Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Plan C

I don't know what ever happened to Plan B, but my cardiologist has decided to skip to Plan C, which he hopes to perform on Friday. Plan C is cardioversion, which means giving the heart an electric shock or two to jolt it back into rhythm. I've been feeling so rotten that I actually look forward to it, if it will cure me. Doc thinks it will.

Wait, there's more. Before they can do this procedure, they have to make sure there's no blood clot lurking in the heart. (Last thing you want to do is knock loose a clot anywhere, but especially in the heart.) To that end, they are going to insert a scope down my throat (gag!) and by means of it, do an ultrasound into the heart.

I'm going to be heavily sedated but awake, they tell me, for all this. Rather be asleep...

How fortunate for Anastasia, you may be thinking, at a time like this to be married to a doctor! Well, this particular doctor has an immoveable, uncompromising philosophy of always encouraging a patient. You can't get the downside of the picture out of him for anything. So yesterday when I told him this stuff was planned for Friday, he said, "Friday, good. Okay. Are you ready to go out? Nick and Sharyn will be waiting for us at Angelo's." Making a point of treating it as a small thing so as not to alarm me, and I have no idea whether it really is such a small thing or not. (And there seems no point in finding out, either.)

Your prayers will help me greatly. Thank you.

UPDATE: The whole business is scheduled for 8:45 on Friday morning. Then they want me to wait 3-4 hours while the sedatives wear off before going home. So I should be able to post again sometime Friday, or if I'm too sleepy, by Saturday morning.

11 comments:

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

Oftentimes the sedation meds they give you are actually pretty amnesic, so though you are truly awake, often you have very little recollection of the procedure during or afterwards.....

I've had an endoscopy and while it wasn't the most fun thing ever, wasn't the worst by a long mile either. Honestly.

Fervent prayers for you for a painless and straightforward day on Friday !

DebD said...

I will definitely be praying!

William Weedon said...

Ditto, dear! May the Lover of Mankind guide both drs and nurses and everyone who works with you in this procedure and grant you healing and peace.

Christopher D. Hall said...

Lord have mercy!

I have to agree with Elizabeth...I've had several colonoscopies and one endoscopy, and can't remember a thing about them.

Second, I think your husband's approach is one of love. He knows this will help you, and is excited to see you well again.

Don't forget the "elevator conversion" or whatever they're called.

You are in my prayers.

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Thanks, all. I will be thinking of your prayers as I say my own.

Christopher, there's no doubt he was acting lovingly. I know that.

Anastasia Theodoridis said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mimi said...

Lord have Mercy, Lord have Mercy, Lord have Mercy, and big hug too.

Weekend Fisher said...

The Lord bless you and keep you!

Claire said...

Anastasia, I will pray for you! I hope for good results so that you will feel better!

Just Mairs said...

And you shall be in our family prayers tomorrow evening (tonight I'm ashamed to say family prayer went by the way of Flicka as we had choir practice in our living room...). Lord have mercy on your sweet soul!

Fr. Gregory Hogg said...

I just saw this now. I will remember you in my prayers.