Life is Fragile Part 2: My Scary Halloween

byjetrbby80316

5K followers

Updated 6 years ago

This was one scary Halloween.

You may recall I wrote a post back in early July called “Life is Fragile” about an unexpected health scare.

In case you missed it, read Part 1 https://my.wealthyaffiliate.co...

You can also call this Part 2.

Well, similarly I was feeling quite light-heated and dizzy on Monday afternoon one day before Halloween, so I checked myself into the local hospital emergency room. No, I wasn’t under any alcoholic influence but was inexplicably feeling quite weak and the room was somewhat spinning.

Soon I connected to a heart monitor and starring at the ceiling in the ER.

They took my vitals and once again discovered my heart rate was dangerously low in the 33-41 range. I was put on fluids, and shortly thereafter admitted into the hospital for a stay of indeterminate length.

The doctors and attendants watched me closely but for more than 24 hours my low heart rate did not change. Unlike back in July when my heart rate returned to the normal 60’s range within 2-3 hours in the ER, it remained in the dangerous low 30’s.

More tests were done, and due to my consistent low heart rate, the word was it seemed likely I was headed toward getting a pacemaker. Damn, not something I wanted!

Quickly the cardiac electrophysiology team made the decision this pacemaker would be installed inside my body late afternoon on Halloween. Therefore, I was placed on “NPO” status” the night before, which means I was not allowed to eat for 24 hours in anticipation of the procedure.

This really was a deep blow, and hour by hour as each moment passed I was getting really, really edgy.

My heart rate remained in the 30’s throughout an interminable sleepless night.

And I was hungry. Very hungry.

An Unlikely Turn

The next day on Halloween one hour before the procedure, suddenly the physician’s assistant speculated the procedure would be delayed one more day, which meant I could finally eat something. The PA would let the staff know the “NPO” order was off, and said she would return shortly with the head cardiac surgeon and team to discuss my pacemaker.

You can now imagine how excited I was to finally be allowed to eat something, when suddenly it all turned sour. Apparently, the PA forgot to inform the nursing staff, nor sign a “dc order” to give formal authorization for the nursing staff to feed me!

I totally lost it.

“I was promised a meal and now I can’t eat. This is totally unacceptable. You are all a bunch of dysfunctional as**es!!”

When the cardiac electrophysiology team returned, my wrath was immediately redirected at the doctor.

“Your PA informed me you decided to postpone the procedure until tomorrow. That was fine and meant I could now have a meal today. But then she said she’d put the order in with the nursing staff, but she didn’t. Now the nursing staff won’t let me eat.

What the hell happened, what is going on?”

The cardiac surgeon replied, “The truth is we really don’t know if we are doing the procedure today or tomorrow. Can’t make a final decision until I examine you.”

I was livid.

All of a sudden, together the cardiac team and I all turned our heads and viewed my heart rate on the monitor, it was now up in the normal 60’s range, and it remained there.

And I was feeling much better!

The doctor examined me right there and made a new determination based on my increased heart rate, my test results, and other physical factors I would no longer need a pacemaker for now. And hopefully never.

I would monitor myself closely over the coming weeks, and hoping this holds steady and remains the new normal.

Shortly after, I was discharged from the hospital with only a heart monitor.

What turn of events!

Please feel free to make a comment, and here’s hoping you all had a spooky Halloween, but not a scary one like mine!

Cheers,

Kaju