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May 2009

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Subject:
From:
Graham Naisbitt <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
TechNet E-Mail Forum <[log in to unmask]>, Graham Naisbitt <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 31 May 2009 20:12:46 +0100
Content-Type:
text/plain
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text/plain (143 lines)
Brian

I trust you remain on the high road to full recovery. I am bound to  
remark that I would prefer to find another dieting technique!

Best regards

Graham Naisbitt

Email: [log in to unmask]
Phone: +44 (0)12 5252 1500
Web: www.gen3systems.com

On 31 May 2009, at 18:04, Brian Ellis wrote:

> If you insist: gory details (not for the squeamish!):
>
> In January, had the old pacemaker exchanged after 11 years of  
> faithful service. Unfortunately, the old one had strong adhesions  
> and the surgeon took ~50 min to get it out (ouch! under a local!).  
> The brutality required caused a massive haematoma under the new  
> gizmo and it didn't resorb. For security, I went through 4 courses  
> of different antibiotics (oral). About a month ago, it started  
> becoming sore and it was decided that it must be infected with a  
> resistant bacterium and went on a course of an antiobiotic designed  
> for hospital-resistant staph and was told that if that didn't work,  
> then a few days hospitalisation for IV antibiotics may be necessary.  
> I had a follow-up appointment on 9 May. In the meanwhile the skin  
> under the gizmo site was red, assumed to be friction with clothing,  
> as the whole affair was proud of the chest by a good 15 mm (new  
> boob!!!).
>
> On 9 May, while drying myself after my shower, I saw that there was  
> a small wound under the gizmo and about 3 cm3 of serum was expelled  
> when I gently pressed on the gizmo. Went for my appointment and the  
> pacemaker surgeon took one look at the site and immediately sent me  
> to A&E for immediate admission to the cardiology ward, no messing! I  
> was immediately put on 4 different IV antibiotics, with a little  
> improvement, but the wound under the site was getting bigger and  
> blacker and the edge of the gizmo became visible, which worried  
> them. On 18th, I got up at 0530 for a pee, no problem. At 0700, I  
> got up to wash and felt faint, so I sat down on the bed and put my  
> hand on the dressing and everything went back to normal. Got up  
> again a few minutes later: same result, but the wireless EKG monitor  
> I had on sent alarm signals to the nurses' station. Within 10  
> seconds, 3 nurses (pretty!) round my bed with the heart failure  
> crash cart (bravo for their prompt reaction!). I was hooked up to  
> the mobile EKG and given oxygen, double fast. The screen showed  
> normal atrial pacing but only occasional ventricular pulses. No  
> further messing: immediate transfer to cardiac ICU (other end of  
> hospital, accompanied by 2 doctors and 2 nurses). When I got there  
> (still in my own bed) and transferred to a new bed, they removed the  
> dressing and found something they had never seen before: the  
> pacemaker had fallen completely through the hole, hanging by its  
> leads. Fortunately, the atrial lead was bipolar but the ventricular  
> one was unipolar and needed the body fluids to complete the circuit.
>
> I was in theatre within the hour and suffered nearly 3 h of torture,  
> again under locals, implanting new bipolar leads from the other side  
> and a new gizmo on the other side, having stuffed the older new one  
> back in the hole and taped it down to provide pacing, thus avoiding  
> a catheter from the groin. Having done that and sewn it up, they  
> then tackled the old side and opened it up top and bottom, scraped  
> it out and cut away all the necrotic tissue and (hopefully) any  
> remaining traces of bacterial infection. They then removed the old  
> leads. Loads of IV antibiotics in ICU since + 5 days in a private  
> room in cardiology.
>
> The food was the WORST I've ever had in any hospital, but the staff  
> seemed competent and pleasant.
>
> BTW, I've lost 13 kg since January, of which 6 kg in the past 3  
> weeks. I had a nurse use a sterile scalpel to make a new hole in my  
> belt; otherwise, I would have left the hospital with my breeks round  
> my ankles!
>
> Brian
>
> Inge wrote:
>> If you need chat anything else than techy things, I'm ready. When I  
>> was ill a couple of years ago in cancer, I valued much somebody to  
>> talk to. About everything.
>> Take care, and take it easy the rest of the summer .
>> Gesundheit!
>> Inge
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Ellis" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 7:15 AM
>> Subject: [TN] Absence
>>> Have been hospitalised for 3 weeks and thus unable to keep up with  
>>> the
>>> IPC forums. As there are 530 accumulated messages in TN alone, you  
>>> will
>>> understand I'm not going to read them all or respond. I'll treat  
>>> them
>>> all as read, and re-start from here. If anyone has sent a message  
>>> aimed
>>> at me, since 8 May, please resend it, if you want an answer.
>>>
>>> Thanks for your understanding.
>>>
>>> Brian
>>>
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