Well I got home last night. I stayed with my sister, while my daughter stayed with my ailing wife. I have had good days and bad ones. I went to the ER Sunday night. Not this past Sunday night, but the one before. On Monday my doc admitted that the stenting would be very hard to do at Huntsville. I asked him if it could be done at UAB Hospital. He said yes. I said why am I not there already?, lol. I rode in an ambulance from Huntsville to Birmingham. No lights or horns, ha ha ha.
Tuesday afternoon I stayed on the cath table for 1.75 hours. I had the rotoblation procedure, because if they had pressed the blockage (plaque) with the new stent, it could have traveled into my left main, or down my Lad. This was my 6th cath and I was really too awake, as I have been for each. I had to take a deep breath and hold it, several times. The cath lab nurses would have to remind me to resume breathing, lol. I had to strain like I was having a bm a few times. No problem there. I think I went into the procedure, in that mode, lol. Pardon the off color attempt at humor :)
They inserted 2 new stents into my Lad. One at the very proximal (beginning) and one upstream of the existing stent. The dimensions of one stent shocked me! The one at the beginning of my Lad is 33mm or 1.29 inches by 3mm. The other was 8mm by 3mm. Both were a different brand- Cordis Cypher stents. So I now have 2 Taxus Two stents and 2 Cordis Cypher stents. I think they have a side by side stent trial going on, lol.
The blockage that was estimated on the Thursday cath in Huntsville at 70%, was estimated at 95%, during the cath for the stents at UAB, the following Tuesday. I am really mad about this. This is why I called an ambulance Sunday night, ie the blockage was killing me. I have reviewed the angiogram cd (over and over) that the Huntsville people made (on Thursday). It is clear to me that my Lad was blocked. They almost let me die. I will never leave a hospital again, when I am told I have a 70% blockage. Really I was in an outpatient facility, when I left. I told the nurse after the procedure that I had angina bad, and would he hand me the spray nitro in my pants pocket (I still couldn't move my cath leg). He said if I wanted to go home to not complain of chest pain....I said ok, forget the nitro...I was a good patient and went home. I was the last to leave the clinic, which was next to the main hospital. It was around 7:00 pm. The nurse would probably have been delayed from getting home, due to some extra paperwork, had I asked to be hospitalized.
DocER, you would have loved to have been there, I think....The rotoblade came apart during the procedure. I could hear all of the conversation, and it hit me as to what was happening. I instantly remembered reading about the rotoblation procedure, and one of the things that could go wrong. It did, and this grand doctor gently scolded the man at the controls and told him to step aside. It took a while, but the wizard retrieved the misplaced piece of equipment and work resumed. Instead of freaking out when this happened, I relaxed as best I could in order to help out, and I prayed...
The most vicious part of all of this is that I had to give myself 14, well 15 counting the practice shot before I left the hospital, of Lovenox into me belly!!!!!! 2 per day to prevent blood clots. Lovenox is an anti-coagulant and once injected, it feels like venom spreading across the stomach....Although I have never had venom spread across my stomach, lol. My belly looks like a purple dart board....I was running out of belly too :)
I have permission to pay tribute to 2 marvelous, genius doctors at the UAB University Hospital. Dr, Vijay Misra, and Dr. Gaurav Kumar. Dr. Kumar was the trainee. They came to my room after the procedure. I thanked them vigorously and told them that they saved me from bypass surgery. Dr. Misra said " we did bypass surgery on you". They both had big smiles on their faces. They were not as proud of their work, as I was though.
The cath lab crew was terrific! All were hard ankled rednecks like myself. They congratulated me on my cooperation, and laughed about me holding my breath too long.
As soon as Dr. Misra entered the lab, he said "Mr. Doe, first of all we do not get into a hurry in this room". That really impressed and relaxed me somewhat. UAB is a wonderful place for sure.
I am so sorry to have worried anyone, with my late post regarding my whereabouts. No internet at my sisters :(
Thanks to all for listening and being a friend,
RJ
Here are some before and after angio pics. They are not that good though.