It's My Party - Part 2...

(I was ordered by my sister in law to chronicle this before it slips from my memory...)

July 3,

As I said, I was sent home from the hospital, and was feeling pretty good - thinking that the problem had been solved.  The Christensen's, our long time neighbors came over to visit, followed by my daughter in law's family.   After that, I was a little tired, so I went to lay down...

Again with the room spinning-passing out feeling.

I called for help, and this time no one questioned me - in fact, they didn't even let me find my shoes.  It was right back in the car, and back to the emergency room.

Things didn't go as smoothly this time - they had to use the paddles 4 different times to keep me on this planet.  The last one I was awake to FEEL.

I wish I could describe how it felt, but there simply are. no. words.

I saw a blinding flash of light, and I pictured myself as one of those cartoons where the hair is all frizzed, and there is smoke coming from every orifice.
Suffice to say that it had me whimpering involuntarily like a baby, and begging them to just let me go.
Serious trauma.

They couldn't get me stable this time, so the only other option was to get me to a larger hospital in Provo...  Except the doctor said that I would never survive the trip by ambulance.
The only other option was by helicopter.

My family hustled out the door so that they could get there around the same time as I would,  while the ER team prepped me for the flight.
They wrapped me like a mummy in an itchy hot blanket.  There was apparently no AC in the cabin, because it was very warm.  It was also very close quarters.  The ceiling was only about six inches above my face.

It only took 15 / 20 minutes, but it felt like an eternity before we landed, I was so scared.

My family arrived before we did and were there to greet us.  This time they by-passed the ER and took my right to Emergency ICU.  They got me stable on medication, and from here on out - no more paddles.

The plan was to do a scan in the morning and go from there to surgery, if needed, so they told me to fast, and the test would take place around 8 in the morning.  I was so scared that I asked to be sedated so that I could sleep.

My husband came in the morning, and we waited....   and waited.....  and waited.
Finally around 2pm the nurse came in and said;  Um, I finally have some news.  We have 2 new scanners, but the company says that they cannot be used until they are inspected - and they can't be here until next week.

My jaw dropped, and I said; YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!

An hour later, she came back and said that there was a plan B,  which was another angiogram, this time in the leg, and surgery the following day.

It was around 4 pm when they finally wheeled me into the operating room and prepped me for surgery.
I told them that I didn't care what they did to me, as long  as they knocked me out first.
They laughed and promised, but guess what - it didn't take.  I. Felt. Everything.

By the time they finished with me, I had gone the whole day with nothing to eat, unfortunately, the kitchen was closed by then.    One of the nurses scrounged me up a sandwich from somewhere.
(I was grateful, but the thing was so DRY it tasted like particleboard.)

I slept fitfully - I kept hearing noise like there was construction going on somewhere.  During the night, I asked the nurse what was going on - she said it was the fireworks.
I had forgotten that it was a holiday.

The next morning, they had me fasting again - but I didn't have to wait as long this time.  It was just after one when I went in this time.  There they installed a brand shiny new pacemaker/defibrillator.
I didn't have to feel the surgery this time, but I did start waking up before the doctor intended and felt them testing the thing.

After surgery, I was moved upstairs to cardiology.  If only I had been able to be there a couple of days earlier, I would have had the best seat in the house for the fireworks!
...Always a day late and a dollar short.

I was released again on the 7th of July.  This time, I hope it sticks.

I just want to add how well I was treated at both hospitals, and how thankful I am to all of them for saving my life and getting me through this.

No out of body experiences to share - each time I drifted out of this world, it just felt like I was dreaming.  The odd thing was that each time I was brought back to earth, it felt like the dream was the reality, and reality was jarring, confusing, and painful.

I'm not quite as afraid of death as I used to be, it's the here and now that is scary.