Hello, everyone, I?m back home.
First, as far as the AICD everything went find. The new one is working properly and the new lead is functioning correctly.
Now, I will discuss the DAY TO FORGET!!!! I have now joined the group of you here that have experienced the delays of surgery. We arrived as instructed at 6 AM. After showing all the necessary insurance cards and other information we were again sent to the waiting room to await our escort back to the staging area. We were told the surgery had been scheduled for 8 AM. After a short while we were called up to be taken back to the prepping area. Here I was stripped (well, OK Cooker, I had to do it myself
) and given one of those wonderful gowns we have all grown to love. Man, them vinyl chairs are cold.
Time S-L-O-W-L-Y ticks by. Around 7:45 AM my nurse gives me a ?happy pill?. I?m still in holding. No one knows why??!! Should be anytime now. Around 8 AM the St Judes Rep comes in to check the AICD one more time. From him (this is the first time the floor nurse even finds out) we find out that Dr. Chhokar is performing a Cath at another hospital across town and would be at least an hour and a half late starting my replacement. This does not make the wife any happier about waiting (remember, she didn?t get a pill). The St Judes rep goes into detail about the plans. The conversation comes to a SCREECHING HALT when he mentions that if they can?t put the new one in the same place as the old one (the left shoulder) they MIGHT have to place it in my Right shoulder. As I am right handed and shoot my firearms using that shoulder I said ?STOP RIGHT THERE, either the left shoulder or you can turn this thing off and I?ll take my chances?. He said he didn?t foresee any need to move it to the right shoulder, it was just an option. NOT FOR ME IT AIN?T. Another potential site would be the lower left abdomen where the early ones were placed. I told him I MIGHT consider that but NOT the right shoulder.
Around 1115 they show up to take me to the room for the procedure. By this time the wife is livid about the wait (have to remember to get a pill for her too if there is a next time ). She has found out that Dr. Chhokar had two patients scheduled for stress tests that morning also and her office had called them Thursday to tell them she would be running about an hour and a half late for their appointments. No one called us.
A SIDEBAR: Dr. Chhokar is not my regular Cardio. My Cardio lost his partner who used to do these things. I have never met Dr. Chhokar but she is one of the highest rated Cardios in Columbus. Even my Cardio said he didn?t want anyone but her doing such a tricky replacement procedure.
I say my ?see you laters? and am wheeled to the DOOR. Everything stops. We are informed that there is someone in the ER who is having a possible heart attack and would need the room I was scheduled for. After confirming this information, I am wheeled back to the holding area.
About 1:15 PM (I have not had anything since MIDNIGHT?my stomach thinks my throat has been cut and my mouth feels like I?ve in the Sierra Dessert for three days ) I am again rolled back to the room. Now the fun begins again. As I am being prepped for the surgery someone mentions to prep BOTH SIDES just in case. HOLD THE PHONE. The St Judes Rep is in the room and we both inform them that I had decided that under no circumstances would my RIGHT SHOULDER be used. Still hadn?t seen Dr. Chhokar. I was prepped on the left side ONLY. I was told they were going to give me something to make me relax (AHHHH, happy juice?pill was wearing off anyway). My head was covered---still hadn?t seen or talked to Dr. Chhokar. I finally heard a voice (I assume it was Dr. Chhokar) say I would feel a few needle sticks on my left shoulder. The games began. She (I assume it was her) had to work around some scar tissue to get the new unit in the same old pocket. At one point I asked her if she needed a hammer to make it fit. A new lead was installed and everything performed as it should. When I was uncovered the St Jude?s Rep and a couple of nurses were still there---no Dr. Chhokar!!!! Eric (the St Jude?s Rep) said everything went very well and the new lead and unit were working great. He said Dr. Chhokar went to tell my family (which I confirmed with the wife?thank God her sister was with her or I would still be trying to bail her out for assault?got to remember to share that pill next time ). I was taken back to the holding area and then to my room. I got to my room around 5 PM. I IMMEDIATELY ORDERED SOMETHING TO EAT---EVEN HOSPITAL FOOD WOULD TASTE GOOD BY NOW!!!!
