My WPW Syndrome Expereince

Saturday 20th March 2021 I was weeding and tidying up our driveway garden. This runs from the gate by the footpath to a point halfway up the side of the house. It usually takes me a couple of days as it involves a lot of bending, pulling and emptying bins of weeds and pruning’s, so I would have to rest.

The classic comment from Harry would be, 

“You’re not over doing it are you?” to which I would respond, “Yes”, so he would tell me to go and lie down. 

I hated this, but knew I had to and after a good half hour or so I was able to get back up and go back outside. 

On this particular Saturday I was determined to get the whole garden finished and so went out after tea at about 7.00pm for about 20 minutes. As I was nearing completion, I noticed my vision was a little blurry and checked to see if I had the right glasses on. At about the same time the fire siren went up which for our town means the volunteer fire brigade are called down to the station and go out, more times than not, to an emergency or medical call rather than a fire. 

I started to tidy up and as I finished, I was feeling very fatigued again. Coming up to our back deck I felt exhausted and wanted to get up he steps to go inside, but all I could manage was to lean and sit against the steps. I was desperate to sit or lie down but just couldn’t. I felt like I was going to collapse and I was shaking and sweating. 

A helicopter came over the house meaning the fire call was quite a bad medical emergency. Harry came out to see where it was landing and saw me. 

He looked at me saying, “Is that helicopter for you?”! 

I said “I think so” I was sweating, finding it hard to breath and really not fully in control of what I was doing. He asked if I had been over doing it again and I said I was awful and then couldn’t talk well. Harry looked at me and said, “I’m calling 111”

 

The siren went up again and then because the emergency services were still out for the other call they were around to our house in no time.

I had numerous tests while still out on the steps and was told I had had a cardiac event and would need to go to hospital. I was supported to the ambulance, given relief and oxygen and we went to Waikato hospital in Hamilton. Arriving in triage at 9.20pm I was checked out and the trolley I was on was wheeled into a cubical where I waited to be seen in the Emergency Department. 

It’s a bit of an education to be there on a Saturday night! Six hours later I was seen by a young doctor who listened to my story, took some bloods and checked me out, saying, I seemed to be OK now so he would just write up a report and send me home. 

What seemed like over an hour later he returned to say there had been a change of plan. He had read up my past notes on file and saw that Wolff Parkinson White (WPW) had been seen before. I thought he meant some sort of specialist and wondered why I hadn’t remembered a man’s, name like that. He then explained it was to do with my heart. I told him about other times while working in the garden or going for walks up hill etc. He had spoken to cardiology and they wanted me admitted for testing and maybe surgery. I am so thankful that this busy ED doctor took the time to read through my notes.

Finally, later that Sunday evening I was taken up to the cardio ward and so begun three days of testing and monitoring and eventual surgery. I had a heart beat monitor attached to me at all times and it hung around my neck even when I was showering. I also had to have a treadmill test which was stopped before it went too far as it showed the WPW syndrome. 

On Monday evening the team decided that I was to have the procedure, an ablation, but had to wait as there were more urgent patients scheduled the next day so it would be Wednesday. I was told that once I had had “the burn” as they called it, I will be rearing to go like never before. 

Praise God for wise young doctors who read all your history notes. 

The surgery was done with just a local and although it took a few times for pain to be blocked it was successful, my heart stimulated to test it and then all was well. I went home the next day. 

I must admit it has made the world of difference but it took a few weeks to recover and really notice the improvement