This will require some 'splainin'... About 2 weeks ago, I ended up in the ER after keeling over at work. After a 2-day stay in the hospital, I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. I saw a cardiologist and was given some meds.
After a follow-up visit, the cardio changed the meds and told me I could go ahead and do the Avon Walk, "as long as you're not stupid." Which I wasn't. I did 10.2 miles and that was enough.
And that's a different blog post.
So I also got as a lovely take-home present, a 30-day cardiac monitor. This past Monday, it went off at 3:14 a.m. Twice. Hubby listened, and said, "oh, wow, this is different." So off we trotted to the ER again. The second med apparently didn't work.
On my first ER visit, it took almost 12 hours for my heart (thanks to an IV) to convert back. On this visit (I just got home yesterday), it only took 3. Otherwise, I was facing a "cardioversion" or in my words: a reboot...
So now I'm on med #3, and hoping that this works for now. In the end, I'm looking at an atrial ablation earlier than I had originally though.
But here's the weird part. In the ER, I really, REALLY had to go to the bathroom; which they weren't going to let me do because I was dizzy from the heart stuff. So this ER tech walks in. I thought "It's a good thing I'm laying down." He looked exactly like my nephew AND had the same name. We know it's not, because it's a different last name.
He hands me this bedpan which looks like a small dustpan. Well. This is TMI, but when I have to go to the bathroom, I usually have more substantial results than this little dustpan thingie. So of course it overflowed... The young man was very professional and was able to get me all cleaned up without embarassment.
But then it happened again. With a "full-sized" bedpan that looked maybe like a small pasta bowl. Whaaaaaaaaaaat??????? Who invented these things??? Obviously a man. So again.... "my cup runneth over." And again, full change.
My cute little ER tech said, "Oh well, now you can cross 'peeing in a bedpan' off your bucket list." As I chuckled, I mentioned that I hadn't realized it was on my bucket list, but as long as it's something I'd never done before, I suppose it works out.
So far, the meds are doing ok. The at-home monitor was silent last night, and I'm smart enough this time to have taken a week off work to adjust to the new meds, as "dizziness" is the first "common side effect" and thanks, but I'd rather be at home if I'm going to keel over.
Aside from the fact that it took them five hours (yes, five hours) to discharge me, and I kind of look like I've been mauled by my dogs because of bruising, the hospital people couldn't have been nicer. It's just that I hope this all gets resolved, because this is two ER visits in as many weeks.
The first bill already came in at over $11,000... no, that isn't what caused the second visit! So I can't imagine my insurance company will be happy about a second visit so soon, but there's not much I can do about it. It's not like I can wait it out, since the worst thing that can happen with a-fib is a stroke or a clot heading somewhere else like lung or kidney. Thanks, but I can skip that, and my insurance company can do its job since I've been relatively healthy for so many years.
There's actually no snappy conclusion this time. It's "wait and see" till I see the doc and then we go from there.
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