Sunday, April 03, 2005

Hallelujah! I'm alive - just

You know, having your heart operated on is nothing to be scared of. I'm serious. My mum driving me around in my car - now that's something to help you hit new highs in stress levels! There was one moment I thought the will made on Wednesday and the listing of ones in hotmail contacts who'd give a shit being informed of my departure, would be coming in useful.

Thursday I went in for my radiofrequency ablation where they thread catheters up from my groin (Jesus - I look like the sprinkler on a watering can now!) to my heart, make it go faster with a pacemaker etc. to find the dodgy pathway and then apply a burst of radiofrequency to burn out an area of a quarter of an inch. Amazing! It went very well. Only mitral valve prolapse remains in my dodgy but overall good heart which shouldn't be too much of a problem except when I'm 70 and I may need a new valve. Can't imagine being around at 70 to worry about it.

I arrived at the hospital at 10.30am but the op wasn't scheduled until 4pm. But apparently this wasn't to allow time between op prep for a little shopping trip in the nearby Kings Road alas. Noon a nurse came in proudly waving a razor and asked me to shave part of my groin. I mean - no shaving cream or nowt. I wasn't allowed lightning streaks or anything. The nurses and doctors were from all over the world - what with the fountain in the courtyard that sounded like waves and the goodie bag in the bathroom it was like being in a foreign hotel. Took a while for my time to come, well past 4pm and the nurses were in hysterics when I said "Thank god, you're taking me now. I thought my pubes'd grow back by the time I went under!"

More later on this wonderful precious life we lead as although my spirits soar, my concentration is still poor, I tire easily, I hobble about, occasionally my heart feels odd as new pathways are found to carry my pulses - plus the bruising and swelling on my wrists from all the tubes that were in me means it hurts to write. I could bruise for England. It'll disappear in 3 weeks and then it'll be time for the next op. That's the big big big one but at least I'm over fear of hospitals now.

Thank you dearest kind friends for calls, cards and visits. Also for the birthday calls and lunch. I feel very lucky to have you in my life.

No comments: