Accelerated Pace!

Further to yesterday's post...

Our trip to the Hospital in Oklahoma City went smoothly and more speedily than we expected. Left home 7 AM, arrived at the hospital around 8.35 AM. Registration was fairly quick; not long after 9 AM we were already in the Cath Lab, Himself in hospital gown and socks waiting for a catheter to be fixed up. No blood work was needed (contrary to our expectations). After a wait of about an hour the doctor who was to perform the procedure - a very pleasant guy he was too - came to have a few words with us (husband, me and K. - husband's daughter). After another short wait husband was off to have his pacemaker "seen to".

We joined our other companion, K's husband, for a wait of some 30 minutes, then returned to the Catheter Lab to await husband's return. The doctor came first, reassured us that all had gone well, according to plan, and confirmed that, after an hour or so, husband would be able to leave.

Amazingly, we were back home by 3 PM, after having a spot of lunch at a Greek restaurant on the way out of The City. Husband has to take it easy on his left arm for a day or two, and should be alright to drive after a couple of days.

So all's well. Husband has a new companion too, a magic 'box' which somehow monitors his pacemaker and sends messages, once every 24 hours, to some place beyond the back of beyond. Ideally it is to be kept close to his bed. If by any chance he's not around his bed when box attempts to contact his pacemaker, sometime in the early hours, it will "search for it" - and for him. Yeah - I know!

Pace Changing... Again

What's happening, for us, today is a sequel to what was described in this post from October 2010, some 8 years ago:

Change of Pace for Mañana


Around 10 days ago husband's pacemaker went into "safe mode" - he noticed, when monitoring his blood pressure, that his heart rate was always spot on 65 - this went on for several consecutive days. We looked for information online and discovered the likely reason: new pacemaker battery/generator needed!

First stop was at our family doctor's office, husband was given an appointment within a couple of hours, then and referred straight away to the nearby local hospital where, fortunately, a cardiologist was present, on one of his duty days there. The cardiologist confirmed that our findings were correct. Next step was to get the pacemaker "interrogated" by a representative technician from the pacemaker's manufacturer. This was done the next day, a quick job, just to confirm there was no malfunctioning going on.

An appointment to have a new generator inserted was made. This has to be done at a hospital in Oklahoma City - as was the case in 2010. So, that's where we'll be today. Husband's daughter and son-in-law will drive us to The City. We understand the procedure will be fairly routine, with local aesthetic this time, small incision - out with the old bits, in with the new. Including registration, waiting time, and a bit of bed rest and monitoring for the husband afterwards, it'll be an all day job - 9 to 5 at least.

Husband's pacemaker has given sterling service for the past 8 years; we shall be wildly optimistic and with glass half full say, "Here's to the next 8!" (Husband was 81 in March by the way.)

Change of Pace for Mañana

During the past week my husband had a pacemaker fitted to regulate his heart rate. He hadn't experienced any of the problems normally associated with a low heart rate which, to some extent, has been his personal "style" for most of his life. However, his family doctor at annual check-up, and a second opinion from a heart specialist, dictated the current need of a pacemaker.

Astrologically there's an interesting correlation between Uranus/Jupiter's current transit over husband's natal cluster (Sun, Mercury, Saturn) in first degree Aries and last degrees Pisces. Astrologers would translate such a transit over personal planets as an indication of a change of some kind. And so it was!

The fitting of a pacemaker is a fairly common and routine procedure. Actual surgery lasted almost exactly an hour, with additional time for preparation and recovery, then 24 hours of monitoring hooked up to all manner of electronic devices. Classic Uranian stuff!

Husband's eldest daughter drove us the 90-ish miles to the specialist hospital on Monday evening, to be ready for a 7:00 AM start to the proceedings on Tuesday. We both stayed 2 nights at a nearby hotel; husband's eldest son drove over to be with us for most of the day of the operation. The waiting time, which could have seemed tedious for both patient and a single visitor alike, passed pleasantly in mutually supportive company. All four of us had probably been harbouring secret worries and doubts. Knowing first-hand from the surgeon that the procedure had gone well, with no serious hitches quickly relieved any lingering fears.

His carefully chosen tee-shirt for the trip bore the words Carpe Mañana (Seize Tomorrow). He has done just that - and many, many tomorrows, I trust.

Back home by late afternoon Wednesday, equipped with pacemaker manual, lists of instructions, and prescription for some whack-a-doodle painkillers (he refuses to take them), Himself declared, "I really didn't want to do this!"

"Why?" asked yours truly, dutifully. Her own hatred of medical matters, doctors and hospitals is legendary, her answer ought to have been a different single syllable: "DUH!!!"

"It makes me feel old", he replied.

"You'll never appear, or feel truly old though, with a whacky nature like yours. This pacemaker will just embellish your humour with better timing."

"You reckon? ......That's alright then."