tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528663482752743529.post3187764928810355240..comments2023-09-12T17:21:55.065+01:00Comments on Mrs Jones' Home Thoughts From Home: Saturday 19 November 1994 - the day I nearly diedMrs Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06289121990808465890noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528663482752743529.post-84007642483323180332009-04-30T03:51:00.000+01:002009-04-30T03:51:00.000+01:00I was the third person the Mayo Clinic put on a ne...I was the third person the Mayo Clinic put on a new drug, just approved by the FDA. <br /><br />It was so strong, they measured my hear beat every 8 hours to see how long my heart beat was and if it got longer than 500 miliseconds, they would half my dose. It a heart beat takes too long to complete, it will eventually (sooner rather than later) trip up, spin out and then stop forever. This drug causes a particular spin out called Toursades des Pointes, a ventricular arrhythmia.<br /><br />I hit 503ms and they backed down my dose. But the next morning, the team of doctors arrived by my bed to say that they wanted to try again b/c they didn't think half would work for me. My heart rate 497ms and we cheered. I went home.<br /><br />A few weeks later, I accidentally took two of them at the same time. Double dose. I called my cardiologist and she said go to the ER (urgent care in the UK I think) packed a bag, ate a sandwich, called my husband who was out of town, and took a cab the 8 blocks to my hospital. I told them what happened and they said "When?" I told them and they said "What took you so long?" I said since my peak plasma level wasn't for three hours, I figured I'd have time to eat and I knew they wouldn't let me eat when I arrived. They were agog. I was pretty blase about the possible impending doom. But really, I just couldn't let myself think about it or I'd go crazy.<br /><br />I spent the night hooked up to the defibrillator (Paddles! Clear!) and a syringe full of something magical to reverse a heart attack (I think it was magnesium). <br /><br />I held my breath until the clock hit 11, the moment the drug hit "peak plasma level" -- (when the drug was totally absorbed by my body) and when I would die if I was going to die, most likely.<br /><br />I relaxed a little after that, but they obviously kept me overnight in the ICU. It was too risky to be anywhere else, even a regular hospital room.<br /><br />My heart rate dropped to 40 for a while, but that was the worst of it. I went home the next morning and worked out a detailed medication tracking system so it would never happen again.SEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02897195184190375798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528663482752743529.post-76826377467299229442009-04-26T21:50:00.000+01:002009-04-26T21:50:00.000+01:00Blimey. I thought my "slicing through the cable o...Blimey. I thought my "slicing through the cable of the hedgecutter" story was bad. Glad you survived it.livesbythewoodshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13660484415596484648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528663482752743529.post-18684841958918555222009-04-24T21:08:00.000+01:002009-04-24T21:08:00.000+01:00Wowza! That's a crazy near-miss. I posted my nearl...Wowza! That's a crazy near-miss. I posted my nearly near-death experience over on Whoopee, since it was nearly the same story as hers, but with less lovely teenage boys and beautiful countryside ;)velocibadgergirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284169501055131574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528663482752743529.post-51503601243544148302009-03-24T14:26:00.000+00:002009-03-24T14:26:00.000+00:00Kerricky! Well done the P for being there and not...Kerricky! Well done the P for being there and not elsewhere.<BR/>CKxCalico Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11054839834452087857noreply@blogger.com