Posted by Troy Clement on April 15, 2002 at 15:22:11:
Well, it's been 19 days since my Maze procedure at the Cleveland Clinic by Patrick McCarthy. I have been home 7 days now. Although I feel pretty good now, beating in NSR, it's hard to forget some of the complications I went through which gave me an extended stay in the hospital. Keep in mind here, that I also have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, which puts more stress on the heart and I would guess also increases surgery and recovery risk. I do not however believe that my pre-existing condition of Cardiomyopathy had anything to do with my complications. After surgery I didn't feel too well. My heart rate was high, my breathing was heavy, and I didn't have any energy. Enter complication #1. Four days after surgery my liver and kidney's started failing and I was moved to I.C.U. All medications such as Rhytmol, Morphine, etc....were halted. I had been given an extreme amount of Morphine after surgery and I was showing signs of distress and pain as I was coming around, and I believe this may have been the cause. I felt as though I was dying. About two days after discontinuance of meds, my liver started returning to normal and I started feeling better. I developed an appetite and was able to eat for the first time in about 6 days. Enter complication #2. On the night of the 5th day after surgery, my heart was suddenly started beating at a rate of 120 bpm and it felt highly stressed. My normal rate resting rate is 60. With Cardiomyopathy, a high rate can be deadly. Around midnight I called my RN to immediately get me a Cardiologist as could tell my heart was being taxed, and I felt as though an arrythimia was present, and cardiac arrest was lurking around. The fellow Cardiologist took an hour and a half to show, and assured me I was in NSR, but with a high rate, and that was too be expected. I explained I couldn't tolerate the rate, and was fearful my heart would not sustain the rate. The fellow Dr, didn't seem to share my concern, and I eventually talked him into trying to lower the rate with 20MG I.V. Lopressor which failed to lower the rate a single beat. I was becoming more concerned. The RN and DR insisted that everything was fine, and that I must relax, and I was given Xanex for anxiety. I passed out from the Lopressor and Xanex. I awoke at 8:00 am with a rate of 115 bpm and even more concerned. My nurse insisted I get up and start walking. I felt exhausted, but had been drilled that how I was feeling was normal, and I would get better. At 8:25 am I stepped out of bed, walked to the window, laboring for air. At 8:32 I felt the start of Ventricular Tachycardia at a rate of 220 and I had about 6 seconds to scream help before I dropped into Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Ventricular Fibrillation. I awoke with a collage of about 20 faces over me. I suddenly,ironically, felt calm and protected. But less than 30 seconds later, I went back into V.T., then V.F., and for the 2nd time, recovered from it. I never lost memory of what was happening to me. I immediately looked at the monitor and saw my rhythum in NSR at a rate of about 85 bpm. I felt calm, protected, and for the first time in awhile, my heart felt as though it was beating normal and not "laboring". I could breathe easily. I am lucky to have had a AICD pacemaker / defibrillator which was implanted over 4 years ago during an experimental procedure for my Cardiomyopathy. This device had NEVER had to deliver any therapy and it is what saved me. The device "paced" me out of my V.F. with ATP overdrive pacing. During both episodes, the defibrillator rescesitated me with it's first course of treatement, overdrive pacing. I went into Ventricular Fibrialltion both times....that just short of Aystole where there is no heart activity, just a flat line. I was rushed to ICU and an E.P team ran up to evaluated me. It was here I realized that the night before this episode, I had in fact been in Atrial Tacycardia that had not been properly diagnosed by the fellow cardiologist. It did look like a fast NSR, but wasn't. The defibrillator put me back in NSR, and it took an cardiac arrest episode to do so. Case in point here is that if you know your body, and it's talking to you...LISTEN TO IT! I never should have settled for the fellows opinion, and my primary Cardilogist was out of town. I got a raw deal, but misfortunes do happen. After that wild event, my NSR felt great, and I started improving rapidly. I knew I would be ok. Enter Complication #3. An echo of my liver showed it to be ok, but showed a large amount of fluid on my left lung. A