July 13 2016 - first shock
A month and a half after coming out of hospital and with full encouragement from my medical team, I decided it was time to get back to life as normal. I had already gone back to work as a teacher. Now I was going to join a netball team. This had been a sport I had enjoyed in my early twenties and I was excited to start in a social tournament.
The team coach picked me up and off we went for an 8.30 pm game. I recognised a few people on the opposition and happily took on the goal keeper position. Quarter over and feeling very puffed, I walked to the side lines. Players were chatting, having a drink and changing bibs when all of a sudden I received the most powerful shock to my left side of my chest. It was like being kicked by a horse. By the time I realised what it must have been, I got a second shock. I screamed out and people around me had no idea what was wrong. I got myself to the sidelines and lent over before getting a third shock. I was so scared and thought I was going to die. Luckily one of the teachers from school was there and knew what I had. An ambulance was called and a few people tried to get me to calm breathing down.
Ambulance arrived and did initial observations. I was then transferred to a second ambulance so the first could continue back to Ballan. Not long after that I was transferred to a MICA ambulance. I took so long to canulateas all my veins disappeared as my body was in shock that it was a good half an hour before we could leave.
I was taken to Sunshine Hospital where my initial treatment had happened and we waited for the technician to come and interrogate the device. This eventually showed that the shocks were appropriate. My heart rate had been in ventricular tachycardia and was at 200 beats a minute before device did its job.
I was so scared and cried for a long time. My specialist reviewed my data and changed the shock zone to 240 bpm if it was needed again and adjusted my heart medicine. The problem continued to be something that a cause could not be found for. I was in hospital for 3 days and after making sure the medication was ok in my system, home I went.
My my goal was to return to work as soon as possible to make sure I was back to normal.
The team coach picked me up and off we went for an 8.30 pm game. I recognised a few people on the opposition and happily took on the goal keeper position. Quarter over and feeling very puffed, I walked to the side lines. Players were chatting, having a drink and changing bibs when all of a sudden I received the most powerful shock to my left side of my chest. It was like being kicked by a horse. By the time I realised what it must have been, I got a second shock. I screamed out and people around me had no idea what was wrong. I got myself to the sidelines and lent over before getting a third shock. I was so scared and thought I was going to die. Luckily one of the teachers from school was there and knew what I had. An ambulance was called and a few people tried to get me to calm breathing down.
Ambulance arrived and did initial observations. I was then transferred to a second ambulance so the first could continue back to Ballan. Not long after that I was transferred to a MICA ambulance. I took so long to canulateas all my veins disappeared as my body was in shock that it was a good half an hour before we could leave.
I was taken to Sunshine Hospital where my initial treatment had happened and we waited for the technician to come and interrogate the device. This eventually showed that the shocks were appropriate. My heart rate had been in ventricular tachycardia and was at 200 beats a minute before device did its job.
I was so scared and cried for a long time. My specialist reviewed my data and changed the shock zone to 240 bpm if it was needed again and adjusted my heart medicine. The problem continued to be something that a cause could not be found for. I was in hospital for 3 days and after making sure the medication was ok in my system, home I went.
My my goal was to return to work as soon as possible to make sure I was back to normal.