Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Preparatory Works

My blog for the coming days will not be dealing with RUNNING or RACE WALKING which I hope that the running community will excuse me. I would like to share instead the experience of undergoing a coronary angiogram procedure for others to know and for my own therapy to reduce the anxiety and nervousness within me.

Checked-in at the hospital at 5pm on 20Jan09 to allow ample time to prepare my other body organs to be receptive to the procedure. Normally an overnight preparation will be sufficient enough, however, in my case, in as much that I have kidney problem history and a diabetic, a more rigid preparation is required.

I have been hospitalized before but it is only this time that I have been given a room at the Cardio Vascular Unit (CVU). The scenery is too gloomy and serious for my liking unlike the normal wards. Only the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) I think has a gloomier atmosphere in a hospital. Before entering my room I was able to sneak glance on the rooms that I passed by and got the scare of my life. Most if not all are old and you could feel sickness and pain in the air. Calm down, calm down.

Then as ever, the routine check-in procedure is performed, you are subjected to the WHATs and WHYs of your being there - the duty nurse comes in ask you questions, the interns comes in ask you the same questions, the resident doctors comes in ask you the same question, even the others have the same questions! Being used to this experience, I have done better now to prepare photocopies of my test results and medical history with complete bio data sheet that I compile on a clear book folder so that I just present it to whoever comes for their information.

After having settled for a couple of hours, test procedures were started, chest x-ray, blood chemistry, urine test, blood sugar, ECG, and others that makes you feel helpless like a guinea pig for all. Just when you think that all is over and its already close to midnight and about to sleep, here comes the duty nurse telling you that they need to place you on Intra Venous (IV) and that my creatinine was high and potassium low. What is Low must be brought up and High to be lowered to facilitate the procedure.

Early today 21Jan09, I have to prepare myself for I know my attending doctors will be seeing me, Dr. Rodelio De Sagun / Cardiologist, Dr.Wilson Tan de Guzman / Interventional Cardiologist, Dr. Lansang / Endocrinologist and Dr. Roasa / Nephrologists. This will be a very busy day. Will keep you posted on later developments and actual procedure. Just in case it may interst you click on the link herewith for a VIDEO to see how the procedure is actually done http://www.nmhi.com/patienteducation/angiography.html

P.S. found out that they are giving a SHAVE tonight, that’s a shave down under!!!!

4 comments:

  1. dad, how high is you creatinine? did the nephro doc see you already?

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  2. shaved? i've been shaving my head as bald for the past 11 years but i've never experienced shaving "down under"..don't worry, bald is sexy, my friend..just relax & stay calm. our prayers are wth you..

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  3. Dawn - creatinine is 1.2mg/dL or 106 umold/L which is just on the borderline. Yes, I was already seen by the nephrologist an she explained to me the necessity in preparing my kidney to avoid the remote possibility of damage due to the dye.

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  4. Jovie - late this afternoon I tried doing it myself feeling embarassed to have the nurse do it but after sometime due difficulty discontinued matters and will just let the nurse do the shaving early tommorrow. I'll be a real bald runner (down under) then!!!

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