Update: Oh, and did I mention the walk up to the hospital? This is the single biggest challenge when attending an appointment at PA Hospital in Brisbane... Will I make it up to those entry doors? I was discussing this feat with the receptionists at the cardiologists and they said that, just quietly, there is an achievement score for getting up the hill.... tee hee. Note the sign in the bottom right hand corner of the photo. Had I noticed men for $10 I might have got me one. Or two. However, I think that a $10 man might not be a bargain.
BP: 124/78. Hurrah.
It looks like I'm ready for another procedure.
First, cardiac ablation to burn out the excess nerves making the extra pathway in my heart which causes my SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia). Up through a tiny incision in the groin, through the artery and into the heart.
If he cannot reach the section within the heart which he needs to zap with diathermy he will then decide whether he will perform a trans-septal puncture to get the diathermy thingy to the section he needs to cauterise.
Oh goodie.
Worst, worst case scenario of any medical procedure, I'm an organ donor.
Worst case scenario, I'll need a pacemaker 'cos they diathermy too much.
Best case, I won't be needing to take three tablets a day to stop the tachycardia and I can switch to a different bloodpressure tablet, dearer, but less side effects with other drugs I may need (for example, asthma preventer). After I lost 10 kg a couple of years ago I halved the dose of blood pressure medication (metaprolol), so if I can stick to the dieting and exercising I'll probably not need any medication for blood pressure.
Now my cardiologist is making plans.... I should hear from him in a few weeks. EEK!
And I have to halve the metaprolol I take in preparation for the procedure. DOUBLE EEK!
Anyway, here's the moon and the evening star I took it about half an hour ago.
8 comments:
Evening Kae,
Relax, procedures through the femoral artery are quite commonplace these days, and, although some level of inherent risk exists. These are quite safe procedures.
As for doing a transeptal, it sits on the pain scale next to decompressing cardiac tamponade or having your ankles tatooed, a mere trifle, no worries dude.
Now in the spirit of good clinical medicine i give you these valuable lessons i learned as a student.
1. If it doesn't hurt, you've done it wrong.
2. There is no body cavity you can't reach with a 12 gauge cannula and a strong arm.
Now, the real issue is how are your manky toes going????
Hi Carpe
I had cardiac ablation in 2004, 24 August actually, and it didn't work because they ran out of time and the electrical path was in an awkward place, thus the suggestion of transseptal puncture.
I'm not concerned about that, it's just organising things around it that's a pain, and being full of water from drinking water and the drip and having a bladder which is filled double-over-capacity-plus and not being able to get up to pee because you must stay still for 4 hours after they slash your groin artery... the little things are the most annoying. And I can't do bedpans, not lying down anyway.
Just spoke with MDFD, she'll do the pick up, delivery and return for me (of me?). She's a good friend, good thing I bought her some windchimes today, huh?
Asthma is a problem too. After the procedure I had bad asthma for a few days, the adenisone which switches off the tachycardia while they're trying to map the pathway triggers asthma in asthmatics. That was pretty sucky.
The bruising was pretty spectacular, though.
We'll see how I go.
PS
Carpe
As for the manky toes, they'll be vaporubbed-out real soon I hope!
(Crikey that stuff is expensive! More than what I thought it would be, anyway.)
Best wishes kae, hope all goes well.
????? does dencorub do the same thing????, just asking is all
Margos
I thought it was going to be a routine bloodpressure, how'reyagoin', medication's workin', on yer way, see ya in six/12 months....
Nope! Hurrah! I'll be cured!
Carpie
No. It's something in the vaporub, which is used for coughs, colds and sore h... um, well maybe not the latter, huh?
Give it a google... "vicks vapo-rub fungus".
All the best Kae.
Hope it all goes well, Kae.
MarkL
Canberra
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