Today's Angiogram

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Today I was scheduled for a coronary angiogram. This is one of the tests I need prior to my valve replacement surgery.

My hubby is out of town for work, so I asked my parents to be my "chaperones". Well, my dad ended up with a cold - so my mama came with me. She drove into the city (at the crack of dawn) like a champ, we parked valet for the first time, and she followed me around all day. First, registration, then the pre- procedure room, then the family lounge, then recovery and then the drive home in traffic. She is even spending the night at my house again tonight.

I had my aorta grafted and right coronary artery bypass in 2006. This means I have some significant anatomy changes in my vascular system that needed to be checked and mapped. This also meant they had to go through my groin, not my wrist. Amazingly, the procedure went smoothly, albeit a it took a little longer than a "normal" mapping angiogram. They weren't able to use a plug in my vein, due to my medical history, so the resident doctor got to apply pressure with most of his body weight for 15-20 minutes before applying a pressure bandage. Next, I got to lie flat on my back for 3 hours. I was able to eat for the first time all day and napped.

And, then something amazing happened - I was able to be discharged! We were home by 3:30P. Medical procedures almost always have some hiccup with me. For example my outpatient sinus surgery ended up being an overnight stay in the hospital. But today, minus a few modifications to things, I was "NORMAL", not atypical. And sometimes you just need a win.

I do not have results for the angiogram yet. You are awake while they do the procedure, and I didn't hear anything alarming - so I am taking that as a good sign.