Hello!! I am a RN, 54 years of practice, spent mostly in the Operating Room working as a circulator and or scrub nurse for Cardiovascular, Vascular and Thoracic surgeries. I have stood next to many a cardiac surgeon, "holding the heart" while he or she performs the repairs on ones heart and performs the bypasses necessary, all while the circulatory system of the patient is running thru a perfusion machine, because technically the heart is "dead" and at the end of the surgery the heart is "shocked" back to life.
Never in my life , and I dont know why, did I think that I could face this same situation one day. I am 72, and just retired a year ago June. Many of you may have seen the posting I made earlier"" (MILKI)""this year describing the heart attack I had in Janurary while sitting on bed reading a book, followed by an ambulance ride to the ER here in Billings Mt, my home. A rush to the cath lab and a stent was placed because my right coronary artery was 100 % blocked. I had been having shortness of breath issues since May 2023 and initially my primary and thoracic surgeon thought it was due to my phrenic nerve problem in my diaphram that was not allowing the lung to return to its proper location while breathing. So my cardiologist told me that he took care of my breathing problem as he strongly felt that my shortness of breath(sob) issues were heart related, not lung. I had been doing well since the stent. Going to cardiac rehab and feeling stronger. Breathing indeed was no longer an issue. Back to myself , at least 90%( I am getting older) Post stent placement, cardiologist and primary care doctors were happy with my progress. My diet has changed 100%. From the end of January(2024) to now, I have lost 30 pounds. Mind you, I have never ever smoked a cigtarette in my life!!! No do I drink, unless it is a beer once or twice a year at a summer bar b que. SO... a month ago, third week in May, I begin to have SOB issues again. Here we go again I thought and so this time Im really thinking it is my LUNG issue representing itself. A trip to the ER led to scheduling a stress echocardiogram this past Friday. The cardiologist stopped the test 4 minutes in while on the treadmill because I was so short of breath, then the ECHO technician the DR look at the scan while my heart is recovering . Well, to my surprise and totally caught off guard, I learn my stent is BLOCKED!!!! I broke out in tears!!! It's called , IN-Stent RESTENOSIS. My stent inserted on Jan 23 2024 is no longer working. So tomorrow I am heading back into the cath lab for a new stent( hopefully that is all it is). My emotions are all over the place. I know that things can go wrong, took"heart call" in the OR enough times to know that over my 40 years in the OR
These past 6 months being on a blood thinner, someone asked me if they needed to call the police because of all the bruising they saw on my arms and legs. Bruising and bleeding while on them is no joke. Guess the blood thinners could not take care well enough or my clot may not have clotted off, BUT it could also be due to a reaction to the stent causing excess tissue to clot the stent, since the stent is a foreign body and thats the reaction of the body to "foreign" yet compatible items being placed within it. Blood thinners for at least a year post stent, not sure what will change in regards to my meds now that another stent needs to be placed tomorrow. One must take extra special care when working with knives( like in the kitchen of most women) working with items that can cut or even pressue on the skin, oh and also having your manicurist rub your arms or legs to hard when they give you a message after your manicure or pedicure. Life does not stop because you are blood thinners. Live your life, just be cautious and be prepared in the event of cutting yourself. Know what to do, Compression to the area is key, and if the bleeding doesn't stop then seek medical attention. I have learned that the only advocate for yourself is YOURSELF. I have had to teach my husband what to do in case I cut myself or injure myself. Always let lab technicians know that you are on blood thinners ahead of the blood draw. Keep me in your prayers for tomorrow. Thank you, MJ
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