Type A

I have to confess that I feel pretty pleased with myself. I've had a small heart attack, been medivaced via helicopter to a major hospital, had an aniogram followed by angioplasty with thee stents, and been told not to use my right hand for three more days. Yet in all of this I have been in constant contact with friends and family and I have not missed a blog entry. I think this proves that I really am a Type A personality.

This morning I awoke to the sounds of nurses fussing about and thought of what angioplasty might entail. As I was prepared for this procedure my anxiety level rose. Fortunately the staff at Royal Jubilee Hospital did their best to calm my fears and explain each step of the process. They made sure I knew what was happening all the way.

It turns out that angioplasty and stenting has changed a lot over the last few years. Now, rather than go in through the artery in the leg, they go in through the wrist. In addition the only anesthetic used is a local in your wrist. You are awake throughout the process and can feel the catheter enter your arm and move up through your artery in your arm. It is a strange feeling.

After the work of the angioplasty and stenting, they hold you for only 4 hours during which time they watch for bleeding in the wrist and any adverse reactions to the blood pressure medication that is used to keep your blood pressure down. It's all a very simple and easy process, at least from the patient end.

The only real tough part is having to rest my right hand and arm. They don't want me to type, so I am doing this entry one-handed, or at least mostly one-handed. After all, I am still a Type A person.