A line of medical professionals awaited me in the ED and worked me up for a complete heart block. A day later, my cardiac surgeon walked in and said, “You need a pacemaker.”
My heart rate had gone down to 28, it turns out, compared to a usual rate of between 60 and 100 beats a minutes. I met with a myriad of professionals on my team; each one explained their role and what I should expect from my impending surgery. I woke up in my room with a pacemaker rep, discussing my pacemaker.
I had as good an experience as I could imagine—dealing with knowledgable staff, from aides to the surgeon. They were kind, they answered my questions, we laughed a lot.
The funny thing is that I am an experienced nurse and thought I knew it all. Ha-ha. I was treated as a patient to be educated and made as well as possible. They more than succeeded.
Well done, team.
Pris Robichaud
Bedford, New Hampshire
1 thought on “You Need A Pacemaker”
So true! As a nurse I thought I was well equipped to care for my terminally ill husband at home. Thank goodness for his hospice-ar-home nurses. They bolstered me up with every blunder I managed to make!