One of the Coolest Experiences Ever (Cont.)

For all of you that could not keep your pants on long enough to find out the rest of the story. Here is "The Rest Of the Story"

Patient Brunno came into the hospital for a routine cardiology catheter exam which is similar to an x-rays in motion that show the anatomy and flow of major arteries and veins including the coronary arteries (the hearts source of blood and energy). Patient Brunno needed two heart valves replaced so was getting the scans done in order to see what needed to be done for surgery.

Patient Brunno looked healthy and happy before the scan. The patient was put into conscience sedation (the patient will not remember the events but is awake enough to follow commands). The incisions in the leg are made to put the catheter and dye into the arteries so the scans can be made. Some of the pictures (xrays in motion) are taken. The rotation student asks why the images have a small bleep in the arteries. The cardiologist looks at the images and cannot understand what is going on. He asks two other cardiologists for their opinions. The surgeons then decide that the women's arteries have a tare in them and it is getting worse (like a tare in pantie hose that gets worse and worse).

Patient Brunno was supposed to have two heart valves replaced the next day but in this condition would never survive the surgery. The cardiologist decides he has to keep the arteries open as best as possible. The cardiologist gets other specialists opinions on the matter. Wires and stents are started to be placed to keep the arteries open so the heart will not die. The patient begins to deteriorate. The patient goes into Atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat) 4 different times and needs to be shocked back. The entire time the patient is still awake and in excruciating pain due to the screaming and attempts to unhook all the monitors and drugs. The room fills with nurses, technicians and doctors as they try to keep the patient calm and finish up the stent placement.

Multiple doctors comment that the patient will die if the stents are not placed but the patient will die if they try to perform the valve replacements. "If she survives this, it will be a miracle" is repeated a few times by the chief of surgery as he watches in grief while ordering one of the operations rooms to be prepared just in case. One hour later the anesthesiologist shows up and is able to sedate the patient and place a tube into their lungs to provide mechanical oxygen.

Two hours later all the stents are placed, the patient is stable and the pharmacy rotation student is staring in shock with all the other surgeons and nurses. Patient Brunno is moved to the ICU where the patient is monitored like a hawk. The patient goes into irregular heart beats once again during the night and is shocked back bringing the total to 5 shocks.

Five days later the patient is stable and recovering. The patient is scheduled to return home in a few days and undergo surgery in 4-6 weeks.

I was shocked, sad, happy, hopeful, praying, helping and all enthralled in the situation as it was happening. I felt as if I was on a nail biting episode of Grey's Anatomy. The adrenaline was great, as I think I could do that everyday and the story is even better knowing that the patient survived.