Happy Heart Day!

Yesterday began like any other day except for the fact that the day started much earlier than normal well for me anyway.  Up at 5:30 AM and we were out the door at 6:45 AM to make the trek toward the Medical Center.  Neither one of us knowing how long it would take on the Westpark Toll road.  The sheet of instructions asked that we be at the hospital between 8:00 and 8:30.  I wasn't too nervous about finding my way there since it is one of the three places I really know how to get to in the Med Center.  We arrived a little before 8:00 and went to Admissions to begin the process.  The admission clerk and I had a rousing conversation on The Gospel, Tyler Perry, Gospel music and Kirk Franklin.  We had such a great time visiting that she totally forgot to tell me to get blood work done before going to the cardio floor.  So cardio sent me to pathology and I returned back and handed a clipboard full of paperwork that needed to be signed and dated.  I had a book with me but decided against reading it while waiting.  It is such a good story, I didn't want to speed through it or reread the same paragraph a thousand times because the waiting room can be so distracting.  Last time and this time there were people camped out for the day and they had brought everything to make their stay be a little more comfortable.  Besides the TV to watch, family dynamics were on full display and gave us a front row seat to their reality show.  Last time I had the first appointment of the day and yesterday I had the second appointment.  There is a whole lot of time difference between the two.  Yesterday, a nurse sat with us and walked us through the whole procedure.  I don't remember anyone doing that last time.  She assured me that the process has become easier and better since my last "shocking" experience.  I really got nervous about the throat spray portion.  She made it sound so horrible and dramatic if I didn't let the spray coat the back of my throat and then how I would feel awkward on not being able to feel myself swallow. 

Finally, my name was called and we went back to the procedure room.  Roy was cracking jokes and making me laugh.  So they suited me up in a beautiful, nearly falling apart gown, hooked me up to a ton of machines and put an oxygen thing in my nose.  At first I thought she was handing me iPod earphones...  She checked my blood work and told me everything looked normal.  She was about to tell us more useful information when another nurse comes in and says, you need to get the payroll approved or none of us are going to get paid.  Well, that kind of scared me, you want people working on you that know where their next paycheck is coming from.  So Lucy and yes I loved Lucy, was the nurse that went through the procedure with me.  Roy was kind of funny letting me know the readouts on my blood pressure and heart rate.  He said my heart rate was all over the place the lowest being 84 and the highest 198.  The nurse told me it is as if I have been running for over two weeks and that causes the fatigued, lightheadiness and shortness of breath.  I HATE running so my brain probably has been telling my heart, hey stop running.  So glad my heart didn't side with my brain on that one.    The pre-Doctor came in, explained the throat thing again, sprayed me and let it do its work.  It wasn't half as bad as it had been described.  The pre-Doc and Roy talked a lot because pre-Doc's wife is a safety engineer.  It was like having my own private safety moment there in the hospital.  The Doctor who was doing the TEE was running a little late and once he came in and introduced himself, the last thing I remember is them putting that thing in my mouth that makes me feel like Hannibal Lector. 

I woke up, groggy and from that point onward I don't remember much.  They did tell me that my cardiologist had done the shock.  Last time some other Dr did it.  Dang, my Dr is good because I barely have any "burn" marks on me from the electrodes.  He got my heart in sync on the first jolt. 

In hindsight I can never remember if I dressed myself or if someone else did.  I kind of remember the wheelchair ride down to the car.  I don't remember the ride home but I do know we stopped at Cracker Barrel to eat although I don't really remember anything about that.  Don't remember getting home or getting to bed.  Roy woke me up at 6:00 or so and from that point on I have much better recollection.  He knew I would want to be wide awake for Dance Moms. 

This morning I just have some lingering pain in the throat but my heart is steady and not beating a million miles a minute.  On a side note, the Dr thought I had sleep apnea.  I told him I didn't because I don't snore and they confirmed it yesterday, I do not have it.  Now Roy on the other hand....  So now I have a few weeks to make the decision on when to have surgery...