Square One

Hey there! Remember me?
I know it has been almost a year since I last posted anything...and I think that's a good thing! I was using this blog as an outlet to vent my frustrations about people that create drama in my life. Well, I am happy to report that CZ is out of my life for good! She was laid off back in May and I couldn't be happier with my new boss. As for the Wiccan, I did bump into her (almost literally) at the local Wal-Mart a few weeks back. The hubs and I were there and I wanted to check the clearance clothing rack. When I looked up, there she was, staring right back at me from the rack next door. I didn't want to deal with her, so we just headed for the checkouts - and when I turned around to see where she was, she had disappeared. Man, have her powers gotten stronger! ;-)

Anywho...the real reason for my post is to update you on ME. I haven't posted on here about my heart before, so I'll give those that don't know me a quick synopsis of the last three years:

I had a racing heart while at work one day, went to the doctor, sent to a specialist, diagnosed with right ventricular outflow tachycardia (easiest way to describe it is that I have an extra "wire" in my heart that causes a faulty connection from the top to the bottom of my heart, causing my heart to beat up around 150-160 beats per minute), specialist scheduled me to have an ablation ( a procedure much like a cardiac cath - they go in through an artery in your leg and travel up to your heart, but instead of cleaning out any arteries or placing stents, they are supposed to find the faulty "wire" and burn it to get rid of it.) the doctor performing the procedure poked a hole in my heart, Blood collected in my chest around my heart and they ended up having to do a pericardiocentesis (basically stuck a long ass tube into my chest around my heart to drain the blood) and I spent the next four and a half days in Cardiac ICU. Once I stopped draining and started feeling somewhat better, they sent me home. Two days later, I ended up back in the hospital with fluid around my heart and lungs. After all of this, my rapid heart rate still wasn't fixed because he had to abort the procedure due to the hole he punctured in my heart. So after all of that, I was still at square one. This was in May of 2009. He put me on a medication to control the arrythmia and wanted to schedule me for another ablation asap...I said no. I was scared and wasn't exactly happy with my surgeon. Not because he poked a hole in my heart and caused me to be in the hospital so much longer than expected. Not because the procedure ended up costing ten times more than initially anticipated. Nope, I can overlook those things because sh*t happens sometimes with surgery. I know this, I work for orthopedic surgeons. What really pissed me off was I didn't get to see my surgeon until FOUR MONTHS after my surgery. Sure, I got to see his nurse practitioner, but not him - even when I was having problems after the surgery and ended up in the ER. So, I decided it was time to find a new doctor...but I had to get my courage back first.

I went on August 31st and saw the new guy. I like him. He is very much like my PCP - no nonsense, lays it out on the table and is up front about everything. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell me too much about any possible treatment plan for me yet, because he wants to review all of my old EKG's before promising anything. What he DID tell me was that my previous doctor's operative report was gibberish. He said he couldn't really make heads or tails of what was written and that the finalized report had blanks in it. Yeah...seems to be par for the course with that guy.
He also informed me that the possibility of correcting an outflow tract tachycardia, like the one I've been diagnosed with, is only about 50%, something the previous doctor informed me was a 99% possibility of correction.
Another question I had for the new doc was about my medication. I really want to start a family, which I can't do while taking the medication. I also believe I'm developing an allergy to it (which my PCP believes as well), so I'd like to try and do something to get off of it. He told me the medication isn't a necessity. It's only used in cases of outflow tract tachycardia to control the symptoms - that the type of tachycardia I have won't kill me, it would just be bothersome, but I could live without the medication. Another piece of information the other doctor never shared with me.
So, for now I'm just waiting before I do anything rash - like stop my meds completely. I want him to review my old EKG's to verify that I do have outflow tract tachycardia - and then we'll discuss what my next step will be. Until then, thought and prayer gladly accepted.
Love to you all,
~G