Well, it will be in just 3 hours. I’m writing this from our hotel adjacent to Advent Hospital South in Orlando, where I will have my ICD (Internal Cardiac Device) implanted tomorrow morning. This is the third time this has been delayed, with each time being delayed at the last minute; that is the day before the procedure was to happen. The first delay was due to DOS and I having COVID, the second time due to the Doctor’s family emergency, and finally after all these months it’s scheduled for this third time on Monday Sept 30 at 7:30am. My meeting time is actually 5:30am for prep stuff and tests, and I have to shower now before going to bed and again in the morning, so hopefully I can sleep tonight.
Steve DOS is staying here for a couple nights, although I should only be in the hotel overnight (hopefully!). I’m getting tired now after just finishing the last post on our recent stay at Disney, which tired is a good thing, so hopefully I can sleep!
I will write more later; I’m not sure how I will feel after the several hours recovery time, and any restrictions I will have. Thoughts and prayers are always appreciated! Good night.
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Procedure Day – Monday September 30.
We woke up early at 4:30am this morning as we had to be at the hospital for check-in at 5:30am. I took a shower once again with the hospital-strength antibacterial soap they recommended I use the night before and the day of the procedure.
As I was not allowed to have food or drink after midnight, I took my medicines with just a sip of water. A quick selfie in the hotel, and we were on our way by 5:20am, and at that early hour in the morning there was no wait for valet parking in the front of the building.
Once at the hospital we went to the Cardiac Lab check-in area, where we had about a 15 minute wait before being escorted upstairs to the second floor to the actual waiting area outside the surgery corridor.
In the second waiting area I was given a couple consent forms to sign, and verified all of the essential information they had on file, and provided the hospital with my current medication lists. One item caught my attention and that had to do with the procedure I was having done: inserting a Bi-Ventricular ICD defibrillator which was correctly noted. I also mentioned that I have a Medtronics MICRA (mini and wireless) Pacemaker, that will be removed (or at least attempted to be removed) during the surgery. I didn’t think that was important that it wasn’t separately, as it was all part of the same procedure. Well apparently it was important, as they had to fill out an additional consent form, which was given to me in the next room (the prep room) where I was called to after another 15 minute wait. Here I am waiting in the second waiting area, prior to the “prep room” with DOS. I’m all smiles and “thumbs up here”, assuming this would be an easy operation on this third go round of trying.
Shortly after 6am, I was escorted into the pre-operation “prep” room, which was a busy room with an ER type setup of curtained-off cubbies, although much smaller in size than an ER. Steve (DOS) had to wait for me back in the waiting room while I got prepped for surgery, although he would join me there later when the prep team was done with me. Everyone in the prep room was very friendly and it helped me to relax a bit, even at this early hour. They brought the updated consent form to me noting my existing MICRA pacemaker, and that it should be removed during the operation.
I met the Medtronics rep (actually I had met him before at the Dr.’s office a while back) and he tested a few things out using his laptop and blue-tooth enabled device which connected to my MICRA pacemaker. There was also a team of perhaps six people that interacted with me as well, although one nurse was the lead nurse for my “cube”.
I had two IV’s inserted; one in each arm, a blood pressure cuff wrapped around my right arm, an oxygen monitor wire attached to one of my fingers, electrodes on my chest etc, and blood drawn for testing. I was also shaved on my arms, legs, groin area, chest and back. I asked the nurse why I was being shaved everywhere if they were only going to do the incision around my left upper chest/shoulder area, and she said it was due to risk of infection, as hair attracts bacteria. I wondered why they didn’t shave my underarms, looking back at this?
While getting me prepped, the Anesthesiologist stopped by to chat with me. I’m sure he thought it was just his routine talk, but I asked him a bunch of questions regarding what type of anesthesia was being used (i.e. general vs “twighlight zone”), what tubing is used such as in my throat, what side affects should I expect etc.
