Cardiac Catheterization

[Amy]

Oh how I wish my pre-op cardiac cath had been ‘interesting’. An Asian woman doctor at CC did mine, I’ve long blocked her name out; I was so out of it and I don’t remember feeling anything or reacting to anything, but the doctor afterwards said I was very anxious and difficult, and that I insisted I was feeling uncomfortable, so they had to give me more and more fentanyl, I think it was; then they ended up going through the groin, leaving a huge bruise; and something in that whole procedure unbalanced my heart, causing weird palpitations, making monitors beep and nurses run in with worried looks; they were moving the head of the bed up and down and standing around not knowing what to do. I ended up having to spend that night in the hospital, my husband having to try and sleep with his head on my lap, because I didn’t want him to leave me alone with anyone after that and there was no extra bed.

All this for a cardiac cath CC insisted on, despite my having been a healthy-eating, nonsmoking non drinking, exercising vegan for 15 years, with no chance they’d find any blockages.

I wish I’d insisted harder i didn’t want one. Or that I’d had a nicer, less sadistic doctor.