It's not fair to describe the nervousness I'm cultivating in the pit of my stomach tonight as butterflies. I had butterflies on my wedding day. Driving to the hospital to have each of my children. I still get them on Christmas Eve. No. This is definitely not butterflies. Moths, perhaps.
Why the nausea? McKay will spend the day(and possibly night) at the hospital tomorrow having his first heart cath. The cath procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into the femoral artery high up inside McKay's chubby little thigh. The catheter is guided up the vein toward the heart. The cardiologist uses X-rays, called fluoroscopy, to help visualize and guide the movement of the catheter to the desired locations within the blood vessels and chambers of the heart. While inside the heart, several things may be done to help evaluate the heart structures, as well as the pattern of blood flow inside the heart and nearby blood vessels, including:
- Drawing blood samples from each chamber and each blood vessel, to measure oxygen content.
- Making blood pressure measurements inside each chamber and each blood vessel.
- Injecting a contrast (dye) into the catheter and recording the images as it flows through the heart.The moving pictures are saved, enabling the cardiologist to review the data after the procedure.
- Inserting tiny coils to block blood flow from spontaneous and unwanted collateral veins which may have developed around the heart.
I know the procedure seems a small thing in light of McKay's history, but for some reason the thought of how they perform caths just gets to me. Seriously, who thinks up this stuff? I'm not sure, but I am glad they contributed their genius to developing the mind-bending, life-saving treatments that will help to keep Mac in the clear.
Please say a little prayer for our McKay and for his doctors that all will go as planned. Truth be told, we're hoping for a day full of thoroughly boring news!
Why the nausea? McKay will spend the day(and possibly night) at the hospital tomorrow having his first heart cath. The cath procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into the femoral artery high up inside McKay's chubby little thigh. The catheter is guided up the vein toward the heart. The cardiologist uses X-rays, called fluoroscopy, to help visualize and guide the movement of the catheter to the desired locations within the blood vessels and chambers of the heart. While inside the heart, several things may be done to help evaluate the heart structures, as well as the pattern of blood flow inside the heart and nearby blood vessels, including: