Wayfaring Stranger
On the night of December 15,2007 this condition became a pain filled reality for this writer.I had been fighting flu symptoms most of the week, (having had pace maker implantation 3 years earlier) and just thought I was having a harder than usual time of fighting it off. As the evening progressed, it became more and more difficult to breath, yet I managed to contact the local Fire/Rescue squad in my area for assistance. Earlier on I was able to sit cross-legged with my elbows on my knees and was at least able to draw in short breaths of air.
By the time the Squad arrived, even that short effort was no longer working very well.I owe a great deal of thanks to the crew of the Claysville Fire and Rescue Squad for all they did for me, in spite of my crying, fighting and begging them to stop. “It just hurt so much lying down and fighting for air.” Even with all my protests, they DID NOT GIVE UP.By the time we arrived at the hospital, I just wanted everything to be over with so I could at least breath a little easier.There was still quite a ways to go yet though.
By this time, in the Emergency Room of the Washington Hospital, the doctors continued the treatment started by the paramedics. Pneumonia had set in and my lungs were filling with fluids my body was not getting rid of. A catheter was inserted to drain these fluids away, so further treatment could continue. Diagnosis at this point: “Congestive Heart Failure.”
I was kept on Oxygen to help my breathing, put on a diuretic to help reduce the fluids building up in my lungs, and monitored for any other problems that might be occurring within my heart. After the x-rays, blood work, Electro-Cardiogram and other tests were completed, it was decided that additional heart catheterization would be used to check the current condition of the stents I already had in place and see if this would relieve the stress on my heart.
During this procedure, it was determined that the stents I already had were clogged, and (now this is the part that really has me amazed) the heart had “blocked off the affected areas and had opened new channels for the blood flow!”
That sounded like something an Amoebia would do, and I had no idea that the heart, another part of the body, could do something like that! The Doctors came in to visit me after this surgery; explained how weakened my heart actually was, and how the heart valves had also been weakened. They told me the next step would be to “Upgrade” my existing pace maker with a third lead that would be responsible for making sure the valves opened and closed in the proper order. For the car enthusiast, that would be the equivalent of giving your automobile a tune up and setting the timing.
All this took place over an 8 day period. I was released for a few days, in time for Christmas, then went back in for this “upgrade” on an over nite basis. I’m home now, but there’s still a long road ahead of me. Things will have to change again, and I must learn to adapt right along with these changes.
netmission
Steven Reid