Goat Petting Is My Trigger Apparently

On Monday since the kids are on fall break, Blazer and I took them to the zoo in Nashville.  It was a fantastic day.  Weather was perfect - sunny, warm but not hot.  No crowds.  Perfect.

As we were wandering in the petting zoo section and brushing the goats, I had an episode with my heart.  I was very, VERY excited and did what I was supposed to do with the monitor.  It was a relatively mild episode so I just went on about my zoo business.

We finished with the goats and went to the cafe for lunch.  I was commenting to Blazer that the cafe had very poor acoustics for a restaurant - perfect for a concert hall but bad for a restaurant.  It magnified every voice, every sound so that you really had to speak up to even talk with those at your table.

And then I heard my phone ring.  It was Vol Fan telling me to call the cardiologist's office.  Apparently in the din of the restaurant, I had missed several calls.  The monitor had set off alarms during my event (that was still ongoing!) and had sent notification to the cardiologist.  So they had tried to reach me.  Repeatedly.  The monitoring service had tried to reach me.  Repeatedly.  Since neither could reach me, they called Vol Fan, who called me.  Repeatedly.  Since he couldn't reach me, he called Blazer.  Repeatedly.

Once on the phone with the cardiologist's office, they told me to come to the ER as soon as possible.  I told her that the event would pass.  That there really wasn't any need to go to the ER.  That as soon as I got there the event would be over.  That I was with friends (and LOTS of kids!) an hour from home.  That I really just needed some time and it would pass.  So they reluctantly agreed.

The event would ease off some and then would ramp back up.  This caused the monitor to set off alarms and more notifications to be sent to the cardiologist.  And they would call.  I would say just give me some more time.  And round and round we went with the cardiologist's office calling about every 5 minutes.

It was beginning to look like the event was not going to pass so I reluctantly agreed to come to the ER.  Trying to figure out the logistics of doing so - I mean, I was at the zoo.  An hour from home.  With a friend.  And 5 kids.  And only one car.  Logistics!

Rather than have everyone wait around the ER, I finally convinced Blazer to drop me there (she really REALLY did NOT want to do this!!) and take the kids home.  I would contact my Dad to come to Nashville and pick me up from the ER.  We decided to give the kids a few more minutes of play on the fantastic playground before going.  I called cardiologist and told them I was coming but it would be a little while before I arrived.

As we sat there watching the children play, the event stopped.  So I called the cardiologist back and told them it had stopped.  They agreed that there was no need for me to come to ER.  Doctor called in a prescription for a beta-blocker medication and moved my appointment up to Thursday of this week.  And we went on our merry way.

As we were driving home, I received a call from the after-hours cardiologist saying that they had received notification of another event.  I questioned them because I had not felt the event.  In the past, I have ALWAYS been able to feel them when it happens.  They said that I needed to come to the hospital.  So I reluctantly agreed but told them it would be a while.  We were going to get the children home and I would have my Dad bring me back to Nashville to the hospital.  They said they were going to notify the ER to expect me.

So I showed up a couple of hours later at the ER and told the lady at the desk that the cardiologist had told me come, etc, etc.  She looked at me like she had no idea what I was talking about.  So I explained the situation.  She consulted with the doctors in the ER and they agreed with me.  Since I was not having an event at that moment, there was really nothing that they could do other than admit me for observation.  But since I was on the monitor, I was already under observation.  So Dad and I turned around for the hour drive back home.

We were about halfway home when I received a phone call.  It was the transfer nurse at the hospital wondering where I was.  They had a bed reserved for me.  I told her I was just at the ER.  We had decided that there was no need to be admitted and I was now on my way home.  She sounded confused but said OK and hung up.

About 10 minutes later, I received a call from the after-hours cardiologist that had told me to come to the hospital in the first place.  He too was wondering where I was.  I told him that I was just at the ER.  We had decided that there was no need to be admitted and I was now on my way home.  He sounded confused but reluctantly said OK and hung up.

Can you say "serious breakdown in communication at that hospital last night"?!?

Tuesday morning I talked with my real cardiologist.  And I am taking the beta-blockers.  They wanted to move my appointment to Tuesday afternoon.  But after discussion (and 'encouragement' from me), we decided to give the beta-blockers a day to see how I deal with them and moved up the appointment to this morning at 10am.

And I have to say, I don't like the beta-blockers.  They make me sleepy.  Or maybe it was the rain....