HOW
CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART ( VALVE ) PART 3
THE
REALISATION
Since I found out that I had a
heart condition my mind has been in overdrive and I have to admit
that I have found it difficult to cope with the news. I have read up
on my condition and although everyone keeps telling me I will be
fine, I cant help but feel that my life is going to change forever.
I
decided to write this blog to help myself come to terms with my
condition. And for friends and family to hopefully understand my
thoughts as I try and come to terms with it.
On
1st
September I was back at Burton hospital for my check up appointment
with Dr Martinez, and my good lady Theresa insisted on going in with
me to see him! I don’t think that she trusted me to tell Dr
Martinez about me passing out last June.
After
the consultation Dr Martinez informed me that he was going to arrange
for me to have an angiogram to see just how bad the situation was
with my heart valve. He explained what the procedure entailed and now
I just had to wait until an appointment came through.
Life
carried on as normal and we went away for a week to West Wales and I
was feeling great. I had experienced no bad symptoms for weeks now
and I had convinced myself that everything was ok and the angiogram
would show that. On returning home from holiday there was an
appointment waiting for me to attend the cardiology department at
Burton hospital on 16th
September. This was for some breathing tests! I had to perform
several different ways of breathing into a machine that recorded how
good my breathing was. The person doing the tests said that my
breathing was good. And so I thought. I know everything' s fine and
these tests are going to prove it.
I
carried on as normal, playing walking football ( walking Ha Ha! ) and
going to watch my beloved Leicester City and I tried to put things
regarding hospitals and heart problems to the back of my mind. But I
had to attend Burton hospital again on Wednesday 30th
September, this time for a pre-op consultation. At the prep-op I
chatted to the two nurses and I had to choose a date that was
convenient for the angiogram! Tuesday 13th
October was the day chosen, simply because I had to have 48 hours of
not moving my right arm or getting excited after the procedure. I was
traveling to Southampton to watch Leicester on the Saturday,so
Tuesday 13th
it was
.
THE
CARDIAC CATHETERISATION
On
Monday 12th
October I was getting myself psyched up for tomorrow's angiogram and
was just settling down to have dinner, which I was intending to enjoy
as I couldn’t have anything to eat after midnight!. When I received
a telephone call from the hospital. Basically they were telling me
that there were no beds available for me at the moment and so they
would call me in the morning if a bed became available! Brilliant, as
per usual nothing goes straight forward for the fox !!!
I
did receive the phone call after 08.00 a.m. On the Tuesday morning
saying there was a bed free and so it was a quick bath and off we set
to the hospital. Theresa dropped me off at the catheter laboratory
and I was then taken to a ward with three beds, two were already
occupied! I had to strip off and put on the flattering gown that
fastens at the back! I think! And was then left in the bed with
daytime TV on the wall mounted television that was directly hanging
in front of my bed. I did ask the nurse if sky sports was available
but unfortunately it was Homes under the hammer and the Repo men!!
The
guy in the bed on my left had come in for a pacemaker to be fitted
and the guy on my right was an old guy in his eighties who had
suffered a heart attack some years ago and had a funny turn recently
and so he also was having an angiogram.
When
it was time for me to go to the theatre I wasn't sure what to expect
but to cut a long story short I had a catheter inserted into my
artery on my right wrist and it was moved up through the artery to
the opening of the coronary arteries to my heart and then a dye was
injected into the catheter and x rays were taken of my heart. The
procedure was uncomfortable but not to bad, the worst part was
removing the catheter. I was then taken back to the ward on my bed,
and the consultant Dr Martinez passed me in the corridor and said the
angiogram was good. I knew everything was going to be ok!!!!
I
was back on the ward and Dr Martinez came walking in with a nurse in
tow and he was carrying a model of a heart. He proceeded to tell me
that I needed an operation to replace my aortic heart valve! I said “
you said the angiogram was good “ “It was” he replied but you
need this operation and I am going to recommend 6 months when I have
a meeting with colleagues on Friday morning.
I
was trying to process this information,and 6 months that will be
April, I asked couldn’t it wait until the football season is over
and he just looked at me!! The nurse explained that I have tickets
for the football. Dr Martinez just said “ you know you have to have
this done” I was still trying to take it in and I asked would I
still be able to play walking football. He said “ Of course, you
will be flying” In that case I will be the fastest 65 year old on
the pitch !!!! Anyway I can now look forward to a week in hospital
and having my heart taken out and a new mechanical valve replacing
the one that is giving up on me !!!!!!!
In
my life I have survived pneumonia, whooping cough,T.B.
A failed marriage and some car thieves trying to run me down when I
worked at the Belfry hotel. And so am I going to let my broken heart
beat me NO --- I just hope that I get to see the end of the football
season !!!!!!!!!!
