Part 3-Follow up on one year ago this week!

I went back to the heart hospital on December 1st, for a check up, and to further discuss the procedure to happen on the 22nd.

I had my sister-in-law Moomie with me, and we had plans of getting all our Christmas shopping done in the midst of the appointment. (We did get it all done.....hooray.)

I had another Echocardiogram, and an EKG. They both showed my heart was getting stronger......but......Dr. decided he would like to give my heart more time to heal between surgery's and opted to schedule the next surgery about 6 weeks out.

I must confess, I was disappointed, which seems crazy....I wanted of course to have a strong heart for surgery, but I also just wanted to have it done....complete....finished....yet, there would have to be more waiting......and I guess it isn't all bad, not having to be in the hospital over Christmas, and all.

Sooooooo, sometime in early 2007.

I got a phone call in early January from the Dr.'s nurse, Janelle. Surgery would be scheduled for February 6th. With an appointment in January for a cat scan, and x-ray's.

Mister's parents were scheduled to come and watch the boys, and stay at our house while we went in for the February surgery. This way, they could sleep in their own beds, play with their own toys, still be in school.......well.....things don't always turn out the way we would like, now do they.

Mister's father had gotten the flu, the day before they were scheduled to come out to our house.....not the best condition for trying to keep up with my sweet monsters......

Mister made yet another quick call to his brother and sister-in-law, to see if they could drop everything again, and pick up our children, and take them back to their house. They really are the best, without hesitation, they met us half-way, and we said good-bye to our babies, to begin this new trek to the heart hospital again.

We arrived in Sioux Falls later than we had anticipated, due to the meet, and hand off.

We quickly headed out to dinner, as there would be no food for me the next day, not that I don't enjoy some nice saltines, but really......needed some protein!

The moment we sat down to dinner......

Mister says, "mmmm.....my throat is pretty sore"

Me...."well, don't eat the chips."

Mister....."yeah, I suppose...seems like more than that though....."

Me...."strep?"

Mister...."hmmm.....I am not sure....maybe..."

Me...."do we need to find a clinic?"

Mister...."yes."

We quickly checked into our hotel, and asked the guy at the front desk where the nearest Urgent Care Facility was.......just a couple of miles away.

Arrive....Mister's throat is getting worse.....we sit and wait, and watch as three more patients arrive, and go to the front desk, complaining of sore throats.

Mister is finally seen........YEP, rip-roaring strep throat! AWESOME! We explained our unique situation to the Doctor, tell her I am having surgery tomorrow, far from home....etc......etc.......a tiny bit of sympathy she showed. However, she said under no circumstances should Mister step foot into the heart hospital, until he has been on the anti-biotic for at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours.....NICE.....surgery is in 10 hours.....

We finally left the clinic around 8:00 pm.......

Mister placed another phone call to our ever reliable brother and sister-in-law.....tearfully explaining the situation. Moomie left within a half an hour, and made the 3 1/2 hour drive to Sioux Falls, so she could take me to the hospital the following morning.

We arrived at 6:00 am, and Mister waited outside the hospital, while I went in to plead my case. FORTUNATELY, they agreed to allow Mister in, as I had already been exposed, and Mister had agreed to wear a mask. Mister is somewhat of a germ-a-phob anyhow, and will put hand sanitizer on when he is in any sort of medical facility, like he owns stock in it, so I truly figured there was nothing to worry about.

Surgery......I spoke with Dr., shortly before I went in for the procedure. He had made contact with the man who invented the equipment that they were using for my procedure, and he was interested in being a part of the procedure, and had come over from Nebraska, to assist. They agreed I would be better sedated for the procedure than I was the previous time, as they knew what to expect from the previous procedure, and figured they would be able to whip this out in no time, like......4 hours.....

I came out of surgery 4 hours later, and it turns out......they could not find any arrhythmia's to fix!

Dr. said, "it doesn't happen often, but it does happen occasionally......I think with the procedure before, and the medication you have been on......you are cured."

Me..."what do you mean? Just like that, all better?"

Dr......"yes, just like that."

Me...."hmmm...."

Dr. "we would like to schedule a stress test tomorrow, and have you take a 30 day event monitor home, and we can go from there."

They checked me out of the hospital about 6 hours later.......

The following day, I had my stress test. Turns out, guess I am not too stressed. They said I did much better then what they would have expected from someone in my "condition" or something along those lines.

They also gave me an Event monitor, which was similar to the Holter monitor I had previously, except it had only two of those sticker things, and the recording device was much smaller. There was also a button on the recorder, which I was to push if I had any unusual episodes, and then I would "fax" the information over the phone to some company that reads the events, and makes contact with the Dr. if there is any concerns. I was to have this on for 30 days.

We left Sioux Falls, and picked up our boys. Wondering, what in the heck just happened?

As we updated everyone of the surgery results.....there was excitement for me having no further problems.

To tell you the truth.....I didn't believe it, I knew there was still something wrong. However, what do you do?

I just diligently pressed my little button when I felt "funny" or got light headed......I would fax the information in.....they would thank me.....that would be it. It was three days before I was to send the monitor back in, and be finished with my 30 days, when I passed out in the kitchen. Now, not too scary, when I pass out....it had happened often enough before, and it literally lasts about 1 second after I hit the ground.....never hit my head, I just sort of know it is coming, and start to lower myself down......and sit......usually hard, enough for a bruise......but it had never really been scary. (I know, seems insane....) I sent the event in over the phone, and well.....they thought it was scary.

Event monitor reader person, " you need to get to the hospital immediately, I will contact your Dr., and he will call you."

Me....."why, what did it say?"

EMRP, "I cannot give that information to you."

Me....."why not, it is my body?"

EMRP, "are you going to go to the hospital, immediately?"

Me...."I can't go right this second, I need to call my husband.....I have to do something with my children....so no....not right this second."

EMRP, "if you do not agree to go to the hospital immediately, I will be calling an ambulance to come and get you."

Me....."then yes, I am going immediately."

I called Mister......and I was, um a little shook up to say the least, and he was home in about 5 minutes. (Work is only 3 miles away, it's nice like that.)

All the while I don't even know what is really going on, or what they "saw." I try to call my Dr. over and over, as I don't even know what I am supposed to tell the folks at the hospital....."hi, some lady on the phone told me to come here, right away......I am not sure why exactly, but she said I better come, so I am here......"

That all seemed really ridiculous to me, as well as Mister......so we continued to call my Dr., while taking Sass to school, and finding someone to watch Fash. We had just arrived at Sass's school when the Dr. finally contacted us back.....I know, I make it sound like it was a super long time, but seriously.....Sass's school was about 3 1/2 miles away.......

The Dr. said I didn't need to go to the hospital.....it was more of the Ventricular Tachycardia....and it looks like I wasn't healed like they had thought.

Through some discussion, my Dr., who is the top cardiac surgeon in South Dakota, 3rd Cardiac Hospital in the U.S. said he could not fix me, but wanted me to go to the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester Minnesota. The number one heart hospital in the World. He asked if I would be willing to do that.....seriously, what else would I say.......of course.

The Mayo Clinic made contact with me, and they pushed me through to have surgery, scheduled for March 27th, three weeks from now.

They also wanted me to be a part of their research findings....interesting. I don't know that I really want to be "special" but I guess if I am going to be "special" the Mayo Clinic is where I would like to be.