At a fairly routine physical with my PCP pre dental work, my blood pressure had registered as rather high by her nurse. I don't recall what my reading was, but when she came into the exam room she said "what's up with the blood pressure today? It's pretty high." Usually my BP is very good to excellent, especially for someone like me who has mitral stenosis with significant narrowing of the valve and moderate MR.
I said "oh, I dunno, been a little stressed out lately I guess" and she opted to have me come back a week later to have my BP checked again before scheduling me for dental.
I really didn't feel very well during the rest of the week. To the point that I figured it would be a reasonable investment to buy a cheap BP monitor. My BP was registering from pretty high to normal, then was starting to register as very low during some testings. I didn't feel all that well, but I didn't feel like I was ill enough to seek immediate attention. I was having some serious episodes of moodiness according to my GF too.
When I had my follow up I guess my BP was sky high that day. Or maybe it was unusually low. Whichever it was my physician asked again what was up; I told her I had been driving my GF nuts, that I was on the verge of being manic.
She had her nurse pull in a portable EKG or ECG machine I don't really know one from the other. Whatever those readings were she said that if I wasn't on blood thinners she would be ordering me to head for the emergency room immediately. I left, which she said was only okay because I had a driver.
Before I made the short trip home she was calling me to tell me that she had called my cardiologist and he said for me to head straight to the closest ER that I could get to.
To get to the point, I was admitted. They spent a couple of days trying to get my heart rate down through oral meds and IVs. It was more than just abnormal BP. They diagnosed me with AFib and at a pretty dangerous level, heart rate as high as 175 BPM according to the monitor I was wearing. They told me they were going to have to do the cardioversion technique to get it down. I hadn't heard of cardioversion before, and after it was explained to me I was terrified.
Fortunately, after literally 'firing' two other cardiologist for never shutting up while I was talking to them because they thought I was "wasting their time," I had found a good cardiologist whom I not only trust but like. Best part is he has respect for me too and listens. I would had refused that procedure from the other two, probably at the peril of my own demise.
My cardioversion involved a TEE, the third one I've experienced. My first TEE I was 'too conscious' and remembered everything, unfortunately. Second one I only remember going to sleep and then what seemed like immediately waking up. This third one with the cardioversion was the most unique..
I felt like I was conscious the whole time but I kept my eyes tightly shut because I'm a coward in medical situations like that, lol. I could hear their conversation but absolutely felt no sensation of the scope down or exiting my throat.. Then zap!
I felt myself bounce in the air and a 'zap' that was like a 'crackle' through my chest. I hollered out "whoahhh!" and heard everyone in the room gasp. However, although I definitely felt a 'jolt' it wasn't at all that painful, but definitely startling. It left like a "clothes iron outline" shaped red mark on the left side of my body that should go away in a few days. Today is the day after and I'm home from the hospital after a five day stay. I don't hurt in any way. In fact I feel better than I have in quite a while.
It's odd, but I would mostly describe the experience as "interesting." If I had to do it again, I would of course have some apprehension but not outright fear like I had prior to this first one. Especially if it's my awesome cardiologist whom I shopped hard for and his team were to be the ones performing it. He and I had actually started out at odds too but I had then and since grown to love the man like a brother. Thank God we had come to understand each other or I might be dead now.
Those other two clowns whom I had 'fired? No way would I had given them my consent. It's serious business that I wouldn't trust to dummies who don't listen to people.