D Day

A date for my coronary angiogram and probable stent insertion has been set. Let the invasion begin, in this case the invasion of my body, with the heart as the target!

It really is quite simple. I should have a light breakfast, drink fluids as I wish, shower and have someone to drive me home. Dr Google recommends a two to six hour fast prior to the procedure so I will take the conservative path. Should anything untoward happen, the last thing I want to be doing is vomiting fluid into my lungs!

If I am released from hospital on the same day as the procedure, I must stay within thirty minutes of the hospital should there be any bleeding from the insertion site, the groin. A full scale bleed from the femoral artery will kill you pretty quickly.We live an hour from the hospital so a contingency plan is in place so we can  remain close by if needs be.

If a stent is placed, there will be an overnight stay in the Coronary Care Unit at the hospital.  After that, well I will await instructions from the professional. There are still many unanswered questions but at least now some closure is imminent.

My "last meal" the night before the planned hospital visit is organised. When I call it my "last meal" my attempt at humour falls very flat as far as my wife is concerned. And here I was, silly me, thinking laughter was the best medicine!

Look whatever happens I have always been here for a good time not a long time! Well that is what I say but there are too many things still to do and see to think this is nothing other than a blessing in disguise and an issue to confront and bypass.Whoops, hadn't wanted to think of that one! Bypass and now the questions start to come back but they cannot be answered for three days now...and counting.

The hospital I will be attending performs around forty such procedures a week, forty nine weeks of the year, every year. It is incredible really what is done these days to stave off what was once a death sentence.