Heartbeats and slowing down.

I remember being told once that “you should always be careful what you wish for – you might actually get it” I mean, we didn’t want much – just some peace, stay at home, nice, quiet, down-time. Oh I got that alright – in spades. I cannot say I was pampered, but the nurses  and medical staff in the Cardiac Unit did look after me. Having said that, let me qualify it by saying that 1) I did not have a heart attack ; 2) I did not have a stroke. 3) Came close to both but no cigar – thankfully.

Monday took herself shopping. After lunch I decided to do the concreting and bed in her replaced washing line. Set up the cement mixer and got to work – not great exertion or even all that hard work, but about half way through I had more problems with breathing – more than I have had recently. I put it down to the fact that it was a warm day and carried on working. Before I knew what was what I started feeling very hot, my heart and pulse were racing like an express train and I was fighting for breath. I stopped work, went into the house and banged on the A/C ;  set it at its lowest and stood in front of it. After a while I started to settle down. However, herself was not too happy and insisted that we go see the doctor.   At 3pm I saw the doctor, at 3;50 pm I was at the hospital and by 5:00 I had been seen by two specialists and  moments later was on my way up to the HDU ( High Dependency Unit)  and hooked up to heart monitors. Not a heart attack nor a stroke but a serious Cardiac Arrhythmia. A number of  xrays also showed  that I had a pneumonia infection and fluid in the lungs which was not helping. Anyway, over a period of days  I was given medication to bring the heart rate down to a less dangerous level and then get it under control. It is now under control but that’s more to do with the present medication rather than anything else.  It is still fluctuating but I am told that unlike when I was admitted, this is a controlled fluctuation.  I was also told that the problems with the heart were directly responsible for the breathing and thus the  tiredness and shortness of breath that I have experienced lately.

I have to remain on these drugs for  four weeks then see the heart specialist and return to the HDU. I will be taken off the drugs and monitored. If the heart does not behave I will be taken down to the Theater by the Cardiologist  and given electric treatment to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm. All good stuff.

On the first evening I was in hospital Herself asked if there was anything she could bring up. The boys would bring her and I asked her to bring up my pens and my Filofax. To many people that might sound a bit strange, but I use my FF for recording everything. It helps me keep track of things I do and places I go. I don’t see why a visit to hospital should stop me from making sure everything in my FF was up to date.  I also asked for my iPad mainly I have a kindle program on there and have a number of books that I can – and did – read. Yes I would have watched TV but I felt that $14 a day was a bit steep.

Where do I go from here? – First thing is to do as I said I would and resign from one of the State Committees. Secondly, cut down the trips to Adelaide. I can do this by a careful examination of the Agenda and if there is nothing there that really concerns us or has any bearing on us, I’ll put in an apology and stay home.  Not an ideal solution but the best I can manage. The Property Trust Committee,  which meets in Adelaide, I really do want to remain with – such a lovely group of people and the meetings are always a pleasure. The next meeting will feature a presentation by Dr. Klee Benveniste of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation- and I do want to be present for that.  Other movements I will curtail as much as I can until we are certain that things are back to normal.