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Valley Village, California
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Published On: Oct 08, 2008 10:46 PM
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Published On: Oct 08, 2008 10:46 PM
All You Never Wanted to Know About Coronary Artery Disease...
...and wish the hell I wouldn't blog
about. :-)
Executive Summary: I went to the hospital. I had a stent installed in a partially clogged coronary artery. I can hike now, and bike again next Thursday!
Executive Summary: I went to the hospital. I had a stent installed in a partially clogged coronary artery. I can hike now, and bike again next Thursday!
I went to the doctor Wednesday evening. He did an
EKG and listened to my
symptoms...
He informed me that with me showing classic, textbook cardiac angina symptoms he wanted me in the local Chest Pain Unit right away, because if I had a full-out heart attack he couldn't put me back together anywhere near as good as I was before. There followed some debate about how I was getting to the hospital; he seemed concerned that I would keel over at the wheel of my car, and expressed surprise that I had driven myself to the appointment... but at last he agreed that I could drive if I went STRAIGHT to the emergency room, do not pass go, do not collect $200. I called hubby to meet me with an overnight bag, and went.
At the emergency room, there was more fun. I had a note from the doctor that I was to be admitted to the chest pain unit immediately, do not make her sit around in triage...
I had to repeat the tale of my chest pain while biking uphill at least three more times to incredulous nurses and intake clerks, all of whom wondered why the hell I was still walking... I gave consent to a stress-EKG in the morning (the treadmill deal) and they finally left me to try to find a comfortable position to sleep with the heart monitor transmitter stuck to me.
In the morning, the Cardiologist heard my biking story one last time, and said,
I told you I'm a numbers slut... ;-)
I was conscious during the entire process. It was surreal, watching the whole thing on 3 huge monitors over the operating table. I felt like a car on the lube rack... and indeed it came down as the Cardiologist predicted: the partly clogged artery was located, stretched out, and a stent installed to keep it from closing back down.
I will spare you the gore, and humiliating discomfort of recovery. They let me out yesterday morning, with orders to do some walking every day, at least, and details on how to change my diet, and take the medications (yuck, but I'll do it.) Yesterday, I walked all right, but I spent a lot of time sleeping, too. Today I feel more alert. Next week, back on my bike!
DOCTOR: What are you doing tonight?
ME: Uh, going home?
(Dead silence while the doctor just stares at me.)
ME: Wrong answer, huh?
He informed me that with me showing classic, textbook cardiac angina symptoms he wanted me in the local Chest Pain Unit right away, because if I had a full-out heart attack he couldn't put me back together anywhere near as good as I was before. There followed some debate about how I was getting to the hospital; he seemed concerned that I would keel over at the wheel of my car, and expressed surprise that I had driven myself to the appointment... but at last he agreed that I could drive if I went STRAIGHT to the emergency room, do not pass go, do not collect $200. I called hubby to meet me with an overnight bag, and went.
At the emergency room, there was more fun. I had a note from the doctor that I was to be admitted to the chest pain unit immediately, do not make her sit around in triage...
ME: (Walks up to the emergency room clerk, with no apparent symptoms) I'm supposed to be admitted straight to the Chest Pain Unit.
EMERGENCY ROOM CLERK: (looking me up and down) Yeah, right.
ME: (Handing over note) The doctor gave me this...
EMERGENCY ROOM CLERK: (reading note) Um, ... um, where's the nursing supervisor, would someone page her? Are you having chest pain now?
ME: Not right at the moment, no...
I had to repeat the tale of my chest pain while biking uphill at least three more times to incredulous nurses and intake clerks, all of whom wondered why the hell I was still walking... I gave consent to a stress-EKG in the morning (the treadmill deal) and they finally left me to try to find a comfortable position to sleep with the heart monitor transmitter stuck to me.
In the morning, the Cardiologist heard my biking story one last time, and said,
CARDIOLOGIST: Well, we could do a treadmill test, but frankly, your symptoms are so classic that I wouldn't believe it if it came out negative, and I'd give you an angiogram anyway... besides, if we do an angiogram and find a partly occluded coronary artery, we can most likely do an angioplasty and install a stent at the same time, saving you a day's stay here...
ME: Um, I need to talk to my husband...
CARDIOLOGIST: You know, most of my patients probably wouldn't understand this, but you probably will...
(follows a 15 minute lecture, with statistics and diagrams)
ME: Ok, let's do it.
I told you I'm a numbers slut... ;-)
I was conscious during the entire process. It was surreal, watching the whole thing on 3 huge monitors over the operating table. I felt like a car on the lube rack... and indeed it came down as the Cardiologist predicted: the partly clogged artery was located, stretched out, and a stent installed to keep it from closing back down.
I will spare you the gore, and humiliating discomfort of recovery. They let me out yesterday morning, with orders to do some walking every day, at least, and details on how to change my diet, and take the medications (yuck, but I'll do it.) Yesterday, I walked all right, but I spent a lot of time sleeping, too. Today I feel more alert. Next week, back on my bike!
Posted: Sat - November 6, 2004 at 11:32 AM | | | | |