Posted by Mike Johnson on August 15, 2001 at 08:31:16:
To follow up my not so amazing post in June. On June the 29th I had another incident of high regular heart rate. For those who did not see my first message I have been in NSR most of the time post maze but with heart rates of 120 to 140 every two weeks since surgery on 1-12-01. I called the CC with no help what so ever. Dr McCarthy would not call me and his stall had no answers for me. After I put my message on the board around June the 25th I recieved a phone call for DR. James T Cox of the Cox Maze. The man that developed this procedure. I think this speaks volumns for Dr. Cox and also speaks very little for the Dr's and staff of the Cleveland Clinic. CC might be rated as the number 1 hosptial for heart problems but if I had to rate their follow up they would be last. Dr. Cox talked to me for 30 to 45 minutes, he gave me his home phone number the home phone number of Terry Palazzo and her pager number. He told me to call her and that I might want to go to Georgetown Medical Center and see Dr's Al Solomn and Cindy Tracy. I paged Terry at 6:30 pm on June the 29th and she returned my call with in five minutes. I told her of my conversation with Dr. Cox. She said the Tracy and Solomon had just left but she would talk to them on monday and call me back. With my experience with CC I thought "yea right". Monday monring at 9:15 she called and said to send them some of my EKG'S and office notes. I had talked to CC about an ablation on June the 15th and the earliest that they could get me in was August the 31th. Nancy Nolin Dr's Tracy and Solomon's assistant called me shortly after recieving my notes and set an EP study and possible ablation on Aug the 6th. This was less than two weeks after they had recieved the EKG's and note. CC already had all of this information. I went to Georgetown and was amazed at the personal treatment that I recieved. I had the procedure starting at 12 noon and it took until 7 pm. They maped my heart and found the I had atrail tachicardia in the left and right atrim. They did away with it on the right side but because of the time I was on the table they could not get the left side. Dr. Solomon was very sorry for this. I told him thatif they could get the left side and that I would be 100 % I would come back with bells on. And I will on the 29th of August. I find it strange that Georgetown can get me in twice before CC could get me in once. Most of this I fault myself because I tried to fight through this. I called the CC for assistance and direction but got none. My own Dr was of little assistance. The first tme I had the tachicardia was in the CC. 5 days after the operation. And it continued every two weeks until june the 29. That was the last attack on this I had. I have spoke with Dr. Cox twice since then but not since I returned from Georgetown. Dr. Cox if you read this I would like to thank you again not just for the phone call, which was a GOD sent but for the Maze procedure. My heart has not beat this well in a long tme. And I am sure it well get even better after they complete the left side. For you to take the tme to call me, a person whom you did not treat and did not know I can't tell you how much it ment. I was in poor mental and physical condition. I was sure that my career as a professional fire fighter was over. Now I feel that my recovery will be complete shortly. I am back to work for the first time in 7 months. And will returm to fully duty as soon as possible after the Aug 29th procedure. I played golf three days after the Aug 6th procedure for the first time since last Sept.
If you are thinking about the maze talk to you Dr. about an EP study. As it turned out in my case I may not have needed the maze. Atrail tachacardia may have been my problem. This coud have been a result of surgery but there are things in my past that suggest that it may not have been. The CC is great while you are there but when you leave you are like Dr Cox told me " A ship at sea by its self".
- Re: not so amazing up date Pat McCarthy 06:22:59 8/18/2001 (0)