Be careful what you publish,
because it may not last forever L.
Today we ended my four month streak of heart healthy, good behavior and I ended
up needing to go to the ER for another cardioversion (the 2nd one of
this pregnancy, 3rd total in my life). Bryan remarked how each time
gets easier and faster, which is true. I also had an odd premonition this
morning as I was getting dressed and piling on layers of clothes and
accessories. At one point I wondered how fast it could all be ripped off in an
emergency (only about 10 seconds with the help of 10-15 medical staff in one ER
room, in case you are wondering.) Usually the odd feelings have started the
night before, which came on suddenly when I was brushing my teeth last night
and headed for bed.
I woke up feeling thankful
this morning that I did wake up, and as I went about the day I had odd rushes
of weakness and a racing heart, though nothing consistent so I just crossed my
fingers and counted down the hours until school was over, walking slowly in the
halls and teaching from my chair, reasoning with myself that it was just a case
of the Mondays and I needed more rest. After lunch time, when we came back from
recess and I found that I could barely instruct the math lesson as I became
short of breath, I knew it was time to text my other half, who I swear
sometimes knows me better than myself, which is a major blessing. Plus I suck
at making decisions. And really, who wants to make the choice to go to the
hospital on a nice, sunny spring day? But, Bryan being reasonable Bryan, made
the decision that we would go get things checked out, especially since my left
arm began feeling weak with shooting pains (a telltale sign of heart trouble).
As I waited for him, I tried to count my heart rate and clocked about 80 beats
per minute, which was only about 30 more than my regular heart rate. I texted
one of my cardiologists, but he was preoccupied and did not immediately text
back. I began getting hot flashes and sweating as I waited in the school
office. Bryan showed up just a few minutes later to go collect my belongings in
my classroom, and three staff members came and prayed over me and the baby, and
that is when things got real. As we drove to the hospital with the windows
down, I actually started to feel better (aside from not being able to breathe)
and I started doubting myself, as Bryan sped down the highway (only getting flipped
off once! I had to remind him he is not a legit ambulance, and other drivers
may not understand the situation).
Once we walked into the ER,
the nurses did not mess around. I told them I was there because I thought I was
having tachycardia and I also have cardiomyopathy. One keen nurse eyed my belly
and asked if I had “any other medical conditions?” When I told her I was six
months pregnant, she immediately called down a nurse from labor and delivery to
bring a fetal monitor to check on the baby. They laid me down and wheeled me
back, without even first checking my vitals in the waiting room, as they had
done before. Once we got into the first room available, 10-15 staff were
immediately there, asking Bryan and I questions from all angles. I remember
thinking it was all happening too fast, and having gone through this before,
there was not really this big of a need for fuss (I could tell they were having
a busy day as it was). But once the monitors were hooked up, it indeed proved
my fear: my heart rate was 170, over three times as fast as it normally
functions. Making matters worse, now that we know more about the dysfunction of
my heart, and I don’t simply have tachycardia, messing around in any way with
it is a trickier proposition. And the fact that we had to explain this all to
brand new people who have no idea what to make of the situation is quite an
unsettling feeling. My cardiologist was still not answering the texts we were
sending him, and the ER doctor was okay but he didn’t have the best bedside
manner. Though I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, his comments and
jokes were somewhat offensive (like, “You’re not one of those people that are
going to have five kids, are you?”). Once I was stabilized, we told him we
would prefer to wait it out until my cardiologist could be reached.
Luckily, it wasn’t much longer
until Dr. Jones called the ER doctor and told him what we said all along about
the proper course of treatment. The ER doctor was hesitant to do a
cardioversion, but it is the only option in my case. Unfortunately, the further
along in the pregnancy I get, the more effected the baby becomes. I hate
putting myself first, but as the doctors said, “it’s what has to be done”. Once
I am later into the third trimester, we may have to weigh the options about
whether to deliver first before doing a cardioversion. Plus, Dr. Jones told me
he thinks today is a sign that the third trimester will see a lot more visits
to the ER, so that was not great to hear. But, he was wrong before so he can be
wrong again! Like I said before, it had been four months since the last major
incident- nearly half the pregnancy!
The doctors agreed to try a
lower dosage of electroshock- only around 100 joules. After we got the go
ahead, I was hooked up to oxygen and administered the propofol drug to put me
to sleep and stop my heart. As Bryan walked out of the room and my eyes began
to get heavy, I wondered if that would be the last time I would close my eyes
(my second premonition of the day?). I don’t even remember waking up- I just
remember seeing the labor and delivery nurse wrapping a contraction belt around
my belly and hooking me up to the fetal monitor and Bryan standing in the
corner. As we sat there for the next hour, we listened to the baby swimming and
kicking around. It turns out he is a little rockstar. I am so proud of that
little guy- I have not always given him the smoothest ride in this pregnancy,
but he always shows off his amazing resilience to anything. For being 26 weeks
old, his heart rate was solid and his movements were perfect. I dozed off and
on during this time, talking a little to the nurse who sat with us in the room,
and occasionally laughing at his small little hiccups. At one point, I needed
to go to the bathroom (despite having a full bladder, thankfully I didn’t pee
the bed when I was shocked) so the nurse left the room. As Bryan held the wires
I was hooked to while I leaned over the commode, he asked “At what point is
pregnancy a beautiful thing?” I couldn’t agree more. While I said I would never
be one of those women to complain, because we know plenty of women who would
move heaven and earth to be blessed with a child, I am finally beginning to
understand the havoc it wreaks on one’s body!
After getting back in bed, my
heart was still not as stable as Bryan and I would’ve liked, and the ER doctor
was a little concerned too. It would go from the 50s to 150s and back to the
50s in a matter of seconds, and shake me awake like a rumbling earthquake,
which had not happened immediately after a cardioversion before. But when my
regular cardiologist finally made it down to check on us, he said this was
normal as I was finding my rhythm again and letting the dust settle. We could
finally be released after three hours! We ended up chatting with the doctor for
awhile about life and family, and he told me if I was ever in doubt again, I
could call, text or just go into his office to get checked by EKG, and we could
go from there. Once he left, we packed up our stuff and headed home. I had a
killer headache, and Bryan was exhausted (luckily it was his day off) so we
took a nap then made dinner. After taking a shower, I discovered a pretty
significant burn mark on my chest and I am hoping it doesn’t keep me awake
tonight like it did last time. However, knowing everything is okay, and the
baby is okay (my number one concern over anything) should help me sleep better!
And it was fun to hear him a little more clearer today. Two more weeks until
our next ultrasound and doctor appointment- hopefully we can make it that long
without having to visit St. Vincents again! J
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