The morning after

A sleepless night..... thoughts filled with doubts and worries.

Early in the morning and it backs to Cardiac Central for pre-surgery consultation. The nurse gives me another ECG, and then draws three vials of blood from me. I'm weighed, 76kg - minus two for clothes. Measured, 177cm, i've shrunk 3cm!!

The nurse explains the coronary angiogram and transoesophageal echocardiogram - they are not sounding good. In fact, they scare the daylights out of me!

Coronary angiogram - a catheter is inserted into the femoral artery near my groin, and dye is injected into my heart so that they can see if there are any narrowings/blockages in the arteries. I wince everytime I think of this, this is not taking blood, this is a bloody massive needle being inserted into my major artery!! Complications - blood clotting, bleeding to death, fainting when they put the needle into me........

Transoesophageal echocardiogram - a camera is inserted down my throat into the heart to look at the mitral valve up close. The information sheet says that they will let me go home after my gag reflex returns - I am gagging now just thinking about it.

The time is set, I'm coming in at 9.30am and should be going home at the end of the day. I'm sent home to ponder upon tomorrow, so where do I head to - work!!