What am I talking about? Where do I even begin??? I guess at the beginning of my heart troubles.
In the Fall of 2001, I started having heart palpitations and episodes of fainting due to an extremely fast heart beat (300+ bpm). I was hospitalized for three days in October 2001 due to the fast heart rate, but there were no answers as to why. I saw a cardiologist who decided it was inappropriate sinus tachycardia and started taking Atenolol, which I was on until 2003. It didn't work, just made me feel worse because it lowered my already low blood pressure. I learned to live with the episodes and they seemed to lessen. At least until 2009, when they picked back up again. We had moved back to WA by then so I saw a new cardiologist who disagreed with the diagnosis of sinus tach but didn't diagnose it. Fast forward to this Fall . . . The episodes picked up with a vengeance and became worse than ever in frequency, duration and intensity. One day was so bad I went to see my doc (or rather one of her colleagues) who, without doing an ECG, said I was simply suffering from anxiety from having anxiety - craziest thing I'd ever heard. The episodes continued but I refused to go back to my doc after that.
Then, on Friday Jan 18 something changed, the episodes were coming almost nonstop. I felt lousy and it showed but it wasn't until Wednesday Jan 23 that I sought help. Why then? because I had an episode while driving with Alli, Eli and Luke in the backseat. I was able to pull over and my parents came to get us. Dad took me to Urgent Care, where I was taken by ambulance to the ER. The doc could see something but the heart wasn't racing at that point. He sent me home with beta blockers and instructions to contact and see the cardiologist within a week. I called multiple times and finally, Friday at 4pm, I was able to talk to the scheduler. I started having even worse episodes that day and the heart was up to 264. It was taking me to the floor. After we put the kiddos to bed, G took me to the ER.
The whole way there I prayed God would show the doctors what was happening so they could help me. Of course when we got there the heart had calmed down. I continued praying that God would show the doctors what was wrong. We sat there for over two hours feeling like we were wasting their time but I prayed like I've never prayed before and then it happened. My heart rate jumped to 250 bpm and went into atrial fibrillation. I couldn't breath or move. It felt like an eternity before the medical personnel came to the room. The heart rate wasn't slowing at all so they gave me a shot of adenosine, to momentarily stop my heart. The doctor told me it would "hurt like hell" and he wasn't kidding - OUCH! That didn't slow it by itself and they gave me 7 rounds of another drug every couple minutes. Finally it went back to normal but by that point, I was wiped. I was admitted to the hospital.
God answered my prayers in a big way - I had never felt so awful before. I knew it was God's perfect timing because the ER doc told us he was on his way to discharge us when the episode happened. The next day, the cardiologist stopped by to tell me that I supra ventricular tachycardia and based on the severity of the attack, I needed a catheter ablation. Given my repeated episodes, the cardiologist said I had to stay in the hospital until they would transfer me to a Tacoma hospital on Monday. Wow! God is so great. He showed the doctors what they needed to diagnose and cure me.
It was a tough weekend being away from my family other than short visits but I was shown God's grace and mercy in the kindness I received from so many. I truly am overwhelmed by the love and support our family has received throughout this ordeal.
I took another ambulance ride this morning and by noon, my procedure was beginning. Turns out, I'm a tough one to sedate - the doc told G and my folks they gave me about 10 times the amount they typically give to a much larger person! The procedure took about three hours and turned out to be more complicated as the doc found not one, but two electrical abnormalities. Thankfully, he was able to damage those wires and believes that will be sufficient to cure the problem. I was back in recovery around 3:45 and then admitted to the hospital floor, where I was to remain still, on my back for four hours. When I was finally able to sit up, I started bleeding so back on my back I went with a fun pressure belt. Finally at 9:20 pm I got to sit up and by 9:40 I finally got to walk and go to the bathroom. I walked the floor a couple of times and am now just cherishing the fact that I am loved and protected by God.
I'm hoping and praying I will be home by tomorrow afternoon, I miss my babies so much.
Praise God for all he has done and will do.
