WozzTopia

So much for going home this morning, they have now told me they want me to have a transesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) to further investigate the suspected ventricular septal defect and possible growth on my mechanical aortic valve.

A TOE is an alternative way to perform an echocardiogram. A specialized probe containing an ultrasound transducer at its tip is passed into the patient’s esophagus. This allows image and Doppler evaluation which can be recorded.

Talk about cruel and unusual punishment, I have been fasted from midnight for the last four days. I was really looking forward to breakfast this morning.

My BGL was 5.7 early this morning and just now at 11:50 it was 4.1, I don’t mind telling you I’m a little bit hungry right about now.

After having the angiogram postponed for two days running today was finally the day. My nurse had me change into a hospital gown early and I was transported down to the catheterization laboratory or cath lab for an invasive procedure called an angiogram. Another nurse shaved my my groin on the left side normally this procedure is carried out on the right femoral artery but back in 2000 after suffering a ruptured cerebral aneurysm I developed a false aneurysm caused by another angiogram that required surgical repair.

After the perpetration a catheter was inserted into the femoral artery of my left leg until it reached the coronary arteries of my heart. Then a special contrast dye was injected while a live x-rays are taken of the blood vessels as the dye moves through them clearly showing any blockages that may exist.

While this happened I was awake although sedated and I was able to watch the x-ray screen seeing my innards in real time. It was very interesting to see the 3 wires warped around my sternum in what can only be described as a Cobb & Co hitch. Also clearly visible was the replacement aortic valve that was installed in 2005.

The worst part of the whole procedure was afterwords when they removed the sheath and have to press on the insertion point firmly to stop bleeding. The length of time the nursing staff need to press vary’s depending on the individual and how thin the blood is for patient like my self that regularly take Warfarin to thin the blood. After an angiogram patients have to lay flat for around four hours which can be brutal for those with a sore back.

The cardiologist told me that i had beautiful fat arteries and no blockages and that I could go home tomorrow so I am feeling very happy about that and the results.

Although I expected to have an angiogram today and fasting from midnight my INR (measurement of how thin / thick the blood is) was to high, meaning there was a risk of uncontrolled bleeding from the catheter insertion point.

They finally gave me some food and as soon as I started to eat an orderly came to collect me for an echocardiogram. This test had some mixed results showing good output but also indicating a possible ventricular septal defect or VSD commonly called a hole in th heart. A hole in the septum between the heart’s two lower chambers, allowing blood to pass from the left side of the heart to the right side. Oxygen-rich blood mixes with oxygen-poor blood. As a result, some oxygen-rich blood is pumped to the lungs instead of the body.

How much more can possibly go wrong with me?

Hopefully I will get the angiogram tomorrow and I will know exactly what I am looking at, eg stent(s) or bypass surgery.

Stay tuned…

Being just 43 a heart attack could not have been further from my mind. Despite previously having had heart surgery twice to replace defective bicuspid aortic valve I believed that I was not likely to have problems with clogged arteries as my cholesterol have always come back within the desirable level.

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Cellulitis

Originally uploaded by wozzl3

Since suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm in December of 2000 that left me residual Right sided deficit, swimming has been something that I had not done a lot of. So when going to the Rokewood (a small town near Ballarat) pool / Dam with some friends I thought I may have  found a place a could go back to. How wrong I was, During the time I spent in the water it turns out a microscopic bug found its way into my right leg. Apparently via some edema that I had around my ankle (minor heart failure).

The photo was taken on day 1 of a 2 week Hospital stay, currently the leg looks worse than the photo after a week at home on a couple of different oral antibiotics.

Cellulitis is a diffuse infection of connective tissue with severe inflammation of dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin. Cellulitis can be caused by normal skin flora or by exogenous bacteria, and often occurs where the skin has previously been broken: cracks in the skin, cuts, blisters, burns, insect bites, surgical wounds, or sites of intravenous catheter insertion. Skin on the face or lower legs is most commonly affected by this infection, though cellulitis can occur on any part of the body. The mainstay of therapy remains treatment with appropriate antibiotics.

Read this and be scared