needle and catheter was used to remove 800cc of the fluid out of the lung area from my lower back. I felt great after this, and started breathing much easier. Another load off. I didn't mind that little procedure at all, and it was good to see all that fluid taken away so easily. I felt much better after. Everything was going great, my spirits, appetite, and energy were all going up. Two days later, in the middle of the night, my heart flipped into Atrial Tach again at a rate of 120 bpm. I knew what is was this time...it felt like the first time, and cardioversion was ordered. I awoke from Cardioversion in NSR and was pleased to know that the other rhythum was in fact an arrythimia and I wasn't in it. Despite another cardioversion, I was happy and confident that I would be fine, I was glad to feel NSR and it felt great. My appetite increased, my strength came back, and I was cruising the halls. My wife stayed with me in a bed in our private room, and there was enthusiasm and hope in the air as I knew I was finally on the road to recovery. I was prescribed Norpace 150MG 2 X daily and Toprol 100MG 2 X daily. I quickly recovered, and was discharged in a couple of days. I was also confident that my arrythimias would be over. So far, that preminition has been correct. I am NSR and am recovering well. I had the minimum invasive procedure, and my sternum is healing well. When I first returned home my sternum was in intense pain, and I'm sure this was from the C.P.R. Chest Compressions that were given to me during the cardiac arrest episode. I was very sore after that, and lying down was painful, sleep was difficult. Every morning I would awake with severe muscle tension and headache. I immediatley started with a Massage Therpist every other day, and this has proved to be a wonderful treatment. 7 days home, and I am now starting to sleep well and chest discomfort is minimum. I feel that in another couple of days I'll improve much more. I have not started cardiac rehab yet. But, everyday I am running around the house, up and down the stairs, and doing all my usuall light duty / office work. This in itself is some rehab, but I'll start a supervised program with treadmill in a few more days. My heart rate feels "locked" at about 75, dropping to 68 in my sleep. I suspect surgery and high dosages of Toprol contribute to my rate not wanting to flucuate up and down quickly. Can anyone comment on this? Aside of the cardiac arrest episode which COULD have been prevented and I blame myself for not being more persistant as I saw it coming, I'm feeling pretty good. The past is quickly becoming a blur and I'm looking foward to exercising. I just pray that I will eventually return to the same level of aerobic ability that I had prior to surgery when I was in NSR. Before surgery, a-fib attacks were running an average of about every 5 days and I had logged 47 cardioversions and a total of 58 shocks to the heart to convert me back to NSR. Thats a lot of trips to the E.R. Now, I'm 10 days in NSR and I've already broken a record, and I'm very optimistic. The thought of being cured of A-Fib seems like a miracle, and I pray my progress continues. In regards to the Cleveland Clinic, the place is incredible. Yes, I had an unforunate event and can point blame on an "on-call" fellow that mistakened my arrythimia, but let me say that the quality of care there was absolutely incredible. My surgeon Patrick McCarthy followed me daily, and Dr. Hammer and Dr. Lever gave me a tremendous amount of time, consideration and respected my knowledge, opinions, and concerns of my health care. The only thing I wish I could have changed was that Dr. Hammer had been available and in town when I was in Atrial Tach that one night I called for help. So, my hats off to them! I will continue to post my progess, and as you see, I will post the bad with the good. My postings will not disguise any problems or issues I have, as I want those considerding a Maze to weigh the good with bad. I believe everyone who does post on this board does so and that they all have validity. Thank you Tim Hawkins and wife Mary for your support while I was there, Harley & Regina Gilmore, Jack Drum for all his concern and board promotion, and all you other Mazer's that have emailed me with everything from best wishes to prayers to support and even entertainment while I was in the hospital. You know who you are and everyone has been godsent.
Troy Clement, Age 34, New Orleans
Systems Analyst
Motorcycle Racer
- Re: 7 days home from Maze, 2nd posting. Pat McCarthy 21:35:25 4/16/2002 (0)
- Re: 7 days home from Maze, 2nd posting. Ed Wehan 23:39:05 4/15/2002 (0)