This is written in hopes of educating people about the need to be a little more verbal about what is happening to them after a medical procedure.
I spent most of this week preparing for a cardiac catheterization and was feeling pretty good about it. I was not scared or anxious and I slept fine the night before. I had a list of great friends who could provide transport so I felt well supported. I had not made arrangements for anyone to spend the night after the procedure because no one in the medical community had said it would be necessary and I also did not want to ask anyone. I like being alone and I thought I would probably be sleepy.
The catheterization went well. I was given Benadryl and Valium and was awake through the whole thing. There were no blockages and my heart looked very healthy. We were all pleased. I went back to the recovery room and was told I needed to lie still for four hours.
I don’t know if any of this was related but it was all reported to the nurse. First, I had “squiggly light worms” passing in front of my eyes for about ten minutes. I wrote it off as being a side effect of the drugs. Then I had restlessness in my right leg and that was the leg where the cath was put in and I was supposed to keep it quiet. Once they moved me into a different position that went away.
After four hours of little movement I was brought to a sitting position and I asked to see the video of the catheterization. I was able to see the pictures of my heart beating and the contrast die moving through the arteries, strong and clear.
When I stood up, however, things changed. I felt weak in my right leg and when I walked it wanted to drag. I was also listing to the right. It took concentration to keep my gait straight. The nurse saw all of this and I also talked about how it felt like I was dragging my leg. I went into the bathroom to change and that was difficult as my right hand was not consistently in my control. Again, I told the nurse and I said something about it was probably due to the drugs. She did not say anything to contradict me.
Denise picked me up at 4:30 and took me home. I felt like a drunk trying to get in the apartment and, once home, I had trouble pouring a glass of water. Again, I attributed it all to the drugs. I set myself up in bed to watch a movie and then I went to sleep.
It was a restless night. I was up and down and still feeling unsteady. When I got up in the morning I was still being dragged to the right and my hand was not working. I started to be concerned. I called the cardiologist on call and he said that it could be a stroke and I needed to get to the emergency room.
I went into stupid mode. I called my son to come and take me. He lives an hour away and I wanted to take a shower. However, once in the shower I knew I was in danger so finished up as fast as possible and then called the ambulance and called Chris to meet me at the hospital.
The ambulance drivers were very nice and got me to the hospital without a lot of hoopla. They knew I was nervous and when I couldn’t sign my name I became even more so. I was also told that, if it was a stroke, the time period during which they could give me the new drug for strokes had already passed. My symptoms had started on Friday afternoon and the drug needs to be given within six hours. I started to get really mad. I realized that they never should have discharged me with the symptoms I was having.
After a couple of hours in the emergency room with my son and his wife, my symptoms started to improve. I was walking straighter. I was passing the tests and the CT Scan of my brain did not show any evidence of a stroke. The doctor did say, however, that it may have been a TIA - transient ischemic attack (TIA).
From WebMD – “Some people call a transient ischemic attack (TIA) a mini-stroke, because the symptoms are like those of a stroke but do not last long. A TIA happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or reduced, often by a blood clot. After a short time, blood flows again and the symptoms go away.”
By the time I left the ER, I was walking better and could sign my name. I was told to be careful, though, and to rest for the remainder of the day. Chris and Des settled me at home and I spent the rest of the day reclining. Except for a period when I made sure I could still play the cello. I could, not my best, but it was there. I was also able to knit while resting and that was reassuring.
This morning I am back to almost normal. I am a little weak but I think that is from doing nothing for two days. I was told I could drive today so I am going to knitting group and then will take a walk later on tonight, even if it around the parking lot.
On another note – I think the new dopamine enhancer that my naturopath MD gave me is helping reduce my food cravings. I have not had chocolate since Tuesday and I have not killed anyone. I am not obsessing about sugar.
When I talked to my therapist about this last week she discussed the chemical reactions that may cause some people to crave sugar and chocolate more. If we can get the balance just right, it would make a difference. That explains why some people have little need for sweets and chocolate and can make healthy choices. Some of it is how they were brought up, but a lot of it is their chemical balance. I feel hopeful. We also discussed the psychological aspects of the addiction and how to make different choices in how I nurture myself.
I have been making better choices and I want to keep up the momentum even though I am no longer considered to have heart disease and I am not diabetic. I still have the time and the ability to avoid both. And after yesterday’s scare – I know that I do not want to lose my body and my independence. I also know that I need to be a little louder when my body is not working right and a staff member is in a hurry to leave for the long weekend!
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