I was treated in the emergency room at the VA, and then I was admitted, where I would spend the next week.  The doctor told me I had fluid in the lungs, and I was given medication, and weighed every day.  The doctor also recommended that I have a difibrillulator inplanted. 

The appearance of the pacemaker and difibrillator and similar...as the pacemaker works all the time, sending out electrical shocks when needed by the heart; the difibrillator works at the end of an event, giving a shock to the person to revive his or her heart.  Therefore, these two are similar but work differently. 

The device would give me trouble throughout the six years that I had it implanted.  I was wondering what it felt like when the device went off, to save my life.  Only two months later, I found out as the device went off in September of 2006, while I was unlocking the car, and the jolt was so forceful, that I thought I had been hit by a football in the back of the head from kids playing football in the streets!

There were NO kids playing football in the streets, and then I thought I had been shocked by the car battery some way.  And, then I thought THIS DEVICE WENT OFF, and all this happened in a matter of minutes. 

The breath was taken out of me, and so I went over to a shady spot and sat on the curb, to recover until I went upstairs to call the VA.  I went to the VA Medical Center later that day to have the device checked out, and I went back to business as usual. 

In August, 2009, I was told, during a routine check-up that one of the leads on the device was not working properly and surgery would have to be done, to fix the problem  Again, the device went off while I was returning from the grocery story, and I nearly did a summer-sault at the entrance gate of the apartments. 

I left the VA Medical Center for the private sector, and I had an appointment at the Heart Institute.  The life of the battery was six years, and I told my cardiologist, Dr. Downey, that the time to replace the battery, and I told him that I wanted the device removed.  That was in January, 2011. 

Moving on to May, 2012, I suffered a stroke, and I spent a month in the hospital.  When I arrived at the hospital, I couldn't stand up, therefore I couldn't walk, either.  The swallowing muscles were knocked out, so a feeding tube was inserted up the nose and down to the stomach to feed and medicate me!  The tube was taken our eight days later, when I was transfered to the Rehab Center across the street to begin therapy. 

I spent a month in a wheelchair, and I was not allowed to get into it, or get our of the wheelchair withour help from the staff.  I was discharged at the end of June, 2012, and I visited with Dr. Downey on the removal of the pacemaker.  He told me, that there could be risks in removing the device.  What kind of risks? I asked him. 

He told me that all the human tissue, that had build up over the last six years.  When I heard this, I lit up like a Christmas tree...and yelled out, THAT'S IT...A BLOOD CLOT WAS FORMED IN THE CAVITY AND THE PACEMAKER CAUSED THE STROKE!  I was jumping up and down with excitement...

But, Dr. Downey did not agree with me; and neither did Dr. Castleman and neither did Donna Pham, the PA/Ph.D.  I was, now, even more determined to have the pacemaker removed.  I didn't believe anyone at the Heart Institute, and this was August, 2012, and a date for surgery was set for January, 2013 to remove the device!  I tried and tried to move the date of surgery up, but I couldn't, no matter how much I pleaded!  THIS ORDEAL TOOK ME TWO YEARS TO ACCOMPLISH...

I had to wait FIVE months for surgery, knowing that I suspected the device caused a blood clot, that caused the stroke!  FIVE MONTHE OF WAITING was almost unbearable, knowing that another stroke COULD be fatal.  FIVE angonizing months...

FINALLY...the date of surgery arrived, I could wait to get under the knife to get rid of this device, that have given me so much trouble over the years.  I think the device was responsible for the sleep problems I had for six years; I was disgnosed with diabetes during that time, and other problems. 

THE DAY OF SURGERY ARRIVED   I was told to report to the hospital an 6;00 in the morning, and so a called a cab company and was picked up about quarter to six in the morning, as surgery was scheduled for 8 oClock that morning. 

As the cabbie drove me to the hospital, and he asked me why I was up so early.  I told him my sob story, and he seemed perplexed.  "I don't understand why you are so excited to go go unter the knife," he commented.  So, I explained;

I told the cabbie; "I think the pacemaker caused a blood-clot, which caused the stroke, which I though was a mild stroke...so, if this device stays in, I could suffer another stroke...only this time the stroke could be fatal. 

The cabbie, with a bewildered look on his face, looked back at me in the back seat, and said.  "A-a-a-s yes, now I understand...now I understand how long you waited for this day...with the threat of another stroke hanging over your head. A-A-A-A-H...NOW, I UNDERSTAND' he said. 

I paid the cabbie, and got out of the car, and gave the cabbie 'thumbs up' and told hilm to keep the change.  I was strutting my stuff and shaking my booty, as I strutted  all the way to the hospital door, and I turned around and waved goodbye to the cabble...just like President Obummer stands on Air Force One, and waves back to Cleveland. What a great day...as I was finally going under the knife again... FOR THE 4TH TIME ! 

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