Oh, it’s been a while
Jul. 15th, 2003 11:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
whotheheckamiThere’s been quite a bit of stuff going on over the past few days. Some of if could be described as mildly interesting and so here goes…
Against our expectations Piper and Selene slept well and we were able to stay in bed until 8ish before getting up to make sure that everyone was washed, dressed and breakfasted. Also against expectations that nice man from Tesco arrived at the beginning of his time slot and so were able to pack all the gorceries away before going for a wall around the village. Our visitors seemed to like our play park and Maggie was pleased to reacquaint herself with the cooling, but filthy waters of the village brook. By the time we got home I had to leave to attend my hospital appointment in Leicseter.
I was well and truly wired up for my exercise ECG and I’ve reacted to the glue on the el;ectrodes and now look as if I’ve gone 5 rounds with a giant squid! However, the test was inconclusive, but I did get some very painful chest pains and there were some changes to my ECG on a couple of channels. Consequently, the Professor of Cardiac Medicine wants me to have an Angiogram on Friday 25 July. This procedure involves the insertion of a wire through the femoral artery in the groin. This is then fed through the blood system to the heart where it is used to inject a dye that can me monitored by X-ray to assess any constriction in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.Oh joy! I am not looking forward to this; especially after the Professor assured me that the test was not without risks, but that a full cardiac bypass team would be on standby if anything went “horribly wrong” – eek!
By the time I got home I was somewhat subdued and didn’t really participate in the rest of the evening which involved MacDonald’s, chores and watching Catch Me If You Can - not a bad film
The Abduction Club - a fair movie about second sons kidnapping heiresses in 18th Century Ireland. However, the human scenery was far better than the plot!
It was Monday and so it was time for me to go and see my Doctor and tell him about my adventures at the Hospital. He was very interested and took much delight in describing all the Angiogram-related complications he could remember. Five minutes of ruptured heart arteries later he took my blood pressure and despite his best efforts to get me worried it seems to be responding to the changes in medication and is gradually reducing. However, my chest pains are continuing and he has signed me off work for another 2 weeks until Monday 28 July, when he wants to reassess me following the Angiogram. All this took well over tow hours with an interminable wait watching breakfast TV (is my Doctor determined to kill off ALL of his patients?) and so Pixie and I only had time to nip into Melton Mowbray to complete some chores before returning Chez Who for a rest in the shade.
Suitably restored, I phoned my Dad for news of my Mum who had had her bowel operation earlier in the day. The op had gone well and she was quite bright and chatty after shaking off the effects of the anesthetic. He didn’t have any concrete news about what they found – only that the surgeon could not remove all the growths – now we al wait and pray for the biopsy results.
Pixie and I went across the road to the boys’ sportsday where we chatted to Mendi’s gorgeous boss, Jan. He duly reported to Mendi that he had seen me and, “Your friend with the hair!” We also chatted to Jan’s ex-wife who has invited us to the pub she is now running with her newboyman:@)
Coming soon to an LJ near you…."Into the Mud Scum Queen!
Against our expectations Piper and Selene slept well and we were able to stay in bed until 8ish before getting up to make sure that everyone was washed, dressed and breakfasted. Also against expectations that nice man from Tesco arrived at the beginning of his time slot and so were able to pack all the gorceries away before going for a wall around the village. Our visitors seemed to like our play park and Maggie was pleased to reacquaint herself with the cooling, but filthy waters of the village brook. By the time we got home I had to leave to attend my hospital appointment in Leicseter.
I was well and truly wired up for my exercise ECG and I’ve reacted to the glue on the el;ectrodes and now look as if I’ve gone 5 rounds with a giant squid! However, the test was inconclusive, but I did get some very painful chest pains and there were some changes to my ECG on a couple of channels. Consequently, the Professor of Cardiac Medicine wants me to have an Angiogram on Friday 25 July. This procedure involves the insertion of a wire through the femoral artery in the groin. This is then fed through the blood system to the heart where it is used to inject a dye that can me monitored by X-ray to assess any constriction in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.Oh joy! I am not looking forward to this; especially after the Professor assured me that the test was not without risks, but that a full cardiac bypass team would be on standby if anything went “horribly wrong” – eek!
