Ablation success?

• by justme
• 2010-01-15 05:01:11
• Surgery & Recovery
• 1536 views
• 1 comments

It may be a bit premature, but I think it actually worked this time!
I had it at a different hospital but with the same Dr. I was prepped and they started at 7:45...and pulled the sheaths out at 4:30...OMG it was a LONG day. The EP basically did everything himself, which was strangely comforting and was very agressive in making sure that the major areas were taken care of. I must say, however, that the lydocaine wears off after 3 hours or so (ouch) and the burning hurts like hell. I totally lost it about 7 hours into it and could not stop crying, tears just flowing...but it got better. The EP thinks he got about 70% of it...so hopefully that's enough. Also found that there was a BIG issue in my ventrical which had not previously shown itself on any of the tests, so I guess I'm glad I did it again.
So, mildly related, from a girl perspective, since this was my 3rd thing and I vividly remember the first ones I personally feel that one of the worst parts is having to lie flat on your back without moving your legs for hours afterwards, after they have filled you with several bags of fluid...I am physically incapable of peeing while lying on my back without moving. I asked if it was possible to do something about that and the nurse I was talking to was like "You WANT a foley?" I was like, "I don't think anyone want's one, but I think it's necessary". So four nurses start arguing about this request and acting like I was the CRAZIEST person they have ever encountered. I have a hard time believing that I am the only female who has ever asked for this during one of these procedures.
So, they called and asked the EP, who apparently thought it was a great idea...and then they promptly proceeded to NOT do it. When the EP came in I was prepped and he goes "where's the foley?" thank God he was looking out for me...I think that 14 hours total on your back and 3 bags of fluids without one would have sucked big time. The nursing staff then got all pissed off that they had to do it and had a fight in the room, to the point that I asked one of the nurses to leave. Seriously. I was like "I'm nervous enough, I don't really want someone working on me who cannot control their temper in front of a patient." My EP agreed, and they called in another nurse who was super nice. Oh, and on the way in and while they were prepping me there was a "member of management" that was in there and accompanied me down the hall talking to the nurse like I wasn't there, arguing with the nurse and saying that she was going to "pull rank and cancel" my procedure. I was like "huh?" Apparently, blood work from 5 days prior was not "current" enough...and there was a "problem" with the pregnancy test. I was like, 'why, what'd it say' and she goes "it was negative". Um, isn't that what it's supposed to be? It went on for a while, so I ended up saying "wow, thanks for looking at my labs, then looking at me and questioning my integrity so vigorously...but I'm pretty sure they know how girls get pregnant now, and there is no way in hell that this is getting cancelled because you don't "believe" the lab results."
Glad the whole thing is over, and hopefully I won't have to do it again...at least not for a very long time...I already have more energy than I did before...so I'm hopeful that this worked...