Recently, Doctors Thomson and Javorsky delivered me some potentially very bad news.
I had, at Dr Javorky's request, underwent a routine ecco-cardiogram. This is a scan whereby an ultrasound is taken of the heart, to see how it is being supported by the VAD. It is very much a routine scan, with no insidious purpose underlying the procedure.
The results shocked me. Inside the heart was an area of stuff. The doctors could not definitively say what this stuff was. It was inside the heart behind the canula that went into the left ventricle.
The first possibility was the worst. The stuff could be a blood clot. If so, it could break away and make its way to the brain. This could cause a stroke or brain damage.
The second possibility was better, but not much so. The stuff could be an infection. If so, it could infect the bloodstream and could serious damage. I had dealt with a VAD infection before and it very nearly killed me.
The third possibility was the best. The stuff could be residual muscle tissue, left over from the insertion of the VAD canula. If so, it was probably benign.
Doctor Brown, God love him, had a recollection that he had seen the stuff on an ecco-cardiogram some months previous. He suspected it to be benign residual muscle tissue. He asked another member of the team, Doctor Sam Ballinder, to review the previous scans.
Nonetheless, it was not a matter to be left to chance. The medicos decided I needed to undergo a TOE. This is a procedure whereby a camera is inserted down the throat into the stomach, in order to obtain a better view of the heart, and the stuff. I have had a TOE before and it was far from pleasant. But I had no option and duly signed the consent form for the TOE.
The TOE was scheduled for the following morning and I began the obligatory fast. However, I was far from sanguine. Things were getting ugly. Life on a VAD was proving to be more than precarious. I needed a little miracle. No, a big one. Lazarus style. I prayed for help. I was desperate.
Until next time,
No comments:
Post a Comment