New Person

[Cookery1960]

Hi I am new to the blog I have AF and arterial disease had an ablation procedure in 2018 it failed horribly ended up on life support for three weeks was meant to be in for a day. Now left with other heart issues had to rearrange my whole life again but moved on and very positive

[Speakeazi]

Welcome! Thank you for posting. Please tell us more. How did you manage to move on and be very positive? It’s so useful to read how others get through stuff and come out the other end.

[Cookery1960 in reply to Speakeazi]

Hi

I had AF for a year before my ablation I was told by consultants the procedure would be very quick and I would be in for a day. They apparently began the procedure and my heart started to swell they put what you call a drain in to take swelling down the heart still swelled a second drain was put in. That didn't work they contacted my husband a couple of hours after he had dropped me off to say complications had set in and they needed him back to the hospital PDQ he contacted my son at that moment. Then all went completely off the wall I was rushed back into surgery twice for operations then operated on the ward on the third occasion as to sick to be moved they had video conferences with Papworth and other major heart hospitals a very nice Irish surgeon then suggested to leave my chest open for three days they did this procedure on the ward they moved the person next to me some where else on the ward for operating equipment to be put in place. I had a tampanard and was then on life support for nearly three weeks apparently apparently the plan was to move me to Papworth and take my heart offline but again I was to sick to be moved. Video conferences were every day with other surgeons world wide discussing my complications no one new what to do how to bring my heart back. My organs began to shut down and I was put on dialysis I became unresponsive. The surgeons told my family I will probably not pull through and if I did I wouldn't be the same person they had before assuming they meant brain damaged. I will always be thankful for my lovely Irish surgeon suggesting to leave my chest open for three days to allow my heart room to swell without stressing it. He saved my life that day. Just in time. My recovery was good I was left with not being able to walk my left side was useless couldn't feed my self I also had to have a trackeyoctomy so couldn't speak when I eventually came out of my coma I have recovered 95% I have given the JR permission to use my notes and records in research worldwide as the consultant we saw at JR told us he only new of one other person who had a similar experience and he died he lived in Brazil he was my age my consultant spoke to his surgeon. So I consider myself very lucky to have that irish consultant online that day for video calls.

[Phil-52 in reply to Cookery1960]

What an amazing story. It makes my bypass sound blah. I hope you continue to recover well and here's to the future.

[Alison_L in reply to Cookery1960]

Wow, that's amazing. Well done on such a good recovery, long may it continue

[Cookery1960 in reply to Alison_L]

Thank you my AF has returned but actually that's fine I am alive and will definitely be taking medication for the rest of my life and that's ok to

[pjcag in reply to Cookery1960]

Did they ever figure out why that happened?

[Cookery1960 in reply to pjcag]

They are still not sure this is why my case notes are being used in research and studies for student surgeons. So if it happens again this procedure of a tamanade and leaving the chest open to release the swelling should save a life

[not2worry in reply to Cookery1960]

Thank you for sharing your story. What an inspiration you are for those of us wondering “why me” .

Merry Christmas and God Bless you and your family.