Part Four and we are up to date finally!

I went home after the operation and had four days of no arythymias and then they came back with a vengeance. On the 23rd I enter a VT storm and have 49 episodes over three days. My ICD has recorded 91 events since it was implanted at the end of June. I’m thinking I deserve a statute at the Biotronik HQ or at least a plaque. So round two of ablation surgery is scheduled which turns out to last about 12 hours. In recovery Dr. Mehta says no more ablation surgeries and they wheel in the flat screen with a DVD player. I proceed to watch a movie on all the great aspects of an LVAD. A Left Ventricle Assist Device, a pump to pump for your heart, which incidentally is open-heart surgery as well. Joy Joy. And it is battery powered with two wires coming out of your side. These batteries have to be changed every couple hours and I’m thinking Oh boy the energizer bunny here I come. I guess that is plan b if the ablation does not work out.

After a couple of days recovery I’m discharged and a free man. That was October 1 of this past month. They schedule a six-week follow up visit for November 9. Yes this past week. Boy time flies when your having fun. I go to my check up on Monday thinking the last six weeks have been great, no shocks, no episodes, no runs no errors. Just some irregular heartbeats and palpitations. I go in thinking there is just a slight chance I’ll get my driving privileges back and truly be a free man. But Dr. Gulati for some unknown reason thought it would be a good idea to get my device interrogated and see what the activity looks like.

Well about an hour later, Todd from Biotronik’s comes in and does his thing. I’m all proud cause I know there is nothing going to show up and I ask,” So Todd how is it looking?” He says Art you have had 91 episodes in the last 41 days. I’m like get out of here! You got the wrong device, I’ve been fine. He says 67 of them have been in the range of 100-150 beats per minute, which require no therapy by the device. 14 of them have been VT’s, which were paced out, and 10 were SVT’s that were paced out as well. Then he says, “Well now you are up to 184 episodes since the end of June.” I’m thinking I should have that plaque any day now. Is somebody calling Guinness on this stuff? So as my driving privileges are headed out the door I start wondering how they might feel about me riding my motorcycle???

So the official answer is I can’t drive for 6 months from the last time my ICD shocked me. If all goes well I’m thinking March is a good time to get behind the wheel. Until then I guess it’s Oprah and Dr. Phil. I can’t wait to increase my wealth of useless information and bore you all with it. Take Care and God Bless, Art