Trinityheart8891
Well-known member
hey guys
I was just thinking about my appt the other day and all the cool people I got to see that helped me cope. . . I'll list em here. . .
1. My Cardiologist Dr Yeager He's been with me for 21 years, he greeted me with a "hey bud!" and a handshake. He seems to realize I am the kind of person who needs a detailed explanation of how and why, cause thats exactly what he gave me! he even used stuff based in Respiratory Therapy to explain why I was getting short of breath, which helped me understand even better (says the first year RT student) we talked for a long time about this stuff, having another extensive "heart to heart" about things he even started explaining surgery, and baloon interventions, and how that would be pretty drastic right now cause things are still pretty mild. when he was examining me, he was being extremely careful to not expose me I didnt even really feel like he was examining me (this sounds simple, but it was more than most docs do, and he was just being extremely careful, even when he was looking at my chest, I didnt feel like he was looking at my chest) he also knew I was freaked out, and managed to lighten things up, asking about school, and my parents, telling me that I'd better be seeing him in the hospital during clinicals and labs. He even gave me the "look" a few times when we were talking about how much I was working, and how imporntant it was to slow down, when I asked him about a note for work, he suggested I talk to my supervisor first so they can write me a very specific note. The last thing I asked about was if I could get the records from this appointment his exact words were "you can have anything you want" I just have to call up marsha and fax back a permission to release the stuff in about 2 weeks. he also mentioned transfer to adult care, but said that I needed to get through school first. its really hard to explain, but I knew I was the center of attention to him, and felt like they spent their whole day getting ready for my visit. even though my parents couldnt be there, I felt like I had my second father in the room with me running things. we have a connection that is really hard to even pinpoint, but I am gonna write him an email and thank him! just for being him, and being there for me!
2. the resident who was with Dr Yeager. he was just plain awesome! good looking guy, he didnt say or pull anything stupid, was plenty mature, was just as good about keeping me covered, and had a 5 minute conversation about whatever with me while I was waiting for Dr Yeager to come back from checking up on the echo before me he was asking medically relevant stuff, and incorporated it into a human conversation about school, car, money, and the life of a college student, it was freaky how good this guy was about bedside manner!
3. the nurse I talked to on the phone was extremely concerned, listened extremely well, and got me an appt within 2 hrs of my phone call, thats good in and of its self, but when I almost started crying at the end of the call and asked her if she was gonna be the one I saw she asked why, I told her "I'm gonna be alone" she said that she wouldnt be up there, but if they needed her she would come up. that was extremely comforting in and of its self.
4.I think the nurse who saw me this time was the same nurse that saw me last time, she was pretty dry, but still cared asking questions and listening, we were joking about the EKG stickies and stuff like that, she also gave me the look and schpeel about over doing it, but did it without being overbearing, she was extremely "cool" about it. When she came to get me from the exam room to bring me to the echo room she noticed I was moving slow, she asked if I was ok, asked what was wrong, and when I told her I was a little light headded she asked if I wanted her to take my clothes, and walked right behind me the whole way right tight up to my back.
5.the echo tech, becky, well she's done my last 3 echos she handed me the sheet, and asked me about a movie and we joked about the selection. Brenda asked me how I liked Respiratory Therapy as I walked in the room she commented when I got in the right position right off that I had done this before, and we both laughed, I barely even felt her doing the echo, she was pretty gentle about it, no jabbing, and she got everything right off, no need for Dr Yeager to take a jab at it himself (he's a little less gentle about it, or used to be anyways) I was laying on my left side, half rolled on my back with my gown splayed open a little (this was the only time I kinda felt vulnerable in the whole appt, she was extremely careful about how covered up I was, its just impossible to be covered the whole way while you are having an echo) brenda (my long time cardiology nurse) was sitting at the end of the bed going through some paperwork, and I had a massively strong PVC (I mean it rocked my whole chest) I saw it on the monitor, and watched what my heart did, it was freaky looking you could see the bottom beat first, and why it makes you feel like crap! I said something like "I felt that one" she said yup and we both laughed (I'm assuming we both felt that one!). she finished up, and went to get Dr Yeager to see if he needed anything else. Dr Yeager came in, and we talked some more, The resident, my nurse, and brenda were all standing at the end of the bed, becky was sitting to my left, and Dr Yeager was to my right they were all standing around, it felt like they were all there for moral support, it was awesome, Dr Yeager and I finished up our "Heart to Heart" talking about the results of the echo, and more talk about the valves, and my working too much, and him wanting to see me in the hospital, and him reassuring me that things are ok, and re-explaining the symptoms and stuff, we had a chat about chest pain, and how alot of post OHS patients have scar tissue pain, he explained how much scar tissue is actually involved. he said that he will give me a note for work if I need it, he told me that I should talk to my supervisor first so he can make it very specific to what I need. I asked him about the records for this appt and his exact words were "you can have anything you want" I just have to call marsha and sign some paperwork. I seriously felt like I had my second father there with me, talking me through it. they left me alone to get changed, but all of them stood outside the door they were all standing outside the door, like a second family Dr Yeager even walked me out to reception. they knew where I was at in my head through the whole thing, and because of that, my stress began to melt away once I got in with the nurse, and continued throughout the visit, by the end, I felt like I had someone with me from the beginning!
I dont know how to explain the feeling I got during this appointment but to be able to be laying on a table having an echo, with only a little sheet covering my chest, and my gown open and ekg stickies and echo goop all over me and to be able to laugh about the fact that my heart skipped so hard that we could both feel it says something!
thanks for listening!
anyone else have similar experiences?
