respiratory rate during the daytime.  I even tried using my C-pap machine during the night, but it wasn't helping my sore swollen throat, so I didn't use it for long.

 The Dr. finally made it in to check on me the next morning about 10:30.  Prescribed some blood thinners 'til I see him in 2 months and prilosac like stuff to keep the throat from getting an ulcer if any of it happens to be burnt from the ablation since the esophagus lies so close to the atria.  Reduced my atenolol amount for heart rate control.  And said see you in 2 more months.  Glad this time it'll be a follow up and not more pre-surgery stuff!

 We left about 11:30---about 23.5 hours from the time the surgery ended.  By not staying 24 hours, it's considered out-patient surgery.

At home, there was another flower arrangement waiting for me from Angie and Josh!  I like being spoiled!

 If it hadn't been for the iv's and intubation, it would have been a really easy procedure!  But for now I have these reminders of my procedure---lots of bruising and swelling that lasted a couple weeks.

Hopefully this takes care of the A-fib or at least greatly reduces it!  It was definitely another learning experience.  But all in all, I think it went pretty well.  Maybe I'll learn how to put iv's in and do my own if I ever have to have another one!

(Post note---imagine our surprise when we went back to St. Louis in 2 months and found a letter at our house from the insurance company denying the surgery costs---all $97,000 worth!  The gal who takes care of pre-authorization with the insurance company assured us that we would not be responsible for the cost and that the insurance companies always deny first.  She was right, but it took about 3 more months for it to be resolved. ) (ppnote---during the following summer, I started having problems with my heart rate increasing to over 170 during exertion.  Don't really think it's A-fib, maybe flutter?  But it bothers me more then the A-fib did.  My vision starts to white out---like everything is over-exposed and I get faint.  I've found laying down or at least getting my head below my heart gets it to go away in a few minutes.   Wonder if that's a permanent problem now?!)

 (March 2019---I finally went to a new electro-physiologist in Middle Georgia.  He had me wear another heart monitor for 2 weeks.  Results showed no A-fib, but short bursts of tachycardia or fast heart rate.  This is what I suspected.  He changed my beta-blocker from Atenolol to Toprol.  I had my reservations that that would do anything, but figured it was worth a try.  Much to my surprise and delight, I haven't had any of those tachycardia episodes since then---3 months now.  I even had a particularly bad tachycardia episode just a couple days before switching to Toprol.  It occured while mowing the lawn.  When I asked the Dr. Hoffman how a different beta-blocker could make such a big difference, he said Atenolol controlls blood pressure better and Toprol controls heart rate better.  Now I wonder if the Atenolol was actually causing the tachycardia?!)