Thursday
Hello all! (WARNING - today's blog post describes surgery) Today was significantly less fun than yesterday that's for sure! Firstly, I was rudely awoken at 6 am. The nurse stabbed me with a cannula. But I had an alright sleep last night, I was quite cold because I'm not used to being in a single bed so the covers weren't big enough, but I didn't have any wires on me so I could at least sleep properly! So tonight I'm sleeping in my thicker bunny PJs.
I couldn't get back to sleep so I washed my face, got dressed and put some makeup on. It's a really chilled ward, not like when I was in Liverpool and all the lights were on at 7 am! So I just chilled in bed until about 10 and I had some Rice Krispies for brekkie again about 8. I was then taken by the porter to CT at about 11 am for a chest CT, I had to wait for agessss but I had a nap in my chair while I was waiting haha! I had some dye injected for my CT which I've had a couple of times before so it was no big deal, the dye is just strange because it makes you go really hot and you feel like you've weed yourself! The porter is really nice, he sat and did his crossword while he waited for me so he was there ready to take me back when I was done.
I saw a doctor then when I was back who spoke to me about my procedure for this afternoon and I had to sign some consent forms, because one of the risks is that they burst your artery so you have to consent to surgery prior just in case that happens. I had a bit of lunch and then got changed into my stylish gown and paper underwear!
The procedure is called a right heart catheter, and they do it in the cath labs. Because Wythenshawe specialises in cardiac they have 5 cath labs which is basically where you go to have an emergency stent put in if you have a heart attack, the procedure I had and they do more routine things as well. They do surgery which involves catheters and X Ray so the room is huge, it is basically a big theater room with a huge screen and there's loads of computers behind the screen and there's big X Ray machines in the middle as well. And it's freezing. So I was wheeled in in my bed and I went in to the room, I didn't realise it'd be such a big procedure so it was a bit scary going into theater. They stuck ECG stickers on me and there was a huge TV next to me where I could see my pulse, blood pressure and heart beats. They put the catheter through the main artery in your groin so I had the area prepped and a big screen put over me and then they injected a local anesthetic. Then... he stabbed me with a tube and that really hurt! Like I shouted in pain kind of hurt. I went all hot and thought I'd faint. Then my blood pressure dropped massively and they had to put some fluids through my IV because they were struggling to find the vein I think. So he gave me some more local and it still wasn't nice the second time in, it felt as if someone had stabbed my bone. It was not fun. But then I got to watch the screen because there's an X Ray scanner over your chest so I could see the rod travelling through my artery and into my heart. They then said I might feel some palpitations in my chest but I don't know if they were palpitations, I just felt a fluttering. Then they took out the rod and applied pressure for a bit until I stopped bleeding and I was all done.
I went back to the ward rather than recovery which was nice because I was absolutely freezing! I had to lie flat then for an hour then to let my vein heal and I took some paracetamol just in case it hurt when the anesthetic wore off. Then I had some soup and I'm done for the day now so I have visitors coming! :) The results show that the pressure in my arteries and my ventricles is too high which is what they expect because my heart isn't working properly but it's not too high that they wouldn't do a transplant, which is what I wanted to hear!
I was supposed to see the transplant coordinator today but I think she's busy because two people came in this morning for new lungs! Two people come in and then whoever is the better match goes in for the op, so they do all their tests before the lungs even get here and then this evening the guy went in for his op, so fingers crossed all is well!
So I think it might be tomorrow afternoon before I'm discharged because I have to see the coordinator before I go home. I can't wait to see my bunnys and get in my own bed! The poor buns haven't been out in two days because it's been raining and no ones been home to run out and let them out in between showers like I do! haha.
In case people were wondering, the next step is that I'll meet my surgeon on Monday 18th and discuss surgery, the risks, the medication afterwards etc. And then on the following Friday they'll have a meeting where they'll decide whether I'm going on the list, either 1. I'm not suitable, 2. I am suitable but not ready to be listed yet or 3. I'll go on the list and then there are different urgency lists. So it'll be back to normal for a few days when I'm home, I have to finish one of my essays over the weekend to hand in on Monday and then I don't think I'll hear then until after Christmas so I'll just enjoy myself for a bit :)
Thanks so much for reading again everyone!
I saw a doctor then when I was back who spoke to me about my procedure for this afternoon and I had to sign some consent forms, because one of the risks is that they burst your artery so you have to consent to surgery prior just in case that happens. I had a bit of lunch and then got changed into my stylish gown and paper underwear!
The procedure is called a right heart catheter, and they do it in the cath labs. Because Wythenshawe specialises in cardiac they have 5 cath labs which is basically where you go to have an emergency stent put in if you have a heart attack, the procedure I had and they do more routine things as well. They do surgery which involves catheters and X Ray so the room is huge, it is basically a big theater room with a huge screen and there's loads of computers behind the screen and there's big X Ray machines in the middle as well. And it's freezing. So I was wheeled in in my bed and I went in to the room, I didn't realise it'd be such a big procedure so it was a bit scary going into theater. They stuck ECG stickers on me and there was a huge TV next to me where I could see my pulse, blood pressure and heart beats. They put the catheter through the main artery in your groin so I had the area prepped and a big screen put over me and then they injected a local anesthetic. Then... he stabbed me with a tube and that really hurt! Like I shouted in pain kind of hurt. I went all hot and thought I'd faint. Then my blood pressure dropped massively and they had to put some fluids through my IV because they were struggling to find the vein I think. So he gave me some more local and it still wasn't nice the second time in, it felt as if someone had stabbed my bone. It was not fun. But then I got to watch the screen because there's an X Ray scanner over your chest so I could see the rod travelling through my artery and into my heart. They then said I might feel some palpitations in my chest but I don't know if they were palpitations, I just felt a fluttering. Then they took out the rod and applied pressure for a bit until I stopped bleeding and I was all done.
I went back to the ward rather than recovery which was nice because I was absolutely freezing! I had to lie flat then for an hour then to let my vein heal and I took some paracetamol just in case it hurt when the anesthetic wore off. Then I had some soup and I'm done for the day now so I have visitors coming! :) The results show that the pressure in my arteries and my ventricles is too high which is what they expect because my heart isn't working properly but it's not too high that they wouldn't do a transplant, which is what I wanted to hear!
I was supposed to see the transplant coordinator today but I think she's busy because two people came in this morning for new lungs! Two people come in and then whoever is the better match goes in for the op, so they do all their tests before the lungs even get here and then this evening the guy went in for his op, so fingers crossed all is well!
So I think it might be tomorrow afternoon before I'm discharged because I have to see the coordinator before I go home. I can't wait to see my bunnys and get in my own bed! The poor buns haven't been out in two days because it's been raining and no ones been home to run out and let them out in between showers like I do! haha.
In case people were wondering, the next step is that I'll meet my surgeon on Monday 18th and discuss surgery, the risks, the medication afterwards etc. And then on the following Friday they'll have a meeting where they'll decide whether I'm going on the list, either 1. I'm not suitable, 2. I am suitable but not ready to be listed yet or 3. I'll go on the list and then there are different urgency lists. So it'll be back to normal for a few days when I'm home, I have to finish one of my essays over the weekend to hand in on Monday and then I don't think I'll hear then until after Christmas so I'll just enjoy myself for a bit :)
Thanks so much for reading again everyone!
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