SOME Day !

Not the first time I've used that title, but it certainly applies to today's doin's.

The Hoyts were having adventures on multiple fronts, and by that, I mean we had not one, but TWO dramas taking place.

First off we have Melinda: she came home from her maiden semester at college, determined to get her driver's licensee. And after a background of homeschooled reticence on the part of her parents--and by that I mean we've never rushed out to have the kids get their permits--not a lot of driving had taken place.

Setting out as to war, Loren took on the task. This included accompanying Melinda on a lot of practice drives, as well as fixing two or three breakdowns on the car. The latter being both exhausting and frustrating in itself. And in the pièce de résistance, he set up the cars and boards on the other side of the house so she could practice parallel parking. Over and over and over.

Next be Derek, who, having his ICD placed just before Christmas, was still in atrial fibrillation and needed to be cardioverted. This could easily be accomplished internally with his shiny, new defibrillator, but there's a catch...he wished it to come about without sedation, so he could experience a conscious shock. And the reason for that was to (hopefully) forestall some of the anxiety and trauma that his dad and uncle had experience when they were shocked. The theory being, if he could find out what it would be like before he needed it in a life-threatening situation, he would not suffer the same psychological impact witnessed by others.

His return appointment had been made for today, unbeknownst to Loren who had already scheduled Melinda's driving test, also for today (our local town only does them on Wednesdays).

WELL, it looked as though we would have to split up the duties: one of us going north & west, one of us going south & east.

And after Derek was asked to report by 9am, meaning a wake-up around 5ish, it was decided I would go with Derek and Loren would accompany Melinda.

I must say, everything went splendidly :-)

Melinda is now the proud owner of a driver's license, and Derek's back in sinus rhythm following unconventional therapy.

It was so unconventional, it had never been done at that hospital before, though the doc had heard of it being performed...somewhere.

A normal cardioversion has the patient anesthetized briefly, while external defibrillators administer a shock (like the dramatic shows on TV..."CLEAR!"). They start with a low therapy, say...50 joules, and work their way up if the first shock does not convert.

The last time Derek had an external cardioversion it took 200 joules.

What's helpful about an ICD is that the doctors can trigger it to shock the patient from inside the body, which requires much less by way of joules. In Derek's case the maximum setting is 35 joules, and that was the jolt he got. And it worked in one attempt! Everyone was quite pleased.

The wonderful Dr. L. was doing the conscious shock at Derek's request, and truthfully, there was some tension in ye olde cathe labe.

I was sitting out in the waiting room, expecting to hear a yell at any moment (which is what happened when Loren was conscious during a shock). However, in a short time the doctor came out, smiling, and saying everything had gone quite well.

Relief all around.

I can't tell you exactly how Derek felt during the shock, but he described it as being much different than he'd expected. Instead of just feeling it around his chest, it was basically a total body experience, and for one brief moment, quite horrific. Not pain, but total helplessness and.....shock. I guess time will tell if there are psychological ramifications, but Derek seems to have taken it rather well, from my observation afterward and to date.

Then we had an interesting time jawing about the caucus and various political matters with Dr. L. while Derek recovered. Good times in the cath lab!

I must say, Dr. L. is way cool to have spent so much time in discussion. Maybe he was doing so as a way to evaluate how Derek was reacting, but frankly, he always seems happy to talk with Derek.

Once we got out of there it was back to Waterloo for lunch at Panera Bread and then the weekly shopping. And I only forgot one food staple (eggs) which is pretty decent, for me.

I guess that enough about our big day. Tomorrow we ease back into school and hopefully, a more mundane existence.
 

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