Orbs 'r' Us

PART FOUR – THE PROCEDURE!

Dec 13, 2005

Outpatient Surgery Department [7:30 am]…answer same questions at front desk and on the ward. These people would save time if they would only photocopy that sheet! Or maybe give me a copy and I could carry copies around with me!

Then the nurse gives you this scratchy gown and tells you to wait…I’m supposedly next!

Found out that next meant 4 hours later!

FINALLY…it’s time!

I liked it better when they brought the stretcher to you and you are wheeled into the operation room. They gave you a drug that made you relax and it wasn’t so stressful going into that room and the urge to run is not there! But not now…now you have to walk to the operating room…stone sober…and your stress level goes way up! All I wanted to do was run away and forget everything!

Putting on a brave face I climbed onto the table!
I was swarmed by nurses and doctors…prepped for the procedure!

I was told that it was only to find what was blocked and if I MIGHT need more work.
The doctor thought it funny that I crossed my fingers!
I wasn’t taking any chances…NO WAY was I going to go through this again!

They have TV monitors all around you and this x-ray machine continually takes pictures of your heart while he is working on it! You can if watch if you want.

REMEMBER – YOU’RE AWAKE!!

Queen of Halloween is squeamish!!

Last thing I wanted to see was someone shoving a microscopic camera through my vein into my heart [thankfully it kept beating], let alone watch as they blow it up with this balloon!

I am also happy that they talk real low so it’s hard to hear things like “that part of the heart is too damaged to repair” and “we don’t have anymore stents that size” [they put 3] while you are laying there! Those words came later the next day!

1 hour turned into 2 ½ hours!

What does a person think of during that time?

I have a fantastic imagination! Try and keep that under control while all of this is going on!
All you have to stare at is the ceiling tiles! I think I counted them a million times!
I vote for them to have TVs installed up there and run a movie or documentary [not about the heart]!

I forgot to tell them about the deteriated disc in my back and laying for that long killed me! After awhile pain killers didn’t work! Thankfully they were finally done!