My hospital experience

Boo likes people food

Boo likes to sleep on my lap

In the hospital

The pacemaker in my chest Saint Patty Day

March 21 2015

Saturday I woke up in my own comfortable bed and looked out the window to see snow flakes coming down. Not very  spring like.  What a month it has been. I had not been paying any attention to the signs that led to heart failure. I had shortness of breath and would have to rest after I did anything physicle. I had little energy. I felt ok when I was quiet. I had no idea my heart was racing and beating irregularly. February's snow and cold descended. I shoveled and rested, I walked the dog and rested. I rested after everything I did. I got the wood in and filled the pellet stove. I was warm and comfortable. I painted. I had a fall on one of the walks but felt ok in a day or two. My left leg became swollen and I thought it was because  of the fall. I went to the hospital and they found my heart racing. The long shot of it is They kept me there and tried to get the heartbeat into a manageable  rate. I was sent to Portland where they have more equipment to test everything. My body was filled with fluid and I had medicine to get that out.. The pulse was irregular and beating 100 to 150 per minute but they were getting it down. Then when I thought I was going to sleep in the evening I went into cardiac arrest and I woke up to all these people around my bed. My ribs hurt and they told me they had done cpr on me. The next day during another test my heat went into the fibulation again. I remember going into a darkness. They sapped me and I woke up like out of a dream and I was so glad to be awake. At this point they put in a temporary pacemaker. A couple of days later the real pacemaker was put in, a three hour operation. I was black and blue and it hurt to move my arm. It seemed like every half hour I was having my blood pressure taken and blood taken from the veins for tests. I was on a  Monitor at the front desk where they keep tract of everyone. The medicines and pacemaker helped the heart to work better and all was well. 

Then I developed a rash as a reaction to the dye they put in my veins . My whole body began to itch. It is still itchy. My friends came to visit and brought me flowers, and Doug came every other day. I read and slept and was not bored. The nurses were great, I had good care. I was discharged on Thursday and Doug brought me home.

Saturday afternoon friends came to dinner, Ed and Virginia brought roast pork with baked apples and cabbage. There was roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables and Christina made a carrot cake. MY friend Nancy came up with Christina, Merritt my neighbor came so there were seven of us around the table and we had a good time talking and eating.

I am weak and need lots of sleep. I have been outside and taken short walks with Doug. Doug is taking good care of me. 

Many thanks to all my friends that have sent birthday and well wishes for my recovery.I was overwhelmed to hear from so many people. Thank you again. I am blessed to have so many friends that care about me.

Audrey