ANOTHER SIDEBAR. As it was after 5 PM I figured I would have to take anything they could dig up to eat when I was handed a MENU. A MENU?????!!!!! I could select from ANYTHING (or at least I thought) on the extensive menu until 6:30 PM. I called the number, told them my name and room number and told the nice lady what I wanted. Well, one thing I could not have because it was not on MY APPROVED LIST!!!! Yes, some fool had told them I had high blood pressure and was diabetic (where was that FOOL???). I am here to tell you I can no longer bad mouth hospital food, at least from that hospital. I know I was hungry enough to eat ROAD KILL by that point, but all the meals were real good (except for that dang computer record---I?m gonna lie if I ever go there again).
Oh yeah, the first nurse there comes in to take my blood pressure. As she is leaning over me to check my bandages, I notice she has a scar on her chest (Get your mind outta the gutter Cooker!!! ) I mentioned that she is a survivor too as she is looking at my scar and checking the AICD site. She tells me she had OHS as a child to repair a hole in her heart. From that point on she always wanted to be a nurse. The staff on the floor were great and when told our story expressed surprise that it didn?t sound like the Dr. Chhokar they knew. On Saturday Dr Chhokar?s partner came in around lunch, checked the site, said everything went very well and I would be sent home in a couple of hours. He gave me a pain script and antibiotics and sent me home.
And here I am. I am (along with our insurance company) the proud owner of a brand new AICD and lead. So far I haven?t even needed a Tylenol so I hope that is how my first night back stays. Can?t put my left arm above my shoulders for several days and no heavy lifting with that arm (sure am glad I?m right handed, Cooker!! ) until I have the site looked at by my Cardio next Friday. I should be able to drive by Monday.
DOCTOR CHHOKAR, WHERE ARE YOU?????!!!!!
Thanks again for all the prayers and good thoughts and,
May God Bless,
Danny
First, as far as the AICD everything went find. The new one is working properly and the new lead is functioning correctly.
Now, I will discuss the DAY TO FORGET!!!! I have now joined the group of you here that have experienced the delays of surgery. We arrived as instructed at 6 AM. After showing all the necessary insurance cards and other information we were again sent to the waiting room to await our escort back to the staging area. We were told the surgery had been scheduled for 8 AM. After a short while we were called up to be taken back to the prepping area. Here I was stripped (well, OK Cooker, I had to do it myself
) and given one of those wonderful gowns we have all grown to love. Man, them vinyl chairs are cold. Time S-L-O-W-L-Y ticks by. Around 7:45 AM my nurse gives me a ?happy pill?.
I?m still in holding. No one knows why??!! Should be anytime now. Around 8 AM the St Judes Rep comes in to check the AICD one more time. From him (this is the first time the floor nurse even finds out) we find out that Dr. Chhokar is performing a Cath at another hospital across town and would be at least an hour and a half late starting my replacement. This does not make the wife any happier about waiting (remember, she didn?t get a pill). The St Judes rep goes into detail about the plans. The conversation comes to a SCREECHING HALT when he mentions that if they can?t put the new one in the same place as the old one (the left shoulder) they MIGHT have to place it in my Right shoulder. As I am right handed and shoot my firearms using that shoulder I said ?STOP RIGHT THERE, either the left shoulder or you can turn this thing off and I?ll take my chances?. He said he didn?t foresee any need to move it to the right shoulder, it was just an option. NOT FOR ME IT AIN?T. Another potential site would be the lower left abdomen where the early ones were placed. I told him I MIGHT consider that but NOT the right shoulder.Around 1115 they show up to take me to the room for the procedure. By this time the wife is livid about the wait (have to remember to get a pill for her too if there is a next time
). She has found out that Dr. Chhokar had two patients scheduled for stress tests that morning also and her office had called them Thursday to tell them she would be running about an hour and a half late for their appointments. No one called us.A SIDEBAR: Dr. Chhokar is not my regular Cardio. My Cardio lost his partner who used to do these things. I have never met Dr. Chhokar but she is one of the highest rated Cardios in Columbus. Even my Cardio said he didn?t want anyone but her doing such a tricky replacement procedure.
