Brookwood Hospital 5 day stay! Here's Johnny!
3/25/2009
Dear friends, family and my gentle and causal reader,
Last friday began like most days, but something apparently was wrong. I had an uneasy feeling, could not get comfortable working from my home office. This was a feeling I had not experienced before and somewhat unsettling.
I finished up my work by mid-morning, showered, shaved and headed toward my favorite doc in the box as my GP takes friday's off. It was an hour wait, but soon I had my blood pressure checked, blood taken, an exam and soon a electrocardiogram, and all checked out OK. I leave but still uneasy even though told everything OK.
I got my car washed and headed toward home. The time I arrived home, my anxiety had reached a cressindo that made my thinking, I needed to go to the hospital ER. I called Karen and that is what we did.
It was a looney toons at Brookwood ER, Friday 5:30pm and every emergency in the world streaming now through the front door. Bloody faces, fist fights, faces hit with 2x4's and flu and cold symptoms galore. Jeff with chest pain and I am told I am about 3rd in line with all the ER exam room FULL.
Karen and I sit and watch folks bleed on the floor or almost fall from fighting, as someone finally catches them. Soon they call us back and I go thru the beauracy of getting to see a heart doctor. He soon see's me and wants to do stress tests, nuclear medicine and possibly a catherization of the heart to get a more definitive picture. I get door 3.
The first two test Saturday am, were good, I passed but not definitive enough to find out the source of my pain. That means staying Sat and Sunday as they don't do this cath of the heart on weekends. But they would early am Monday and too, monitor my heart for a day and a half to see too, if something unusual going on.
The weekend checked out OK, but bland food, no salt, no fat, no taste, the real heart diet. Sunday night is waking me about midnight and an CPA (something this side of an LPN) and drop your drawers. She shaves everything, both side of my abdomen, down both legs, and in-between, AND IE "NO HAIR LEFT BEHIND".
It got somewhat comical as I think she enjoyed shaving this guy who she said "used to be a red-head". I wonder how she know that! Quit laughing! Now just call me baldy (f.t.w.d)(from the waist down). Now wait until 5:00am and they have me up and ready to go.
10:00am, they come and get me. I can't have water, nothing by mouth, and soon rolled down the hall into the O/R. The paint all my privates with brown stuff and soon the doctor is inserting a probe in my abdomen. He watches this enter my heart, the pumps out dye I can taste in my mouth. The camera's are clicking and soon it's over. It takes about 45 minutes all together but I think the Rx they give you disguised the passing of time.
I am told everything OK, but now have to lay flat for 4 hours, then head up on pillow in 2 more hours, and then I can sit up in another 2 hours. I really wanted to go home (as did Karen) after this, but my plumbing would not work and I sent Karen home. Good thing I did, as it was 8:30pm before the plumbing works, and 9:30pm before I could walk with my nurse across the room.
I left out the fact I had gone 15 or more hours without eating or fluid and Karen had to hand feed me after returning to my room. She was beat after being there all day and I know she was exhausted.
It is now Wednesday pm 3/25 and I finally feel like writing. I have some real funny stories to tell now if you don't mind being embarressed. I have not been able to drive a nail for a few years, but let a nurse, a total stranger do things while shaving you, you are amazed what Johnny can remember. We laughed and I hope you do too.
Jeff the Knutt in the Ham
