The Angiogram & Me.

They warned me before they started.

As those that bother to read and/or follow my ramblings know last Wednesday I was scheduled to have an angiogram, and as those same people being intelligent people; well they must be to be following this drivel; know what an angiogram is I wont go into the gory details, not that they are it just sounds that way.

Well the surgeon in charge of the procedure decided that it would be better to proceed with the angiogram through an artery in my right wrist/forearm rather than the normal way; the right thigh.

Which was a pity really for the wardsman I think they’re called had given my right thigh a jolly good shave and a young lady doctor whose name was Ilene had inserted something into the back of my right hand, (I hope you’re enjoying this detailed discription) which was the normal thing for a thigh procedure.           😛

So now the thing that Doctor Ilene had inserted  into my right hand was replicated on my left hand, but it was decided that they might as well leave the other one in my right arm as it might come in handy for something or other later, it’s good to know that you’re in such good hands. Just joking I could not wish for better!

The surgeon  who decided on the arm explained that it was a more difficult way to proceed but he thought that it was the best way to go for me. I concurred. I’d had an angiogram some 20 odd years back and I recall having to lie perfectly, still flat on my back, for a few hours after and I really wasn’t fancying that, I get some nasty cramps in my legs if I lie still for any length of time, now I think of it, it was probably this that caused the surgeon to go for the wrist after I’d told him about the cramps, The surgeon also warned me that I’d experience some heavy bruising!

They pumped some purple dye stuff into my veins and hooked me up to a drip to stop me dehydrating and I had to just lie there while this dye worked its way through to my heart.

About an hour later some tattooed wardsman came and wheeled me along to the theatre where the angiogram was to be performed, and there was this great 110+ centimetre TV screen for me to watch the proceedings, the best part of the whole thing, watching it live on Tele.     Trouble was I didn’t get such a good view this time this great camera thingy was blocking my view most of the time; I was very disappointed I was actually looking forward to seeing the old ticker pounding away with this wiggerly thing bouncing around inside, ah well c’est le vie!

It took about 40-45 minutes I suppose then I was wheeled back to the recovery room and the bloke that went before me was still there flat on his back immobile! I on the otherhand was sitting up and able to watch everything going on around and chat to the nurses as I had this pressure thing attached to my arm. Every now and then a nurse would come around check me out and release a bit of the pressure, it was an air pressure system; after about 1½ -2 hours the thing was taken off and a pressure pad type of clear bandage was stuck on over the hole where the catheter was inserted all very exciting and the other poor bloke was still flat on his back. I don’t know how long he was there for or if there were complications, but here I was up and being allowed to get dressed ready for departure, although I still had an hour to wait before they said bye bye.               😛

Now for the bruising. The surgeon was spot on and I have some lovely technicolor bruises which I’m about to share with you by pictures my daughter Emma took this morning when she and my granddaughterRuby and Ruby’s  Auntie Sarah popped by to wish Kerry “Happy Mothers Day”, they have all gone out and I’m home alone and it’s quite peaceful.  The pictures are not of the standard of my chum egad aka Emilio but they will have to suffice; enjoy! If you click on the pics they’ll be enlarged for you to enjoy even more.