The $19,000 Dollar Woman

The IDC insertion yesterday went well.  I'm sore, mostly though its my muscles, back and chest, that are screaming in misery.  They aren't used to this type of punishment.  The incision itself feels just fine. 

For anyone else that may have gone through this, or may in their future, I have been experiencing a weird sensation in my heart that doesn't have a clear cut explanation.  Apparently my ICD has a pacer in it that doesn't allow my heart rate to go below 60 beats a minute.  That pacer is not what I'm feeling because the discomfort doesn't happen when I'm completely resting, rather it only happens when I'm sitting up, walking, etc.  They are monitoring my heart rate and say its good, so this may be part of my new normal.

The surgery went well. My surgeon is a cardiac surgeon who works on children so I figured he was possibly pretty competent. 

My request was either a nice neat tidy scar or, failing that, a really bad ass scar.  In the end he said its  possibly the smallest scar he's made for this type of surgery.   ;)

I'm not sure when I'll get to go home.  I'm pushing for today...they are now avoiding me in the hallways so they don't have to give me an answer. Unfortunately they are fast than me and more familiar with knowing the effective hiding places.

I suspect I will start my steroids tomorrow.  They will also be putting me on a TB medication. An interesting combination but the prednisone can re-activate dormant TB and so better safe than sorry.

I'll have to have some eye tests and another CT for my lungs. They've done bloodwork for my kidneys and liver because this disease rarely only affects a major organ like the heart.  In fact, the doctor said today that 13 in ~100,000 cases it affects the heart, the majority of these there are other organs impacted so the assumption is one of my other organs will likely see some impact. 

Hoping its not the liver. :D

As for my title of today's blog, just before my surgery the surgeon (and team) managed to destroy an ICD.  The price tag? + $19,000. 

Thank you tax payers. ;)