Today- Wednesday – I spent most of my day in Hospital – blood tests / sugar tests and finally the Cardioversion. The cardioversion is to hit the heart with an electrical pulse with paddles similar to those used in the event of a heart stoppage. However, the idea with these is that I get put sleep for ten minutes whilst they hit me with the electrical shock and, hopefully, shock the heart back into a normal rhythm; am pleased to say that whilst I don’t remember a thing, the duty Sister did tell me that the cardioversion worked and the heart is back to normal. I guess this is my cue to behave for a while.
I have to say though, I think the idea of being asleep for ten minutes was not quite true. At the start of the procedure there was the Cardiologist, a Doctor, an Anesthetist, an assortment of nurses and three students and I was flat on the bed. There was a “Crash Cart” and other equipment and I had the paddles attached to me and an oxygen mask. When I woke up, everyone was gone, no indication that they had ever been there, the “crash cart” was gone, the paddles had been removed, the oxygen mask had been removed and I was propped up – all done in ten minutes!! – must be magic at work here :o) Just before 5:45 my son arrived and I was allowed to get dressed and go home. I spent most of the evening propped up in bed reading. I think I removed the big pillow and put the light out around 11pm – early for me!!
Thursday: Still a bit tired but I am told that it may take a day or so for the drugs to be clear out of my system and I will start to feel the benefit of the procedure. I wont be
taking Chienne out walking for a couple of days. My chest still hurts from where the electric Paddles were attached, but that will dissipate in a day or so.
The Man has not been so good and although I still sit down a feed him twice a day and give him his medication, he is not a happy dog. I wish I could just take him in my arms and cuddle and comfort him, but I can’t. Not that I do not want to but he wont let us. Due to blindness and dementia he has no idea what is happening. He feels that he is being restricted in some sort of corner so he screams until he is put down and released.
Sunday and a quiet few days. I am slowly withdrawing from things that I believe take up unnecessary time. Taking up the bulk of my time is Presbytery and the General Assembly and there is nothing I can do about that. West Terrace Trust is only three times a year so that’s ok, but the organization that takes up much of the remainder of my time is the RFDS and I am thinking that I need to do something there. Also a number of organisations that I follow on line are time consuming so I think a some of them will have to go.
Monday: The Man passed away quietly this afternoon. I think he just lay down on his bed and went to sleep. I wrapped him in a blanked and took him to the vet who confirmed that he had gone quietly and without trauma. I brought him back home and he was wrapped in what used to be his favourite blanket before the illness took him away from us. I laid him to rest at the side of the garden that I spend most of my time pottering around. It’s been less than a day and I miss him already and I think I will have to keep a close eye on Chienne since she was a bit upset. I telephoned the boys and both were quite upset – John more so. It was a great sadness to all of us that the illness took the Man away from us to the point that he knew nothing and no one. I hand fed him and that’s about as close as I got to holding him. I just hope he somehow knew how loved he was and how he will be missed.
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