Ablation day

The day began at 5am with alarm going off. Then showered and on the road around 6. After having to go to 3 McDonald’s to find a coffee for my driver and nurse (Mom). I knew the day was going to be crazy, and that it was. We got to the hospital checked in and I’m in pre-op. I’m quickly changed and into a very stylish gown. The nurse goes to put am I.V. in and explains she is messy. She then proves it as my arm is quickly covered in blood and tape. The I.V. is in worst part of the day is over, right ? My doctor comes in and tells me about the 4 procedures that will happen I then sign my life away. Next to come meet me is anesthesiologist. He’s a cool guy that sounds like the bad guy from every mob movie ever made,  so I think I’m being punked. A few minutes later and I’m off rolling down the hall thankfully not signing to any nurses or embarrassing myself by any other means. We get into cath lab I’m moved to the table and I’m having electrodes placed all over me. Those things are cold if anyone is wondering. Thankfully the anesthesiologist comes to my rescue and tells me my left arm will feel cold, he then placed oxygen mask over my face I took three deep breaths and was out. Waking up scared me I saw nurses and my doctor talking about me but nobody talking to me. I woke up as I was being taken into a room in CCU cardiac care unit. That was hectic, my doctor is explaining to me that he burned a hole in a baffle that’s been there since 1985. That’s all I remember from that conversation, I was still on a lot of drugs. I then realize it’s almost 8pm I went into surgery at 9am. I spent 9 hours in cardiac cath lab. Then the fun starts I meet my nurse and am told I have to lay flat for 4 hours. That was miserable. While I’m stuck like that I notice my neck is bandaged. I’m confused what happened there ? They sent a camera through my neck to check for blood clots…… yeah that happened. Oh I forgot to mention the nurse I had just met had to check all bandages every hour, both groins and my neck. Good thing I’m not bashful. After the 4 hours I was able to situp get some food and watch TV all while every hour same routine. I stayed up all night never slept to excited to leave as I was told I’d leave around 9am. Mom got back to hospital around 7:30 and she explained everything to me I missed. One artery was blocked so they had to use both sides to get up to heart. Then they mapped all trouble spots and burned through baffle to map right side of heart. They then went back and burned all terrible spots to prevent atrial flutter. All that took nine hours, and I now have a normal functioning heart. As we are talking breakfast shows up followed by an EKG machine. I’m not a fan of hospital food so I want upset to see this. The EKG tech was training a new tech and I become a test for her. The EKG looked great and then I see my doctor’s nurse Sharon coming in she tells me my doctor took the day off and she was there to discharge me.  She checked bandages, at this point I have no shame. An hour later and we were on the road home.  26 hours in 9 hours in cardiac cath lab, not bad. Even I’m impressed by that. Good Friday earned it’s name this year. Dr. Bryant is a great cardiologist he’s put in pacemaker 4 and 5.