By the time I got home I was somewhat subdued and didn’t really participate in the rest of the evening which involved MacDonald’s, chores and watching Catch Me If You Can - not a bad film
The Abduction Club - a fair movie about second sons kidnapping heiresses in 18th Century Ireland. However, the human scenery was far better than the plot!
It was Monday and so it was time for me to go and see my Doctor and tell him about my adventures at the Hospital. He was very interested and took much delight in describing all the Angiogram-related complications he could remember. Five minutes of ruptured heart arteries later he took my blood pressure and despite his best efforts to get me worried it seems to be responding to the changes in medication and is gradually reducing. However, my chest pains are continuing and he has signed me off work for another 2 weeks until Monday 28 July, when he wants to reassess me following the Angiogram. All this took well over tow hours with an interminable wait watching breakfast TV (is my Doctor determined to kill off ALL of his patients?) and so Pixie and I only had time to nip into Melton Mowbray to complete some chores before returning Chez Who for a rest in the shade.
Suitably restored, I phoned my Dad for news of my Mum who had had her bowel operation earlier in the day. The op had gone well and she was quite bright and chatty after shaking off the effects of the anesthetic. He didn’t have any concrete news about what they found – only that the surgeon could not remove all the growths – now we al wait and pray for the biopsy results.
Pixie and I went across the road to the boys’ sportsday where we chatted to Mendi’s gorgeous boss, Jan. He duly reported to Mendi that he had seen me and, “Your friend with the hair!” We also chatted to Jan’s ex-wife who has invited us to the pub she is now running with her new
Coming soon to an LJ near you…."Into the Mud Scum Queen!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-07-15 04:03 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-15 07:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-15 04:43 am (UTC)And best of luck on your angiogram, too! Will be thinking positive thoughts for you on 25 July.
*hugs hugs hugs*
Re:
Date: 2003-07-15 07:30 am (UTC)We'll make sure that the members of the family who are with her are briefed to watch out for the 72-hour post-operative slump.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-15 04:50 am (UTC)Aha!
Date: 2003-07-15 06:09 am (UTC)"able to pack all the gorceries away before going for a wall around the village"
If you're going to sneak out and do dry-walling when no one is looking, of course you're going to end up with pains ... <grin!>
Seriously though, my mum had an angiogram last week and it was a doddle. They'd scared her and she'd brought in clothes in case they told her to stay in the hospital, and they had told her to bring a walkman since there can be a lot of waiting around ... but in the end it was quick, relatively painless and she back home in the afternoon feeling much better for knowing that no additional damage had been found.
Hugs and prayers for your Mum ... and for you and Mendi too.
Re: Aha!
Date: 2003-07-15 07:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-15 10:54 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-15 03:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-17 03:19 pm (UTC)Nice of him to reassure you ... eek, indeed!
It's usually pretty routine, really. I know any number of people who have undergone that particular ordeal with no serious ill effects, unless one counts nervous anticipation before and after, while one awaits the test, and then the results, and utter boredom during.
Re:
Date: 2003-07-17 10:55 pm (UTC)Note to self: make sure I have a book with me - the newspapers and magazines in the hospital are all frightfully right-wing! ;@)
no subject
Date: 2003-07-18 10:16 am (UTC);-)
(re: the angina...You do know to avoid cocoanut products and anything "hydrogenated", yes? Especially those fake-cream products for coffee (coffee complement, I think they call 'em over there). I knew a cardiologist who used that stuff diagnostically; if he thought someone had angina, he'd give them a teaspoon of Creamora to let melt in their mouth. (Yes, ick.) If the patient DID have angina, then s/he would have an attack right there. Very handy. Very scary.)
Re:
Date: 2003-07-18 01:17 pm (UTC)Fake-cream products - even bleurghier
However, I'd never heard of their contra-indications. You learn something...
no subject
Date: 2003-07-19 11:05 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-19 11:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-19 11:58 am (UTC)They can't do that over here.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-19 11:58 am (UTC)They can't do that over here.
Re:
Date: 2003-07-19 12:07 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-19 12:07 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-19 11:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-18 10:12 am (UTC)My mother had her ascending colon removed last year, and was back at work, full-time, in less than a month. She's doing well. Hope yours has a speedy recovery.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-20 09:49 am (UTC)urk
You're looking forward to not fun. Enjoy the sun, and best of luck for you and your mother.
*hug*