So today was supposed to be when I called DeVille if he hadn't called me yet. He didn't call me, but instead of calling him, I got to see him...
As I finished lunch and headed back to my office I started feeling awful. I tried taking my pulse and it felt really slow, but I couldn't seem to concentrate enough to actually count it. So I went to the nurse and asked if she could take my pulse and blood pressure. She got out her pulse/ox and at first it said my pulse was 68, but after a few seconds it dropped to 47. It hovered right around 50 for about 10 minutes. I decided it probably would be best to call DeVille. Amazingly, I was put through to Dustin right away, instead of having to leave a voice mail. When I explained what was going on Dustin said I was probably having PVCs that the pacer was thinking were beats, but weren't actually pushing blood through the heart, thus causing the lower heart rate. But he did say I could come in and have my device checked. I told him I would be coming in. The nurse didn't feel comfortable with me driving myself, so I called Nathan and he came to get me and took me to DeVille's.
The device didn't record anything, but apparently my LV lead is having even more of a problem capturing. It's now gone from needing 6 volts to needing 8 volts (or something like that). So the tech talked to DeVille and he came in. He was not happy with the new information. He said to wait where I was and was going to go call Pearse. Unfortunately, she's in Paris (Texas) today, so he couldn't get her right away. He left a message. He's also trying to contact Dr. Hayes at the Mayo. He does not like the trend (and neither do I) and he feels it would be best to get up to Rochester and take care of things as soon as possible. When I asked if he had an idea of why I might have felt the way I did earlier in the day he didn't know what I was talking about. I explained how I had felt and he said it may have been that my LV lead had stopped capturing. So he decided to test his theory and turned off the LV. Nothing happened, so he told me to walk down the hall. Then I started feeling like crap again. So I guess that's what it was. Which means that if it continues to deteriorate I'm going to feel like crap, since they can't turn it up much higher than they already have.
I am not happy. I'm glad I went in, even though at the time I thought I might be over reacting, but I wish none of this was happening. Nathan and I have video race weekend after next and we REALLY don't want to miss it. We've participated in video race for the last 5 years and just can't miss it! I'm now waiting to hear back from either Pearse or DeVille to find out what the next step will be (and when).
---Later---
Got a phone call from the Mayo Clinic. They were asking if I could be up there for surgery next Wednesday. I asked if it was possible to wait one more week so that we'd be able to do Video Race. The secretary called Dr. Hayes and got him on the line. I asked if it was possible to wait and he said the only concern he had was that the lead would stop capturing altogether, but he couldn't predict when/if that would happen so it was okay to wait a week as long as they can fit me into the surgeon's schedule. I'm supposed to hear back from them tomorrow on an exact date. So, we should get to participate in video race after all. Just pray that the leads last me that long! I'll let you know when we have an exact date.
As I finished lunch and headed back to my office I started feeling awful. I tried taking my pulse and it felt really slow, but I couldn't seem to concentrate enough to actually count it. So I went to the nurse and asked if she could take my pulse and blood pressure. She got out her pulse/ox and at first it said my pulse was 68, but after a few seconds it dropped to 47. It hovered right around 50 for about 10 minutes. I decided it probably would be best to call DeVille. Amazingly, I was put through to Dustin right away, instead of having to leave a voice mail. When I explained what was going on Dustin said I was probably having PVCs that the pacer was thinking were beats, but weren't actually pushing blood through the heart, thus causing the lower heart rate. But he did say I could come in and have my device checked. I told him I would be coming in. The nurse didn't feel comfortable with me driving myself, so I called Nathan and he came to get me and took me to DeVille's.
The device didn't record anything, but apparently my LV lead is having even more of a problem capturing. It's now gone from needing 6 volts to needing 8 volts (or something like that). So the tech talked to DeVille and he came in. He was not happy with the new information. He said to wait where I was and was going to go call Pearse. Unfortunately, she's in Paris (Texas) today, so he couldn't get her right away. He left a message. He's also trying to contact Dr. Hayes at the Mayo. He does not like the trend (and neither do I) and he feels it would be best to get up to Rochester and take care of things as soon as possible. When I asked if he had an idea of why I might have felt the way I did earlier in the day he didn't know what I was talking about. I explained how I had felt and he said it may have been that my LV lead had stopped capturing. So he decided to test his theory and turned off the LV. Nothing happened, so he told me to walk down the hall. Then I started feeling like crap again. So I guess that's what it was. Which means that if it continues to deteriorate I'm going to feel like crap, since they can't turn it up much higher than they already have.
I am not happy. I'm glad I went in, even though at the time I thought I might be over reacting, but I wish none of this was happening. Nathan and I have video race weekend after next and we REALLY don't want to miss it. We've participated in video race for the last 5 years and just can't miss it! I'm now waiting to hear back from either Pearse or DeVille to find out what the next step will be (and when).
---Later---
Got a phone call from the Mayo Clinic. They were asking if I could be up there for surgery next Wednesday. I asked if it was possible to wait one more week so that we'd be able to do Video Race. The secretary called Dr. Hayes and got him on the line. I asked if it was possible to wait and he said the only concern he had was that the lead would stop capturing altogether, but he couldn't predict when/if that would happen so it was okay to wait a week as long as they can fit me into the surgeon's schedule. I'm supposed to hear back from them tomorrow on an exact date. So, we should get to participate in video race after all. Just pray that the leads last me that long! I'll let you know when we have an exact date.