Thursday 13th October
I was 1 day away from the end of my driving ban. I had a big party planned for the coming Saturday to celebrate 6 months since the arrest and end of driving ban.
1 day.
I walked to work as usual and today was reading testing day. I liked doing the testing as it was great to see their improvements. Another teacher was running the grade for the day and I was set up in the middle room. The day was going as expected but I decided to go to the gym with the kids to continue the testing quicker.
Back in the classroom an hour later, I had just sat down with one of the students when I noticed I didn't feel right. I felt dizzy and could have sworn I heard a crackle from my chest. No sooner had I reached for my water bottle when I received a shock. I yelled to the student to go into the classroom and at the same time yelled for the teacher aide in the next room to help me. 20 seconds afte the first shock, I got a second. I was so scared but concentrated on calming my breathing down. Nicki sat with me calming me and my partner teacher rang the ambulance. The two grades were taken up to the oval to play a game. I was so cold. My body shivered uncontrollably and my colleagues rushed around for blankets and jackets. The ambulance was so quick, they were there in only a few minutes.
I remember saying to my principal not to call my husband until I knew what was going to happen. I knew I would be in a few nights again at least. The paramedics were so calm and reassured me the whole way. Sunshine Hospital emergency was busy but after checking with the triage nurse, I was taken straight to the cardiology ward, bypassing emergency. It wasn't long after my arrival that the device technician arrived to do the testing. I knew it had been an appropriate shock having felt the symptoms, and moments later, it was confirmed that I had received two shocks.
I also learnt that my specialist was overseas at an electrophysiology conference. My event would be discussed with doctors around the Asia Pacific. This admission would indeed be a long admission, but it was to be my first night of a 5 week hospital stay across 2 public hospitals, 2 procedures, 4 treadmill stress tests, approximately 10 canulas and at least 50 needles of some description.
My specialist arrived back on Monday 17th, which was my Dads birthday. He had already begun talks with various colleagues from different hospitals and countries. The wheels were in motion to pursue further investigations.
Personally, I was in a world of hell. I began to suffer flashbacks where in a state of sleep, I would relive a shock and wake thinking I'd had another one. These were awful. I was so depressed and cried constantly. Everything set me off. My specialist began talk about an electrophysiology study at Royal Melbourne under the expert hands of Dr Joe Morton. This was a study that could lead to an ablasion- a burning of the area of heart that was producing the dangerous rythym. But to do this, I would need to fail a stress test. I had never wanted something so badly.
A plan was made to take me off my medication and then conduct a stress test to see what happened to my heart. This made me so nervous and I was reluctant to move much for fear of triggering a rythym. It would be 4 days off medication before I would do the test. I had asked my mum to be with me as my husband had to work which she was able to do.
Down to the Cath lab we went and I was set up with all the wires and cords. I was so nervous and anxious. I had a lot riding on this test. If it showed a lot of beats or started a VT run, I would be looking at a transfer to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for an electrophysiology study and possibly a heart ablation. If it didn't, it would probably just be medication adjustment. My hopes were hanging on the transfer. I wanted that very badly. An opportunity to burn the area of the heart that produced the rythym sounded devine.
The test is simple enough. You walk along with the speed and incline raised every 3 minutes or do. I knew mine wouldn't go for long as they didn't want me under too much stress. I probably went for about 4 minutes before they stopped it. In the recovery moment, I was overcome with a feeling of dizziness and clung to my mums hand. My specialist and technician told me I was in VT. I could see on the monitor the heart beats really close together and everything was red. Just when I thought I was going to faint, the rythym terminated and my heart rate began to slow down. My team were really happy as this was what they wanted to see. This would also mean a transfer to Royal Melbourne. I was so happy to know this. I cried tears of joy that I had this chance
1 day.
I walked to work as usual and today was reading testing day. I liked doing the testing as it was great to see their improvements. Another teacher was running the grade for the day and I was set up in the middle room. The day was going as expected but I decided to go to the gym with the kids to continue the testing quicker.
Back in the classroom an hour later, I had just sat down with one of the students when I noticed I didn't feel right. I felt dizzy and could have sworn I heard a crackle from my chest. No sooner had I reached for my water bottle when I received a shock. I yelled to the student to go into the classroom and at the same time yelled for the teacher aide in the next room to help me. 20 seconds afte the first shock, I got a second. I was so scared but concentrated on calming my breathing down. Nicki sat with me calming me and my partner teacher rang the ambulance. The two grades were taken up to the oval to play a game. I was so cold. My body shivered uncontrollably and my colleagues rushed around for blankets and jackets. The ambulance was so quick, they were there in only a few minutes.
I remember saying to my principal not to call my husband until I knew what was going to happen. I knew I would be in a few nights again at least. The paramedics were so calm and reassured me the whole way. Sunshine Hospital emergency was busy but after checking with the triage nurse, I was taken straight to the cardiology ward, bypassing emergency. It wasn't long after my arrival that the device technician arrived to do the testing. I knew it had been an appropriate shock having felt the symptoms, and moments later, it was confirmed that I had received two shocks.
I also learnt that my specialist was overseas at an electrophysiology conference. My event would be discussed with doctors around the Asia Pacific. This admission would indeed be a long admission, but it was to be my first night of a 5 week hospital stay across 2 public hospitals, 2 procedures, 4 treadmill stress tests, approximately 10 canulas and at least 50 needles of some description.
My specialist arrived back on Monday 17th, which was my Dads birthday. He had already begun talks with various colleagues from different hospitals and countries. The wheels were in motion to pursue further investigations.
Personally, I was in a world of hell. I began to suffer flashbacks where in a state of sleep, I would relive a shock and wake thinking I'd had another one. These were awful. I was so depressed and cried constantly. Everything set me off. My specialist began talk about an electrophysiology study at Royal Melbourne under the expert hands of Dr Joe Morton. This was a study that could lead to an ablasion- a burning of the area of heart that was producing the dangerous rythym. But to do this, I would need to fail a stress test. I had never wanted something so badly.
A plan was made to take me off my medication and then conduct a stress test to see what happened to my heart. This made me so nervous and I was reluctant to move much for fear of triggering a rythym. It would be 4 days off medication before I would do the test. I had asked my mum to be with me as my husband had to work which she was able to do.
Down to the Cath lab we went and I was set up with all the wires and cords. I was so nervous and anxious. I had a lot riding on this test. If it showed a lot of beats or started a VT run, I would be looking at a transfer to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for an electrophysiology study and possibly a heart ablation. If it didn't, it would probably just be medication adjustment. My hopes were hanging on the transfer. I wanted that very badly. An opportunity to burn the area of the heart that produced the rythym sounded devine.
The test is simple enough. You walk along with the speed and incline raised every 3 minutes or do. I knew mine wouldn't go for long as they didn't want me under too much stress. I probably went for about 4 minutes before they stopped it. In the recovery moment, I was overcome with a feeling of dizziness and clung to my mums hand. My specialist and technician told me I was in VT. I could see on the monitor the heart beats really close together and everything was red. Just when I thought I was going to faint, the rythym terminated and my heart rate began to slow down. My team were really happy as this was what they wanted to see. This would also mean a transfer to Royal Melbourne. I was so happy to know this. I cried tears of joy that I had this chance