Anyone seen Brian?

[Fat Tone]

You ok Brian?

[jms]

Last Activity: 8th May 2009 08:29

Hope he'll be back soon!

[Dr Mordrid]

Health issues

[Brian Ellis]

I'm back!

Have just had the delights of a 3 week stay in hospital. Thanks for the enquiry.

Gory details (not for the squeamish!):

In January, had the old pacemaker exchanged after 11 years of faithful service. Unfortunately, the old one had strong adhesions and the surgeon took ~50 min to get it out (ouch! under a local!). The brutality required caused a massive haematoma under the new gizmo and it didn't resorb. For security, I went through 4 courses of different antibiotics (oral). About a month ago, it started becoming sore and it was decided that it must be infected with a resistant bacterium and went on a course of an antiobiotic designed for hospital-resistant staph and was told that if that didn't work, then a few days hospitalisation for IV antibiotics may be necessary. I had a follow-up appointment on 9 May. In the meanwhile the skin under the gizmo site was red, assumed to be friction with clothing, as the whole affair was proud of the chest by a good 15 mm (new boob!!!).

On 9 May, while drying myself after my shower, I saw that there was a small wound under the gizmo and about 3 cm3 of serum was expelled when I gently pressed on the gizmo. Went for my appointment and the pacemaker surgeon took one look at the site and immediately sent me to A&E for immediate admission to the cardiology ward, no messing! I was immediately put on 4 different IV antibiotics, with a little improvement, but the wound under the site was getting bigger and blacker and the edge of the gizmo became visible, which worried them. On 18th, I got up at 0530 for a pee, no problem. At 0700, I got up to wash and felt faint, so I sat down on the bed and put my hand on the dressing and everything went back to normal. Got up again a few minutes later: same result, but the wireless EKG monitor I had on sent alarm signals to the nurses' station. Within 10 seconds, 3 nurses (pretty!) round my bed with the heart failure crash cart (bravo for their prompt reaction!). I was hooked up to the mobile EKG and given oxygen, double fast. The screen showed normal atrial pacing but only occasional ventricular pulses. No further messing: immediate transfer to cardiac ICU (other end of hospital, accompanied by 2 doctors and 2 nurses). When I got there (still in my own bed) and transferred to a new bed, they removed the dressing and found something they had never seen before: the pacemaker had fallen completely through the hole, hanging by its leads. Fortunately, the atrial lead was bipolar but the ventricular one was unipolar and needed the body fluids to complete the circuit.

I was in theatre within the hour and suffered nearly 3 h of torture, again under locals, implanting new bipolar leads from the other side and a new gizmo on the other side, having stuffed the older new one back in the hole and taped it down to provide pacing, thus avoiding a catheter from the groin. Having done that and sewn it up, they then tackled the old side and opened it up top and bottom, scraped it out and cut away all the necrotic tissue and (hopefully) any remaining traces of bacterial infection. They then removed the old leads. Loads of IV antibiotics in ICU since + 5 days in a private room in cardiology.

The food was the WORST I've ever had in any hospital, but the staff seemed competent and pleasant.

Please don't reply with any commiserations or other goodwill messages; your missing my presence tells me all and I thank you sincerely for your solicitude! I'll be around less in the next few days as I have 928 e-mails in my in-box, not counting spam and I'm still not quite 100% up to a 10 h day in front of my screen. If all goes well, I'll get back up to speed in a few days.

BTW, I've lost 13 kg since January, of which 6 kg in the past 3 weeks. I had a nurse use a sterile scalpel to make a new hole in my belt; otherwise, I would have left the hospital with my breeks round my ankles!

[jms]

Phew! Now we can get the "Guess where this is?" thread going again.

[cjolley]

...
Please don't reply with any commiserations or other goodwill messages...

Sorry, can't accommodate...

Whew!!! That sounds like a close one.
Glad to see you getting back up to speed!

Chuck

[Umfriend]

What Chuck said. Besides, nothing is as much fun as going against ones' wishes with good intentions.

Take time to recover well. Are you going to sell the movie-rights on this?

[Fat Tone]

Pah! When I was a lad that happened three times a day. And we only had drinking straws and dirty tea-spoons to operate with.



Seriously though, glad you are back Bry. Best wishes for a painless recouperation.

[VJ]

Glad to hear from you!

[KRSESQ]

Brian always has the most entertaining stories.

Relax and heal up, compadre.

Kevin

[ND66]

And that stopped you from posting?!

Welcome back.

[Umfriend]

And that stopped you from posting?!

ROFLMAO

[DukeP]

THe wonders of modern medicin.

Hang in the Brian - you may yet live to reach immortality.

~~DUkeP~~

[Brian Ellis]

THe wonders of modern medicin.

Hang in the Brian - you may yet live to reach immortality.

~~DUkeP~~

When I've left this mortal coil, I hope that some part of me remains immortal in the minds of those who knew the irascible me and that possibly some part of my work is not forgotten!

However, I do not strive for immortality: old age is a bugger and it gets worse as it advances. There are already moments when I feel that I would like not to wake up the following morning. However, these moments pass when I read this board!!!