THE ANGIOGRAM

Friday October 9^th 1998 -

A week before the angiogram, I met with the cardiologist Dr. Sternberg, at Women's College Hospital to get blood tests and for a briefing. He examined me in front of his nurse practitioner and a student and explained what the angiogram procedure would be. He and the nurses were real nice and supportive. It turns out both his father and mine were clothing manufacturers on Spadina Ave. in Toronto's garment district. Small world.

We arrived at the Toronto General (Western) Hospital on time at 9 am and checked in at the day visit ward. The friendly nurse showed me to my room which had a lovely view south downtown. Lake Ontario looked super blue and I could see Dory's white station wagon in the parking lot a couple blocks away. Dory had to go run some errands and since we found out that I wasn't scheduled to go down until 2 p.m.(!), she left to do that and stop in at home to let the dogs out. It was going to be a long day, so I was glad she was able to get some free time to herself. Besides, I knew my parents ( who for some reason, despite my protests, insisted on being there) would arrive soon. About 10 minutes later, the nurse came back and said that I had to change rooms, because the person that they thought would be sharing with me turned out to be a woman. So they put me in the hall for a while and then I sat in the waiting lounge for about an hour. This was good, as I had lots of time to kill and wasn't restricted to a hospital room and I could wander around. I strapped on my CD headphones and listened to some Nanci Griffith. Soon my parents arrived. They were pretty stressed out. So I tried to joke around with them.

Eventually I settled into a room with a view of a brick wall. Didn't matter though, since at least I didn't have to share it with anyone. A very, very young nurse arrived to insert an IV. It took three tries for her to get it in right. Ow! I wanted to punch her! About a half hour later it disconnected and before I realized it I was covered in blood and my wrist was swollen from the saline that had leaked out of the punctured vein. My excellent nurse, Fern gently took it out and said she'd let them put in a new IV downstairs. It's only for precautionary reasons anyway. Some doctors don't even use it. Fern shaved both sides of my groin area while telling me not to worry about the angiogram or the upcoming heart surgery. Everything would be ok. I really believed her.

Dory came back around 11 and the waiting continued. Actually it was making me crazy. Mom and Dad bored and worried, reading magazines and Dory basically the same. Me lying on the bed and basically the three of them staring at me. Remember, I'm not sick. What was I doing in bed? Especially since after the procedure, I was going to have to lie still on my back for six hours? I finally freaked and insisted that my folks go home. I got out of bed and wandered around.

Around 1 pm the migraine hit me. My head was spinning and as they wheeled me down the halls and elevator, I was about to be sick. (Yuck, sorry folks) They put my gurney(?) just outside the OR and said it would be about a twenty minute wait. The sweet nurses asked me how I felt and I told them about the migraine. They brought me some tylenol 3's and cold towels for my head and neck and it really helped. One nurse asked why I didn't have an IV. I showed her my bruised swollen arm and she said she'd spare me.

The actual OR was similar sort of to a recording studio, a control room with glass windows looking into the sterile room where the procedure takes place. Actually the CT and the MRI were similar setups. I was placed on a flat platform and my entire body except for my head, was covered with sterile blankets with just a small opening around the groin area. I was given a mild sedative. There were several TV monitors showing EKG, pulse etc. and one that showed the camera view. The camera was above me and its movements were automated.

Surrounded by friendly nurses, one asked where my IV was and as I was telling her my horror story of three unsuccessful attempts earlier in the day she gently inserted the needle into my other arm. I didn't even feel it!

Dr. Sternberg came in dressed in surgical attire and mask and explained how he was going to freeze my groin area before inserting the catheter up the femoral artery to my heart. It would feel like a bee sting or dentist's freezing needle. Unfortunately, this was not my day. With my head still pounding and the nausea fully set in, it took him three tries as well to find the artery. He got more and more frustrated with each attempt. It didn't make sense since my veins are huge. Thank goodness for the additional freezing which he administered for the pain he was causing.

The hard part was over. The catheter was in. I now felt no pain or discomfort. I remember saying how amazing it was that I couldn't feel that thing moving around inside my arteries. I forgot about the headache and nausea. On the TV monitor I could see this thing that looked like an undone wire coat hanger going up the artery to my heart. Dr. Sternberg would then ask for dye and all of my arteries around the heart would illuminate on the screen. It was amazing and overwhelming to see. They took several shots of different angles. The first thing Dr. Sternberg said in a most pleased voice, was that my arteries are clear! So much for worrying about high cholesterol all of these years! I immediately envisioned a big plate of fries and gravy...mmmm.

Then he said he was going to take some shots of my aorta and I would really feel a warm sensation from the large quantity of dye. I felt it alright. The warmth really felt great. A rush. But the picture we saw on the screen was not good. I could see the large balloon-like aneurysm in the aorta. It looked way bigger and worse than I ever imagined. It also looked like there was a second smaller aneurysm a little higher up as well. Two of them! I was freaked out. Especially when Dr. Sternberg said "when are you getting this fixed?" Meaning "sooner rather than later, I hope".

It was then over very quickly and they put strong pressure on the entry point in my leg and wheeled me out to the recovery area in the hall. The nurse out there came over and actually clamped me to the bed with a type of c-clamp that pushed down hard on the wound. It was critical that they keep this on and that I stay still for a half an hour while they checked on me every two or three minutes. Dory was allowed into this area and boy was I happy to see her little face. I shared the good news about my clear arteries. (Give me some bacon and eggs- I was hungry). After about half an hour the nurse took the clamp off and put on a tight large bandage that wrapped around my entire leg. I was reeled back up to my room.

A team of nurses and orderlies gently transferred me from the gurney to the bed (just like on ER) and I had to lie still on my back with a 10 pound sand bag on my groin for six hours. This was the hardest part. However, they scare the hell out of ya because this is the main artery and without any stitches, it has to heal on its own by applying pressure and staying still.

Exhausted yet relieved it was over, we finally left for home at around 9 pm.

I was movin' kinda slow for the next few days and the insertion point in my groin was a little tender for a good week afterwards. But all in all the worst part was the stupid headache and having to lie still for six hours. The actual procedure was a breeze.

In celebration of my clear arteries, that following Sunday, a beautiful, clear Toronto fall day, Dory and I went out for a hearty bacon, egg and homefries breakfast at Wimpy's, our local greasy spoon.

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