I was just thinking about my appt the other day and all the cool people I got to see that helped me cope. . . I'll list em here. . .
1. My Cardiologist Dr Yeager He's been with me for 21 years, he greeted me with a "hey bud!" and a handshake. He seems to realize I am the kind of person who needs a detailed explanation of how and why, cause thats exactly what he gave me! he even used stuff based in Respiratory Therapy to explain why I was getting short of breath, which helped me understand even better (says the first year RT student) we talked for a long time about this stuff, having another extensive "heart to heart" about things he even started explaining surgery, and baloon interventions, and how that would be pretty drastic right now cause things are still pretty mild. when he was examining me, he was being extremely careful to not expose me I didnt even really feel like he was examining me (this sounds simple, but it was more than most docs do, and he was just being extremely careful, even when he was looking at my chest, I didnt feel like he was looking at my chest) he also knew I was freaked out, and managed to lighten things up, asking about school, and my parents, telling me that I'd better be seeing him in the hospital during clinicals and labs. He even gave me the "look" a few times when we were talking about how much I was working, and how imporntant it was to slow down, when I asked him about a note for work, he suggested I talk to my supervisor first so they can write me a very specific note. The last thing I asked about was if I could get the records from this appointment his exact words were "you can have anything you want" I just have to call up marsha and fax back a permission to release the stuff in about 2 weeks. he also mentioned transfer to adult care, but said that I needed to get through school first. its really hard to explain, but I knew I was the center of attention to him, and felt like they spent their whole day getting ready for my visit. even though my parents couldnt be there, I felt like I had my second father in the room with me running things. we have a connection that is really hard to even pinpoint, but I am gonna write him an email and thank him! just for being him, and being there for me!
2. the resident who was with Dr Yeager. he was just plain awesome! good looking guy, he didnt say or pull anything stupid, was plenty mature, was just as good about keeping me covered, and had a 5 minute conversation about whatever with me while I was waiting for Dr Yeager to come back from checking up on the echo before me he was asking medically relevant stuff, and incorporated it into a human conversation about school, car, money, and the life of a college student, it was freaky how good this guy was about bedside manner!
3. the nurse I talked to on the phone was extremely concerned, listened extremely well, and got me an appt within 2 hrs of my phone call, thats good in and of its self, but when I almost started crying at the end of the call and asked her if she was gonna be the one I saw she asked why, I told her "I'm gonna be alone" she said that she wouldnt be up there, but if they needed her she would come up. that was extremely comforting in and of its self.
4.I think the nurse who saw me this time was the same nurse that saw me last time, she was pretty dry, but still cared asking questions and listening, we were joking about the EKG stickies and stuff like that, she also gave me the look and schpeel about over doing it, but did it without being overbearing, she was extremely "cool" about it. When she came to get me from the exam room to bring me to the echo room she noticed I was moving slow, she asked if I was ok, asked what was wrong, and when I told her I was a little light headded she asked if I wanted her to take my clothes, and walked right behind me the whole way right tight up to my back.
5.the echo tech, becky, well she's done my last 3 echos she handed me the sheet, and asked me about a movie and we joked about the selection. Brenda asked me how I liked Respiratory Therapy as I walked in the room she commented when I got in the right position right off that I had done this before, and we both laughed, I barely even felt her doing the echo, she was pretty gentle about it, no jabbing, and she got everything right off, no need for Dr Yeager to take a jab at it himself (he's a little less gentle about it, or used to be anyways) I was laying on my left side, half rolled on my back with my gown splayed open a little (this was the only time I kinda felt vulnerable in the whole appt, she was extremely careful about how covered up I was, its just impossible to be covered the whole way while you are having an echo) brenda (my long time cardiology nurse) was sitting at the end of the bed going through some paperwork, and I had a massively strong PVC (I mean it rocked my whole chest) I saw it on the monitor, and watched what my heart did, it was freaky looking you could see the bottom beat first, and why it makes you feel like crap! I said something like "I felt that one" she said yup and we both laughed (I'm assuming we both felt that one!). she finished up, and went to get Dr Yeager to see if he needed anything else. Dr Yeager came in, and we talked some more, The resident, my nurse, and brenda were all standing at the end of the bed, becky was sitting to my left, and Dr Yeager was to my right they were all standing around, it felt like they were all there for moral support, it was awesome, Dr Yeager and I finished up our "Heart to Heart" talking about the results of the echo, and more talk about the valves, and my working too much, and him wanting to see me in the hospital, and him reassuring me that things are ok, and re-explaining the symptoms and stuff, we had a chat about chest pain, and how alot of post OHS patients have scar tissue pain, he explained how much scar tissue is actually involved. he said that he will give me a note for work if I need it, he told me that I should talk to my supervisor first so he can make it very specific to what I need. I asked him about the records for this appt and his exact words were "you can have anything you want" I just have to call marsha and sign some paperwork. I seriously felt like I had my second father there with me, talking me through it. they left me alone to get changed, but all of them stood outside the door they were all standing outside the door, like a second family Dr Yeager even walked me out to reception. they knew where I was at in my head through the whole thing, and because of that, my stress began to melt away once I got in with the nurse, and continued throughout the visit, by the end, I felt like I had someone with me from the beginning!
I dont know how to explain the feeling I got during this appointment but to be able to be laying on a table having an echo, with only a little sheet covering my chest, and my gown open and ekg stickies and echo goop all over me and to be able to laugh about the fact that my heart skipped so hard that we could both feel it says something!
thanks for listening!
anyone else have similar experiences?
