I am home as Pam has stated and went to see my pcp this afternoon. It was a very interesting visit. About 3 weeks prior to my surgery date I had a cardiolite/persantine stress test because I had been having chest pain and shortness of breath. (I had taken fenphen and developed the valve leakage....but that had been improving lately...but my heart had been enlarging) My pcp had scheduled me for the test...I went and had it and then heard nothing. When I told my pcp what had happened he looked for my results and found out that there had been some problems with the stress test and putting it together with the events of last week feels that there must be something going on with my heart. He has scheduled me to see a new cardiologist and has suggested that they do a heart catherization. It is possible that everything that happened is related to the phenfen......something I would very much like to get to the bottom of. The one thing he did say was that given the results of the stress test, I should have never gone for my surgery.....gee....why didn't they call me and tell me??????
I don't know if I overdid it today....spent the day with my daughter....not doing much, but I feel so awful....so short of breath and really dragging....and the trach site really hurts. If this keeps up I will be back to my doctor tomorrow....maybe I am overconcerned, but I am not going to take any chances.
I still don't know what is going to happen with my surgery....at this point though I think it is best to concentrate on getting the catherization over and behind me and making sure that my heart is healthy.
-- Karla
>----- Original Message ----- From: Karla <ifirgit@webcntrl.com> To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS <adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 12:15 AM
> Dear Fellow IAS Members, > > I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your > prayers and good wishes. I have not had the time > to go thru them all, but please know that each one of them carries deep > meaning for me. > > I would like to tell my story if you don't mind. I know from reading there > was some different information put out....I will tell you exactly what my > doctor told me and the things I remember. > > To be honest things did not feel right even the day before my surgery. I > arrived at the hotel and immediately fell asleep. I barely woke up enough > to take my bowel preps (and had accidents in bed....slept thru all the > sensations of having to go to the bathroom). Luckily I had asked for a 5am > wake up call because I know that I would no have woken up without it. I > felt real drugged....even though I hadn't taken my pain medications...even > for my flight down. I got over to the hospital and checked in, but I kept > falling asleep. I assumed it was because I had not gotten hardly any sleep > the few nights before my leaving. They had to keep waking me up for > everything. I don't think that they would have needed to give me > anesthesia!!!! Looking back I wonder if somewhere in this lies a clue as to > what really happened. I have had this happen to me before....not this > badly...they injected air through my neck the last time. But, the > anestheisiologists had then used the fiber optic wires and then determined > that I would never have a problem with anesthesia again....that I could go > back to the normal way of using the regular airway. I had several "normal" > surgeries after and had no problems. I told the anesthesiolgist this whole > story and apparently she did not relay it to the others because they were > surprised when they learned that I had problems before. > > I don't even remember being wheeled into the OR and Dr. Zachary has said > that I wasn't even prepped. They had just given me the medicine to make me > gaga and I flatlined. Yes, my heart stopped or as Dr. Zachary explained...I > was a case straight out of the movie flatliners. Dr. Zachary said that he > had to start cpr immediately....and that they all thought I was gone...there > was no airway and they could not visualize my trachea (apparently it is as > small as my veins...they always have to use baby needles..well they had to > use an infant tube too). They did get my heart started.....and that is > where I start remembering.....I felt the cutting on my throat....the pulling > and yanking on my body...everybody yelling and sceaming...wanting to know if > they should paralyze me. Wanting to know what effects this was going to > have on me...neurologically, cardiac....you name it! I kept trying to tell > them.....and they knew I was awake....that I wanted them to stop....I wanted > to die! They didn't hear me and I was so mad! You see, even in this moment > of terror, I knew that they would never want to do surgery on me > again....that I would have to go back to living my life as awful as it has > been....and I did not want that. > > I had a respirator for a litle over a day and that was way to long. I was > told that they would not do anymore surgery on me....and yes, I did > cry....wanting to die. Not wanting to go through the torture anymore. But, > I prayed......just wanting to know why the Lord had allowed this to happen > to me. I don't have answers for it....or all of the other difficulties he > has led me through. But, my doctors have told me that they will do my > surgery! Hurray!!! But, I have questions to ask of them....number one > being....please tell me now if you are actually going to do the > surgery....don't let me go home only to have you tell me there that you > won't touch me. And second, they have been mentioning doing a lesser > surgery.....one that has been done before with no success....I don't want > them to do that....because for me that would just be another unnecessary > procedure....one with no clear answers for me. > > I know that this is a horror story and that many of you probably do not care > to hear it.....but this is all a part of our illness and the doctors doing > repeated surgeries.....over and over. If we keep putting ourselves at risk > (and I did not have a choice in this one) it could happen to any one of us. > One of my surgeons told me that it took me to show them that they should > never ever do surgery just because. Even though I wasn't a "just because" > case.....it could very easily have happened to someone who was. > > I don't know yet when I will be back on....this took me 3 hours to write. I > am out of intensive care as of yesterday...and they are talking about > sending me home....as soon as my airlifeline gets set up. I may have to > undergo some procedures with ear-nose and throat doctors before I can come > back....but at least there is hope. I hang onto that and to the love that I > get from you.....my friends. > > Love, > > Karla >