2025 Hospital

 Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Claude got me to the Same Day Interventional Service before 7:00 p.m.  I was gowned and shortly after taken to the operating room to have a catheterization on my legs, which were bothering me with some discomfort.  They did find some blockage in both legs and put in some balloons.  All went well, but I felt people pounding on my side repeatedly after the procedure. I had developed a hematoma, which is bleeding under the skin and they were putting pressure on the area to control the bleeding.

I was taken to the original room and was given a light lunch of a sandwich, fruit and juice.  I really did not have much appetite, but as I was eating I felt like I was blacking out.  Putting my head below my knees did not help.  I pressed the Nurse button, but no one responded.  Then I heard people shouting at me and rolling me over.  My heart had stopped for almost one minute.  There was no intervention.  My heart recovered on its own!  I was told that my heart showed a straight line on the monitor.

I was taken to Intensive Care and monitored, especially for the hematoma.  I had a weight put on the area, also some device that was hooked up to the system.  Now I needed a pacemaker to avoid my heart stopping again.  Because I had that little bit of lunch, they could not insert the pacemaker until Thursday.  I had to lie flat on my back with no food and only sips of water because of the hematoma.  My mouth felt like it was full of sand. 

I was so happy to have Jay and Aleksei visit me.  I was able to arrange for someone to lector for me on Sunday, and canceled my Friday eye appointment.

From that time on there were numerous checks on my blood, X-Ray, blood pressure, oxygen, the hematoma and "How are you feeling?".  The big concerns were my blood pressure, which was really high and my oxygen level, which was low; mostly because I sleep with my mouth open and lose oxygen.

I was scheduled for my pacemaker at 1:30 p.m., Thursday.  A hospital representative came and told me they are running a little behind.  There was an emergency operation that took precedence, so I was wheeled into the operating room at about 5:00 p.m. 

After surgery, I was in another room of the hospital. I had a sleepless night with a lot of interruptions from being checked for one test or another.  When I was able to sleep on my side I slept soundly.

I had a bowl of oatmeal, prunes and coffee for breakfast that never tasted so good.  A nurse explained what I needed to do to take care of the incision.  Another nurse gave me instructions on my medications.  I was given the word that Claude could pick me up at 1:30 p.m.

Claude stayed with me until it was time to go to Jay and Laura's for a family dinner for Aleksei's departure to Knoxville and a new position.

I felt very well, sitting and knitting, visiting with Ellen Meyers and the family.  I felt a sudden development and could not get to the bathroom fast enough.  It was a disaster.  Jay drove me home.