IN DECEMBER, 2000, I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY HEART BEAT.IT WAS VERY ERATIC, FAST THEN SLOW, SKIPPING BEATS, AND REALLY JUMPING AROUND. DR. M. BRANCO AT W. FLA. MEDICAL CENTER, PERFORMED A PROCEDURE CALLED AN ABLATION, WHICH KILLS THE NERVE CAUSING MY HEART TO DO ALL THESE WEIRD BEATS. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I WASN'T FEELING GOOD AT ALL. I WAS ASSURED THAT THIS WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. AND AS FAR AS THE HEART BEAT IT DID. THE ONLY DRAW BACK, WAS THAT MY PACEMAKER FIRED ALL THE TIME TO MAINTAIN A GOOD HEART BEAT. WELL, I STARTED FEELING WORSE, VERY WEAK, I HAD TO FORCE MYSELF TO GET UP IN THE MORNING. I HAD BEEN DOING ALL THE COOKING, SINCE I WAS HOME AND CAROLL WAS WORKING. I BECAME SO WEAK I COULDN'T STAND LONG ENOUGH TO COOK. I WENT TO MY PRIMARY DOCTOR, DR. DAVID CAMPBELL. I WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSP. FOR TESTS. WHAT THEY FOUND WASN'T GOOD. I WAS IN LIVER AND THE EARLY STAGES OF KIDNEY FAILURE, DUE TO MY HEART NOT PUMPING ENOUGH BLOOD. MY HEART FUNCTION WAS LESS THAN 10%. I WAS PUT IN INTENSIVE CARE, WHERE I WAS POKED AND PRODDED.
MY CARDIOLOGIST HERE WAS DR. MARK KATZENSTEIN. HE'S THE KIND OF DOCTOR THAT PULLS NO PUNCHES, HE CAME IN ONE MORNING AND TOLD ME I NEEDED A HEART TRANSPLANT OR I WASN'T GOING TO LIVE VERY LONG AT ALL. I TOLD HIM NO WAY WAS I HAVING THAT DONE.A FEW DAYS LATER HE TOLD ME I ONLY HAD A COUPLE DAYS TO LIVE. I TOLD HIM I'D WALK OUT OF THERE IN TWO WEEKS. I PRAYED AND PRAYED, ALL MY FAMILY PRAYED, AND WOULD TALK TO ME ABOUT A TRANSPLANT. I WAS SET AGAINST IT. A DAY OR SO LATER DR. KATZ. ( I SHORTNED NAME) CAME IN, I TOLD HIM TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS, I'M READY FOR A TRANSPLANT. THREE WEEKS LATER I WALKED OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, BUT I WAS ON AN I.V. TILL THE TRANSPLANT. FAMILY AND FRIENDS STAYED WITH ME AT HOME, I COULDN'T BE BY MY SELF WITH THIS I.V., AS THERE WERE ALOT OF BAD SIDE EFFECTS.
WE WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM FOR A PRELIMARY CHECK TO SEE IF I QUALIFIED TO BE PUT ON THE TRANSPLANT LIST. DR. ROBERT C. BOURGE EXAMINED ME. HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF CARDIOLOGY FOR U.A.B.. AFTER FINDING OUT WHAT I.V. I WAS ON HE TOLD ME THAT IT CAN KILL ME. THIS DRUG HAS MANY SIDE EFFECTS, AND THE DAY AFTER RETURNING HOME, I SUFFERED MANY OF THEM. LUCKILY, THE HOME HEALTH CARE NURSE WAS WITH ME, AND CALLED 911. I WAS TAKEN TO THE E.R. AND STAYED THE DAY THERE UNDER OBSERVATION. I QUIT TAKING THE DRUG ON MY OWN, AS I WAS SCARED OF IT. AFTER THAT, U.A.B. WAS NOTIFIED OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND SPED UP MY EVALUATION. THAT IS WHERE YOU GO THROUGH EVERY TEST IMAGINABLE FOR A WEEK. AFTER THE EVALUATION WE WERE RELAXING AT THE MOTEL BEFORE RETURNING HOME. TRINA SMITH,
(MY TRANSPLANT CORDINATOR) CALLED AND WANTED TO SEE ME. WE WENT BACK THE FOLLOWING DAY, AND SAW DR. BRIAN FOLEY. HE SAID I NEEDED TO BE ADMITTED TO THE HOSP. IMMEDITATELY.
I WAS ADMITTED THE THE U.A.B. HOSPITAL, 5TH FLOOR TRANSPLANT UNIT.
THESE WERE THE BEST NURSES AND STAF I HAD EVER ENCOUNTERED. VERY PROFESSIONAL, AND COURTIOUS. AFTER NINE DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL, JASON
( MY NURSE AT THE TIME) CAME IN AND TOLD ME" NOTHING TO EAT OR DRINK FOR ME". I SAID OK, AND LEFT IT AT THAT. HE STARTED BRINGING IN THINGS AND TAKING OUT OTHERS. I FINALLY ASKED WHAT KIND OF TEST I WAS HAVING.
HE SAID,, "I DIDN'T TELL YOU" I SAID"NO YOU DIDN'T". HE TOLD ME I HAD A DONOR AND THEY WERE WAITING FOR ONE MORE SIGNATURE, THEN THEY WERE TAKING ME TO SURGERY. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, ONLY NINE DAYS. MY MOTHER CAME IN, AND WE CRIED TOGETHER. I CALLED CAROLL TO TELL HER AND COULDN'T TALK, I WAS SO CHOKED UP.
AFTER ALOT OF PHONE CALLS AND THE NURSES COMING IN AND OUT, IT WAS TIME. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH. THIS ALL STARTED ABOUT FOUR P.M. THEY CAME FOR ME AT 10:45P.M.. THEY TOOK ME TO ANOTHER BUILDING THROUGH THE OVERPASS. I MET THE SURGEON, DR. KIRKLAND. HE ASSURED ME EVERYTHING WOULD BE JUST FINE. I REMEMBER THEM TAKING ME INTO THE OPERATING ROOM AND THEN EVERYTHING WENT BLANK.
I REMEMBER WAKING UP WITH A TERRIBLE PAIN IN MY STOMACH. I OPENED MY EYES TO SEE A DOCTOR INSERTING A TUBE IN MY STOMACH. " I TOLD HIM THAT REALLY HURT " . HE WAS AMAZED THAT I WAS AWAKE, HE THOUGHT I WAS SLEEPING, ( I WAS UNTILL HE CUT ME). HE STITCHED THE TUBE IN AND THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER I SAW MY SON IN LAW, SEAN, HOLDING MY GRANDDAUGHTER TAYLOR, AND THEY WERE WAVING AT ME, AND THEN EVERYTHING WENT BLANK.
I WOKE UP IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, ON THE 5TH FLOOR TRANSPLANT SECTION. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE SAME GROUP OF NURSES I HAD BEFORE. THEY WERE GREAT. THEY WANTED ME TO GET UP AND WALK, "I TOLD THEM NO WAY WAS I MOVING, LET ALONE GETTING UP". I HAD TUBES AND I.V'S EVERYWHERE. THE NEXT DAY BRIAN (MY NURSE) TOLD ME TO SHAKE HANDS, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP BUT DID IT ANYWAY. UP I WENT, HE HELPED ME OUT OF BED AND WE WENT FOR A STROLL. I DIDN'T LIKE IT, BUT KNEW I HAD TO. EVERYDAY WE WALKED A LITTLE FURTHER. |