I explained I had two really bad memories of anesthesia during my open heart surgeries in 2001 and 2002, and to this day it makes me nervous having anesthesia done to me. He explained the procedure going thru my arm, but said I would probably have a tube in my throat but he would remove it before I woke up. While he seemed very competent, it still made me nervous. After my first heart surgery I was awake in recovery when a much longer tube was removed (scary and uncomfortable as hell while a nurse yelled at me to “Breathe!, Breathe!, Breathe!). It took an additional couple hours before the tube could be removed. I was freaking out with this long tube in my mouth and not really even awake as I’m being scolded by the nurse to breathe on my own.
The second surgery I was unconscious for 3 days due to the lengthy 12 hour emergency heart surgery and the possibility they would need to go into my chest the next couple days. I was in a brain fog for weeks after the second surgery; literally confused and hallucinogenic at times. DOS was really concerned I would be that way forever, but fortunately I gradually came out of it the “Brain fog” and confusion over the following days and weeks.
Back to the current surgery now; after the prep work was done, DOS was allowed to visit me in this tiny and crowded curtained-off room. I had him speak to the anesthesiologist as well about my concerns; I think I spooked the anesthesiologist with all my worries!
Finally it was time to wheel my back to the “procedure lab” they called it, but it was basically an operating room to me with all of the machinery, and an entirely different team of people. I spoke to most of them, and was again asked to explain what procedure I was going to have done. I explained I was having a Bi-Ventricular ICD installed and also having my Medtronics MICRA pacemaker removed as well. I saw my Dr/Surgeon and he greeted me warmly, and made me feel comfortable. The in-room nurses and staff put a couple paddles on my chest and back (I’m assuming to shock me if necessary) and did a couple other things before the Anesthesiologist placed a mask loosely over my face, and said to breathe the oxygen, a bit before it turned to something that knocked me off into a deep sleep.
Once I was unconscious from the anesthesia, I don’t remember anything until I woke up perhaps an hour and a half later. I was still semi-conscious and asked a male nurse in some room how the surgery went, and he just replied my partner can explain it a bit later.
I later was in the recovery room with another nurse (female) and was waking up when I saw DOS. Long story short, my ICD procedure was CANCELED while I was unconscious during the surgery!!! I still don’t know exactly what happened, but my Dr. and 2 of the ER nurses spoke to DOS at some point and explained the hospital was against the way my Dr was planning to do the ICD procedure, and made him cancel (Abort was actually the word they used) the procedure, even as I was already asleep from the anesthesia! The hospital (I don’t know “who” at the hospital) wanted the ICD to be inserted first, and then the existing pacemaker removed, but my Doctor said NO as he always does the reverse so as not to intrude on the new wires that had just been installed which could come lose. What a mess it was! I can just imagine the Operating Room staff and my Doctor arguing about this while I’m knocked out on the table in front of them!
So anyway, the third time this ICD procedure was to have been done, was not a charm! I had to finish my “recovery” even though all I had was the anesthesia and couldn’t leave the hospital until around 12:30pm. I didn’t see my Doctor after I was in the Procedure Room, but DOS said he was visibly upset, but remained professional, and promised DOS he would go out of his way to schedule my ICD procedure within the next two weeks, at “one of the four other facilities that he works with and has done this before”. (Visually I’m imagining him raising the right middle finger and waving it to Advent Health! Just kidding! LOL!)
So that was it for the day. Seven hours of our time wasted as well as getting a hotel the night before and getting up at 4:30am and fasting until now at 12:30pm. DOS picked up the car which we valet parked in the morning at the hospital entrance, and we headed home, having lunch on the way.
Frustrating yes, but what do you do. I waited until the next day (Friday) before calling the Doctor’s office back, and the scheduler was already working on getting me a new date for the canceled surgery. It’s quite a bit of coordinator on her part checking multiple people’s schedule as well as securing a slot at a designated hospital. She called me back within an hour though, and now I’m set up for October 17 at Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford. This was actually where I had the MICRA pacemaker installed originally. So just over two weeks from now. To be continued!