OldCop71 Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Life is a fragile thing that we take for granted. No one expects to die today, while we realize we won't live forever. Friday I went in to the heart clinic for a routine arteriogram, no big deal, have had a few in the past. The procedure was uneventful and routine, returned to recovery to do the lie flat on my back thing for a few hours. When the time had elapsed, they got me up to walk so they could release me to go home. When I got back to my room, the nurse came in for a last check of the site, and all hell broke loose.... The femoral artery had decided to let loose from the puncture site, and I had rapidly developed a football size hematoma in my thigh. Rapid reinsertion of iv, bp cuff, a SWAT team of nurses franticly working over me. My daughter, a former EMT looked at the site and had a look of horror on her face. I laughed and scolded her, you know better than to have a look like that on your face when you are looking at a patient; but the look told me volumes. The nurses were great, angels all of them. As a cop and EMT of several decades experience, what they were saying, and more importantly what they were not saying, told me this was a SERIOUS event unfolding. I never lost consciousness, not my composure. I was talking and cutting up with the nurses during the entire event. My heart rate got down to 39, bp 50/00, and I nearly went into shock. By the grace of God and the skill of the nurses, I'm at home typing this today. If it had happened as my son was driving me home, I'd have died before he could have gotten me to a medical facility. They say I lost 30-40% of my blood volume.. Life is short and every day a gift. Don't squander it. 6 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynactus Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 God bless you OldCop71. You're a tough SOB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyjohnson Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Glad you made it. God Bless. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citra47 Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Good on ya. Nurses are good people to have around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aomagrat Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Lord have mercy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 1 minute ago, aomagrat said: Lord have mercy. Sounds like He did... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenoF250 Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Wow, sometimes it is hard not to think that waiting they make you do is a waste of time. Certainly not in this case. My dad had a similar test done and it gave him a full on heart attack that basically killed him on the table. They got him back and he go a quadruple bypass early the next morning. You never know what is going to unfold. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaDub Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Scary stuff. I'm glad it worked out OK for you. I thank God for medical folks that do their thing well. Sometimes we gripe and moan about small issues, but there are many that go far above and beyond the call when it counts the most. A prayer for your continued healing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWARREN123 Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Always appreciate the time you have spent and the time you have left. Never know when things will change. Good to hear you are better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCop71 Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 The charge nurse came back in and talked to me after everything had stabilized. She said I 'vagled' on them while they were treating the bleeding, adding to the excitement. I thanked her and her team, and told her I knew they had saved my life. Her response was, "I was not going to let you die on my watch!" Angels, everyone of them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoDirectly2Jail Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Every day is a gift - not to be squandered! Glad to hear you were in the right place at the right time to receive the care you got. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moeman Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Stay on top of this embolizarion from the femoral can take ya out. Be a MD frequent flyer until you are absolutely sure this passed. Wouldn’t use the doctor that did the ratio gram again. I’ve been in. Hundreds of cases with femoral access and the range of skills I witnessed where huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC Tiger Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 20 hours ago, OldCop71 said: Life is a fragile thing that we take for granted. No one expects to die today, while we realize we won't live forever. Friday I went in to the heart clinic for a routine arteriogram, no big deal, have had a few in the past. The procedure was uneventful and routine, returned to recovery to do the lie flat on my back thing for a few hours. When the time had elapsed, they got me up to walk so they could release me to go home. When I got back to my room, the nurse came in for a last check of the site, and all hell broke loose.... The femoral artery had decided to let loose from the puncture site, and I had rapidly developed a football size hematoma in my thigh. Rapid reinsertion of iv, bp cuff, a SWAT team of nurses franticly working over me. My daughter, a former EMT looked at the site and had a look of horror on her face. I laughed and scolded her, you know better than to have a look like that on your face when you are looking at a patient; but the look told me volumes. The nurses were great, angels all of them. As a cop and EMT of several decades experience, what they were saying, and more importantly what they were not saying, told me this was a SERIOUS event unfolding. I never lost consciousness, not my composure. I was talking and cutting up with the nurses during the entire event. My heart rate got down to 39, bp 50/00, and I nearly went into shock. By the grace of God and the skill of the nurses, I'm at home typing this today. If it had happened as my son was driving me home, I'd have died before he could have gotten me to a medical facility. They say I lost 30-40% of my blood volume.. Life is short and every day a gift. Don't squander it. Geeze. Any idea why this happened? I assume it isn't a routine event for an arteriogram. My dad once got royally pissed at one of those Vietnam TV shows that was on back in the 80s because he said it made the nurses out to be sluts. He said army nurses saved his life and insulting them was fighting words, to him. Anyway praise God you came out okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCop71 Posted August 20, 2018 Author Share Posted August 20, 2018 There was some questioning going on, and the DR was determining who did what prior to the event happening. That's all I know at the moment. I had been in recovery for over 4 hours before it happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PATCHMAN Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Damn. Glad for the outcome. Take care of yourself as best you can. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 They shouldn't send people back home after a major - even if routine - procedure. Back in they day they would keep people with a broken leg for a week, now you get rolled out the back door hours later, so to speak. Glad you made it, and you are right, count your blessings, make every day count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boogieman Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Are you OK right now this second? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASH Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 when your number is up its up . glad you made it , just not your time , thats why people dont understand athletes in best shape of anyone then drop dead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCop71 Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 The biggest pain I am feeling right now is the burn left by the tape adhesive. I'm off all week, no lifting, strenuous etc. I have some spectacular bruising. I had to have my dog put down today, so I'm bummed out by that. Couldn't lift him up to the vet's table or carry him out to the car or dig his grave. Son in law did it for me. RIP, Brody the Wonder Dog, see you on the other side. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&P15T Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 O.k. pal, stop screwing around and heal-up already. "Femoral artery" problems......ppffffttt......a lion bit my head clean of once. Clean. Off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMyers Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Sorry to hear about your lose of your little friend. It is never fun when you have to put a pal down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 45 minutes ago, OldCop71 said: The biggest pain I am feeling right now is the burn left by the tape adhesive. I'm off all week, no lifting, strenuous etc. I have some spectacular bruising. I had to have my dog put down today, so I'm bummed out by that. Couldn't lift him up to the vet's table or carry him out to the car or dig his grave. Son in law did it for me. RIP, Brody the Wonder Dog, see you on the other side. You have been through a lot. My sympathies for all of it. Beautiful Pup! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASH Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 hopefully it will turn around ,losing furbabies is hard , prayers to you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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