A while ago, for a short time, I was a cold hearted b*&%#.
I had cryosurgery on my heart. The goal is to be able to stop a number of the medicines prescribed and not have any more episodes of A-fib. (A-fib: Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots in the heart. A-fib increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.)
My daughter drove me to the hospital. Surgery was scheduled for 8:30, so 2 hours before was when I was to be at the hospital. After going over all the paperwork required, we were told to walk down the hall to the Cardiac Surgery area and someone would come out to get me.
We had barely entered the waiting area when my name was called. Susan, the nurse told my daughter that she would come and get her after she got me settled.
Oh boy, here we go! Susan escorted me to the pre-op and recovery area. I was given one of those lovely gowns to put on and instructed to lay on the bed. I placed all of my clothing in a bag and my tennis shoes on the ground. Next, my blood was taken, and an IV was attached. An EKG was the following step. The Anesthesiologist stopped by to introduce himself and then the fun part; ‘Prepping the area’. In my case, my surgeon likes to go through both sides of the groin area, Lucky me. Thus, both ‘groins’ received the: ‘prep.’
It’s show time! Off to the operating room, I go in the gurney. I walked into the operating room and was instructed to stand on a stool while various electronic pads were attached on my back and front, there was no place for modesty here. I was then asked to lay down on the operating table while they placed special things on my legs that expanded in a synchronized pattern, first one leg and then the other. The Anesthesiologist placed a mask over my nose and mouth and asked me to take a deep breath. Lights out!
The next thing I knew I was back with Susan. Wow, I kept seeing psychedelic clouds when I closed my eyes. My daughter, Francesca, was sitting in the chair at the side of the bed coloring on her iPad. She showed me the picture she had just done and I said, “Yeah Penguins should be Pink!” (She had colored Flamingos) “oops, I meant Flamingos.” I think both Susan and Francesca were relieved.
Those pesky clouds continued for a few more minutes and then, just like magic, they were gone and my head felt clear. Susan checked my blood pressure a few times. I requested a trip to the bathroom. Susan explained that for the next seven days, I was to hold both sides of my groin where the bandages were every time I stood up, sat down or coughed. Well, that was going to be interesting. Extra gauze had been placed over the surgical sites to make it easier to ‘feel’ the area to be held. I passed the first attempt to stand and ‘sit’.
She asked me if I could take a walk around the recovery room. We did two laps and she deemed me ready to get dressed and be discharged. I got dressed but did not put on my shoes as I am also not allowed to bend over or lift anything over 7 pounds for 2 weeks. Whew!
We got home and I just relaxed in the chair as the kids went to my grandson’s baseball game. While they were gone, I got up a few times being careful to hold the ‘respective areas’ each time. The last time that I held the areas, one was a tad wet and bloody. Uh Oh!
When everyone returned, I asked my daughter to take a look and check the area. BIG MISTAKE! Gagging, heavy breathing, more gagging and the words ‘Look AWAY’, ‘Don’t come down this way, GiGi is bleeding’, ‘Is she bleeding into our room.’ more gagging, coughing and general upset. After a few attempts, new bandages were applied and I went to bed.
I would be responsible for future bandage changes. You can imagine the difficulty involved. I tried various positions, standing, holding a mirror with one hand, standing with one leg elevated and holding mirror, a slight crouching stance, etc. The most prudent and easiest position was to lie on the bed, hold the mirror with one hand, locate the area to be bandaged, pre-prep the bandaid with the extra gauze and BAM! Hopefully touchdown in the appropriate spot. Now for the other side . . . Mission accomplished.
Post-op checkup with my doctor went well. He went over what he did and that he tried to get me to go int A-FIB but it didn’t happen and that I was looking better. He would see me in a month.
I thanked him and said, “So, you’re telling me that for a short time I was a cold hearted Bitch!” He laughed and replied “Yes, you are correct. But for a very short time!”
So friends, I am back to my warm hearted ways!
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