Wednesday, June 5, 2013

An Extra Th-Th-Thumpity...


...in my normally hearty routine of "thump thumps"
was just enough to cause concern
and send me to the ER a couple of weeks ago
just to be cautious.
After keeping me under observation for 24 hours
(and the administration
of multiple scans, x-rays, blood tests, and 
an a 24 hour heart monitor)
I was discharged and sent home
with instructions to eliminate caffeine and chocolate
and to follow up with my PCP
and my cardiologist within the following week.
That being done...I am feeling pretty good at this writing
and my symptoms have seemed to cease.
To be on the safe side...
I will be issued an "event monitor"
to have for the next 30 days in case an episode
arises again.
It is really cool and being somewhat "sci fi" in scope
it will record any pertinent heart data
which, in turn, will be directly uploaded to my cardiologist!
Go figure...:)
The drawing above was done in stages
...ink straight in...lead free...
starting in my room at 3:00am when I couldn't get to sleep
and then continuing the next day
well into the late evening hours while waiting to be discharged.
I added watercolor paint
for a bit of colorful spice this week at home.
Finally, it was flipped using Microsoft Digital Editor
as a nod to my late night/early morning 
artistic efforts.
If you like...click on images to enlarge. :)

"A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running."
~Groucho Marx

7 comments:

marianne said...

What a scare ......Hope you will be alright and leaving out coffee chocolate etc will do the trick.
Take care dear ♥

Sherry Pierce Thurner said...

Whoa! Equal parts scary and fascinating. Stay well.

Alex said...

Hope you're alright. Love the sketch of the techs by the way

Lisa Rivas said...

Oh how scary! Bet it was a bit like a roller coaster for your mind, no need of caffeine any more.
Your imagination as shown in your heartfelt sketch it will do the trick for your well being. It makes my heart sing to see you are now up and adamant spreading color to the world.
Love you and MANY HUGS!!!

Sandra said...

Well, that is a fine how do you do! Hope that you aren't dragging by joining the ranks of us who go without caffeine:)

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Sorry you had this worry Margaret. Glad all seems fine again. Never a moment in life when a pen cannot help pass the time and occupy the mind.

studio lolo said...

That's always a scary thing to have your heart do flip-flops! (Unless you're young and falling in love for the first time)

I went through it last year. The 24 hour halter monitor, the stress test, etc. Ugh.

So glad you're okay! I gave up coffee on my own one day and switched completely to green tea. Now I'm addicted to it! I wasn't really a big coffee drinker though.

Hugs!! (((♥)))