Now moved up to the ICU of the Mountain View Hospital, I thought the worst of my nightmares was over. I was kept in the Intensive Care Unit to rule out the possibility that I might have just survived a heart attack. My blood was taken every two hours and tests were quickly run to see what strain my heart could have been under. I was told my heart needed a stress test, and a series of scans to look at the problem closer.
Now in the hospital two days constantly attached to the heart monitors, eating a heart healthy diet, and resting in a hospital bed the entire time I was told they would begin my tests. I was apprehensive of the tests. The first was a stress test. I was told they would make me walk on a treadmill until my heart rate got to 170 (because of my age being only 23) which was a fearful thought. I cried to the doctor (Dr. Green who was nearly in tears with me - very sweet sensitive man) and told him that I went through a lot to slow my heart in the ER and didn't want to undergo the test. I worried that once it was 170, it would not slow down again and I would have to experience the ER again. He assured me we would take it as slow as we had to. I was attached to several wires, and probes. Once my heart rate was up to 170 bpm's, they injected the drug Thallium and I would be done one minute later.
After the Thallium was injected, I was to lay under a large machine and they would watch me for a very long time to determine if I had a blocked artery. Luckily, I didn't have a plumbing problem. If the problem wasn't in the plumbing, it was electrical. I had a pacemaker called the AV Node that was not working properly, and the problem could only be fixed surgically. I was referred to Dr. Hwang at the Central Utah Clinic.
My appointment wasn't until June of 2006. I hadn't experienced the heart problem in a while because I was on beta blockers every day, and was eating a strict heart healthy low fat, low sodium diet. During this visit, Dr. Hwang gave me a quick EKG test, and listened to my heart, told me it's SVT, and asked if I wanted more children because I can't be pregnant on the beta blockers, and if I wanted more children he would recommend the surgery. That being said, I went forth with scheduling the AV Node Ablation Surgery for July 26, 2006.
In simple terms, if all went well during the surgery, they would put some electrical probes into my femoral artery and fish them up into different areas of my heart. With small electrical pulses, they would stimulate my heart to find the exact pacemaker (of which your heart has many) that is causing the problem. Once they find that pacemaker, they would ablate it - or deaden it. The other pacemakers would take over, and I would be "cured." If anything went wrong, I would possibly need a artificial pacemaker, or some other form of surgery.
My directions for the surgery were easy to understand. Stop the beta blocker Toporal a week before the surgery, and come with an empty stomach. The day before, I found out my surgery would be at 6 am. I arranged for my mother to watch Ellie that day. I remember taking a shower that morning and feeling my heart begin to race. I was nervous about the surgery, even though I knew I wouldn't have open heart surgery. I was scared that my heart would be racing as I went in for the surgery and that might ruin the process where they would have to slow my heart down again. Another consideration was that I would be conscious, alert, and awake during the surgery under what they call conscious sedation but I wouldn't remember later (I hoped).
I was put in a room and got dressed into a gown. Then, directed into the operating room where I laid myself down on a table. I remember the nurses telling me to tell them the things I would be feeling during the operation; tightness in my chest, heavy or labored breathing, pain, tingling, etc... I was tearful as they injected the medicine in my arm and prepped my groin area for the electrodes to be inserted into my Femoral Artery.
The next thing I remember was feeling like they were trying to roll me onto the floor, when really remembering more clearly they were moving me into my hospital bed. I was extremely out of it like I had just had anesthesia. I was moved to a special hospital room where I was closely monitored and was given extra care for my delicate surgery. As I woke up more, Dr. Hwang told me my AV Node Ablation was done perfectly. When he electrically stimulated my heart, he found the bad part right away when my heart began to race at 199 bpm. I had four electrodes in my heart. "No more racing heart," he said. I was to take Aspirin daily, and come back in a couple months for follow up.
Following the surgery, I was off my feet for about 3 days. I felt no pain, but I remember how very different the feeling of my new heart was. I was used to my heart being about 95 bpm regularly, so having it down almost to 45 and 50 bpm at times, was a new calming feeling. I remember wondering if my heart were beating, and I still have to sit in "awww" about the slowness of it.
My follow up appointment Sept 9, 2006 was a success when he told me that I could safely have another child at that point (which of course, has lead me into my new challenge to have another baby as almost 3 years later we still aren't pregnant). When I do feel the racing heart beat, it goes away quickly and without much assistance. I haven't felt any racing heart beat since late last year when it would last for about an hour off and on during the week. I can exercise without worry about my heart rate getting "stuck there" like it did before the surgery.
I'm much more careful of my heart now, and I have a strong desire to keep it strong and healthy. I know that if it ever returns (supposing another pregnancy might aggravate it again, or as my heart ages) that I can handle the process. I hope that this genetic trait isn't passed onto Ellie or possibly future children, but only time will tell as they will need a full grown adult heart to have symptoms. Now that I have been through it, I can know and recognize the signs and we can fix the problem early.
The procedure was a big success and I consider myself lucky to have found out what my problem was and not keep brushing it off as anxiety or a panic attack. I'm not sure what might have happened if I didn't have the surgery. Having racing heart for days may have been the death of me and I consider myself lucky that it wasn't during all those years of my suffering with it.
Take care of yourselves, and if you ever second guess that you might have a problem check it out because you never know how serious it may be or that it can be fixed. This heart story was a very big part of my life at the time, and something I will never forget. I am very blessed to have great and talented doctors, nurses, and staff who took care of me so well during a very frightening time of my life. My family and friends were always there for me to keep me positive, and reassure me that I would be okay. I am so grateful to have these people in my life. Thank you to everyone who helped me. Your the best!
