Onwards and upwards
I’m sorry I’ve not written a post in so long, time has passed alarmingly quickly so I find myself having to write a catch up post from my most recent cardiac catheter!
I had my second cardiac catheter a few weeks ago. I knew what to expect so was not anxious in any way, in fact quite the opposite. I was desperate to get it over with so that hopefully I’d know the next step.
The cardiac catheter was as I expected, painful but manageable. Even though I knew what to expect I still found the whole process very daunting. You’re in a room full of medical professionals but yet you feel so alone. I managed not to cry during this one which is an improvement, however when they were putting the needles into my groin I definitely asked “why me”.
I was the first patient at Barts Hospital in London to have a cardiac catheter followed by an MRI scan, and for this I’m really proud of myself for being able to help create a new path for others to follow. After they had completed the cardiac catheter they put a stopper in the tube (so as to keep it clean from infection) cut around the big blue sheet put over you which has a small hole on the area they operate on, and we left the catheter theatre. What an adventure!
We went on a whirlwind tour of the hospital as no one knew which lift to take down to the correct floor so we ended up taking the service lift down. I did not mind at all. It kept me distracted. Once down on the 3rd floor I was moved into the MRI machine. I must have had hundreds of MRI’s in my life. At Great Ormond Street you get to watch a video, at the Royal Free and Barts there is no such luxury. Once strapped in the machine slowly moves you into the machine and the banging noises start. “Breathe in, hold...and breathe out Lucy” says the nurse over the intercom. I duly do what is required of me as by now the only person I want to see is my mummy who is waiting in the ward for my return. I try not to think about what’s going on, what they are looking for....my only thought “why me, why now...” bang, bang goes the machine around me. It feels like I’ve been in here for ages. The nurses voice through my headphones comes as a comforting interruption.
After what seems like forever I’m wheeled out and back up to the ward. My mummy’s waiting for me, full of encouragement and smiles. How would I ever do this without her? She had to go out of the cubicle while they take the stopper out and the camera wire thing that they left inside me during the MRI....and relax. It’s over! I can sleep now.
Over the next few hours my leg went numb and I seem to have a lump at the top of my leg. I lost feeling in my leg for a while but it came back. I panicked, mummy being the amazing woman she is kept calm, reassuring me that I’m ok and that we will be home soon.
Thankfully the feeling came back and I managed to hobble to the loo to have a pee so that I was allowed home.
After the last catheter I went back to work the next day. This time I gave myself a few days to rest and realised how much I needed it.
I want to say a huge Thankyou to all the staff at Barts hospital who put up with my moaning, tears, awful jokes and probably snoring! I also want to thank my amazing mummy who always manages to focus on the positive.
I had my second cardiac catheter a few weeks ago. I knew what to expect so was not anxious in any way, in fact quite the opposite. I was desperate to get it over with so that hopefully I’d know the next step.
The cardiac catheter was as I expected, painful but manageable. Even though I knew what to expect I still found the whole process very daunting. You’re in a room full of medical professionals but yet you feel so alone. I managed not to cry during this one which is an improvement, however when they were putting the needles into my groin I definitely asked “why me”.
I was the first patient at Barts Hospital in London to have a cardiac catheter followed by an MRI scan, and for this I’m really proud of myself for being able to help create a new path for others to follow. After they had completed the cardiac catheter they put a stopper in the tube (so as to keep it clean from infection) cut around the big blue sheet put over you which has a small hole on the area they operate on, and we left the catheter theatre. What an adventure!
We went on a whirlwind tour of the hospital as no one knew which lift to take down to the correct floor so we ended up taking the service lift down. I did not mind at all. It kept me distracted. Once down on the 3rd floor I was moved into the MRI machine. I must have had hundreds of MRI’s in my life. At Great Ormond Street you get to watch a video, at the Royal Free and Barts there is no such luxury. Once strapped in the machine slowly moves you into the machine and the banging noises start. “Breathe in, hold...and breathe out Lucy” says the nurse over the intercom. I duly do what is required of me as by now the only person I want to see is my mummy who is waiting in the ward for my return. I try not to think about what’s going on, what they are looking for....my only thought “why me, why now...” bang, bang goes the machine around me. It feels like I’ve been in here for ages. The nurses voice through my headphones comes as a comforting interruption.
After what seems like forever I’m wheeled out and back up to the ward. My mummy’s waiting for me, full of encouragement and smiles. How would I ever do this without her? She had to go out of the cubicle while they take the stopper out and the camera wire thing that they left inside me during the MRI....and relax. It’s over! I can sleep now.
Over the next few hours my leg went numb and I seem to have a lump at the top of my leg. I lost feeling in my leg for a while but it came back. I panicked, mummy being the amazing woman she is kept calm, reassuring me that I’m ok and that we will be home soon.
Thankfully the feeling came back and I managed to hobble to the loo to have a pee so that I was allowed home.
After the last catheter I went back to work the next day. This time I gave myself a few days to rest and realised how much I needed it.
I want to say a huge Thankyou to all the staff at Barts hospital who put up with my moaning, tears, awful jokes and probably snoring! I also want to thank my amazing mummy who always manages to focus on the positive.
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