I say my ?see you laters? and am wheeled to the DOOR. Everything stops. We are informed that there is someone in the ER who is having a possible heart attack and would need the room I was scheduled for. After confirming this information, I am wheeled back to the holding area.
About 1:15 PM (I have not had anything since MIDNIGHT?my stomach thinks my throat has been cut and my mouth feels like I?ve in the Sierra Dessert for three days
) I am again rolled back to the room. Now the fun begins again. As I am being prepped for the surgery someone mentions to prep BOTH SIDES just in case. HOLD THE PHONE. The St Judes Rep is in the room and we both inform them that I had decided that under no circumstances would my RIGHT SHOULDER be used. Still hadn?t seen Dr. Chhokar. I was prepped on the left side ONLY. I was told they were going to give me something to make me relax (AHHHH, happy juice?pill was wearing off anyway). My head was covered---still hadn?t seen or talked to Dr. Chhokar. I finally heard a voice (I assume it was Dr. Chhokar) say I would feel a few needle sticks on my left shoulder. The games began. She (I assume it was her) had to work around some scar tissue to get the new unit in the same old pocket. At one point I asked her if she needed a hammer to make it fit. A new lead was installed and everything performed as it should. When I was uncovered the St Jude?s Rep and a couple of nurses were still there---no Dr. Chhokar!!!! Eric (the St Jude?s Rep) said everything went very well and the new lead and unit were working great. He said Dr. Chhokar went to tell my family (which I confirmed with the wife?thank God her sister was with her or I would still be trying to bail her out for assault?got to remember to share that pill next time ). I was taken back to the holding area and then to my room. I got to my room around 5 PM. I IMMEDIATELY ORDERED SOMETHING TO EAT---EVEN HOSPITAL FOOD WOULD TASTE GOOD BY NOW!!!! ANOTHER SIDEBAR. As it was after 5 PM I figured I would have to take anything they could dig up to eat when I was handed a MENU. A MENU?????!!!!! I could select from ANYTHING (or at least I thought) on the extensive menu until 6:30 PM. I called the number, told them my name and room number and told the nice lady what I wanted. Well, one thing I could not have because it was not on MY APPROVED LIST!!!! Yes, some fool had told them I had high blood pressure and was diabetic (where was that FOOL???). I am here to tell you I can no longer bad mouth hospital food, at least from that hospital. I know I was hungry enough to eat ROAD KILL by that point, but all the meals were real good (except for that dang computer record---I?m gonna lie if I ever go there again).
Oh yeah, the first nurse there comes in to take my blood pressure. As she is leaning over me to check my bandages, I notice she has a scar on her chest (Get your mind outta the gutter Cooker!!!
) I mentioned that she is a survivor too as she is looking at my scar and checking the AICD site. She tells me she had OHS as a child to repair a hole in her heart. From that point on she always wanted to be a nurse. The staff on the floor were great and when told our story expressed surprise that it didn?t sound like the Dr. Chhokar they knew. On Saturday Dr Chhokar?s partner came in around lunch, checked the site, said everything went very well and I would be sent home in a couple of hours. He gave me a pain script and antibiotics and sent me home.And here I am. I am (along with our insurance company) the proud owner of a brand new AICD and lead. So far I haven?t even needed a Tylenol so I hope that is how my first night back stays. Can?t put my left arm above my shoulders for several days and no heavy lifting with that arm (sure am glad I?m right handed, Cooker!!
) until I have the site looked at by my Cardio next Friday. I should be able to drive by Monday.DOCTOR CHHOKAR, WHERE ARE YOU?????!!!!!
Thanks again for all the prayers and good thoughts and,
May God Bless,
Danny
