AT LEAST MY HEART WAS FINE. THANK GOD I THOUGHT
But that was wishful thinking perhaps
5th of January 2018 dawned and I woke up feeling very very strange. Very Light headed, dizzy, losing balance and very very short of breath
I assumed I must be dehydrated so drank 2 glasses of water, sat down on the Sofa with eyes closed and trying to stay calm and relaxed. No Change.
So I checked my BP with my faithful OMRON BP Machine. BP was unusually low 110/60-50 and I had not even taken my morning dose of medicines. What worried me was my low Pulse rate which was normally above 70.
I used my Oxymeter all Day to to check pulse rate and for some odd reason it was stuck at 50 and I had this electric sensation in both my arms. Someting was not right
By 8.00pm I got worried and I went to the night clinic Walking a few hundred yards from car Park to the Clinic was like Climbing a mountain. I had zero energy. I had to take deep breaths and pause from time to time. The Doctor tested my BP and Pulse rate and said 50 Pulse rate was nothing to worry about. To go home and get some good rest.
My regular GPs and my Cardiologists were on extended Christmas Holidays
I finally saw my cardiologist 4 days later on the 9th of January. He did his usual BP measurement, ECG and ECHO and said I was worrying for no reason. I insisted on an Holter Moniter and he told me to come back on the 15th. I asked for one I could wear for a week and he said No his system can monitor just for 24 hours.
On Sat 13th Jan 2018, despite being exhausted I stood on my feet from 2.00pm to 9.00pm at the FOMO-2018 Music Festival at Paramatta Park hosted by my son and Daughter in law.. by 9.30pm it was a big struggle to get to my car from the festival.
Thought I was dying but convinced myself I was OK, just worrying unnecessarily. It was my blood not carrying enough Oxygen I convinced myself.
On 15th Morning I was fitted with a Holter Monitor at the Cardiology Clinic and asked to come back the following day at 4.00pm to see my Cardiologist.
4.00pm on 16th Jan at the Cardiology Clinic, my cardiologist made me lie down and checked my BP again and then looked at the Holter Readings and told my wife, don't go home drive straight to Concord Hospital. Your Husband is having a HEART BLOCK and needs a pace Maker put in ASAP.
Heart Attack ? He said No Heart Block. I had never heard of a HEART BLOCK.
Got admitted 16th Night at Concord Hospital and the Surgeon was to do the implant the next Morning the 17th of January 2018. Was a bit of a restless night with nurses checking on me all night.
At 9.00am the Cardiology Registrar comes and tells me, we are having a big Problem. The surgeon is ready but unfortunately the Theatre staff are all still on Holidays so we cannot put your pace maker in here at Concord Hospital. I am trying hard to see which other hospital can take you in straightway. It was around 12.30pm I was told that I was being Transferred to Mater Hospital in North Sydney and the same surgeon with operate on me by 3.00pm.
It was awake anaesthesia and I was awake during the Procedure. Dr Sy the Intertentional Cardiologist who did the Pace Maker Implant was talking to me and explaing hwta he was doing right through the procedure and before I realised I was now Battery operated and my heart managed by a Medtronics Pace Maker which Later I found out costs only $25K; my jaw dropped as that is the price of a new small car like Honda Jazz.
By the Time I was back in the ward Dr Sy had spoken to my wife and son and told them I was lucky as it was stage 3 heart Block and few more days and my life would have ended.
The question is what was my cardiologist doing the last 16 years, repeating the same stress tests and Echo and declaring my heartw as fine when in fact it was slowly failing and slowly but surely killing me.
There I was back on my Feet having said BOO to the Devil eight times
I used my Oxymeter all Day to to check pulse rate and for some odd reason it was stuck at 50 and I had this electric sensation in both my arms. Someting was not right
By 8.00pm I got worried and I went to the night clinic Walking a few hundred yards from car Park to the Clinic was like Climbing a mountain. I had zero energy. I had to take deep breaths and pause from time to time. The Doctor tested my BP and Pulse rate and said 50 Pulse rate was nothing to worry about. To go home and get some good rest.
My regular GPs and my Cardiologists were on extended Christmas Holidays
I finally saw my cardiologist 4 days later on the 9th of January. He did his usual BP measurement, ECG and ECHO and said I was worrying for no reason. I insisted on an Holter Moniter and he told me to come back on the 15th. I asked for one I could wear for a week and he said No his system can monitor just for 24 hours.
On Sat 13th Jan 2018, despite being exhausted I stood on my feet from 2.00pm to 9.00pm at the FOMO-2018 Music Festival at Paramatta Park hosted by my son and Daughter in law.. by 9.30pm it was a big struggle to get to my car from the festival.
Thought I was dying but convinced myself I was OK, just worrying unnecessarily. It was my blood not carrying enough Oxygen I convinced myself.
On 15th Morning I was fitted with a Holter Monitor at the Cardiology Clinic and asked to come back the following day at 4.00pm to see my Cardiologist.
4.00pm on 16th Jan at the Cardiology Clinic, my cardiologist made me lie down and checked my BP again and then looked at the Holter Readings and told my wife, don't go home drive straight to Concord Hospital. Your Husband is having a HEART BLOCK and needs a pace Maker put in ASAP.
Heart Attack ? He said No Heart Block. I had never heard of a HEART BLOCK.
Got admitted 16th Night at Concord Hospital and the Surgeon was to do the implant the next Morning the 17th of January 2018. Was a bit of a restless night with nurses checking on me all night.
At 9.00am the Cardiology Registrar comes and tells me, we are having a big Problem. The surgeon is ready but unfortunately the Theatre staff are all still on Holidays so we cannot put your pace maker in here at Concord Hospital. I am trying hard to see which other hospital can take you in straightway. It was around 12.30pm I was told that I was being Transferred to Mater Hospital in North Sydney and the same surgeon with operate on me by 3.00pm.
It was awake anaesthesia and I was awake during the Procedure. Dr Sy the Intertentional Cardiologist who did the Pace Maker Implant was talking to me and explaing hwta he was doing right through the procedure and before I realised I was now Battery operated and my heart managed by a Medtronics Pace Maker which Later I found out costs only $25K; my jaw dropped as that is the price of a new small car like Honda Jazz.
By the Time I was back in the ward Dr Sy had spoken to my wife and son and told them I was lucky as it was stage 3 heart Block and few more days and my life would have ended.
The question is what was my cardiologist doing the last 16 years, repeating the same stress tests and Echo and declaring my heartw as fine when in fact it was slowly failing and slowly but surely killing me.
There I was back on my Feet having said BOO to the Devil eight times
