Gang I just wrote this e-mail to my friends at work and I thought I would share it with you all here. I consider many of you my close friends so I thought I’d keep you in the loop of what happened to me this week.
Gang,
I told Leisha I’d write up an e-mail explaining what happened to me on Tuesday night and about the surgery I’m going to have next week. So here it is. If this were a pkg, Megan would be upset cause it’s going long.
Ever since I was a teen I’ve noticed I sometimes get a rapid heartbeat. It usually goes away within five minutes. There’s no telling what sets it off. I generally didn’t think anything of it since it usually only happens maybe once or twice a year. Evidently I was born with what is called
Woff-Parkinson’s-White syndrome. I’m sure they named it after all the docs that discovered it since it doesn’t really flow off the tongue.Here’s a link
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001206
Basically I have an electrical problem in my heart. You are only suppose to have one electrical current that sends out a signal to beat your heart. I sometimes get two signals. Usually the heart just fixes itself and will go back into normal rhythm. Mine on Tuesday night didn’t and it got caught up in a loop. So the electrical signal kept sending out two signals to beat the heart at twice the speed. It started about 8pm on Tuesday. I went to bed that night around 9 since I was exhausted thinking it would fix itself like it has in the past. I woke up around 7am and it was still beating fast.
The sheets were drenched with sweat like I had run a marathon. I took Alyce to school and then waited in the parking lot for ten minutes for Urgent Care to open at 8am. When I got in there they pretty much all freaked since my heart rate was incredibly high. So they called Freeman ER and sent an ambulance to come get me. They gave me some drugs on the ride but that didn’t do anything to slow it down.
My heart then went into some sort of rhythm where it wasn’t pumping as much as it was pulsating. So they put me out and shocked me with the defib. I was unconscious but I imagine that hurt like a mother.
The defib was able to get the electric current from going in a loop and just make the one electrical signal to start pumping my heart regularly.
On Wednesday I visited the Freeman Heart Institute and met with a doc that specializes in the electrical work of the heart. He said that if that loop of electric and gone down into my lower chambers of the heart and started going haywire I could have died. Which scares the hell out of me.
He said I have two options, I could take meds for the rest of my life or I could have a procedure done that would close off that second electrical signal from shooting anything else to my heart. He said he doesn’t recommend the meds because I had such a severe reaction this past time. So on Wednesday Feb 23, the day after my birthday none-the-less, I’m going to have it done.
They will use a device that goes into a vein near my groin and twist and turn until they get to the spot where the spark happens. The doc says that he’s had a 90-95% success rate with it and I like him so I have that going for me. lol.
So Leisha, I’m going to need to take Wed,Thursday and Friday off next week. Wednesday I’ll have the surgery and he said to rest for a couple days without lifting anything heavy and just relaxing so I don’t open up the incision etc.
I’ll be at work on Thursday, Friday and Monday and Tuesday of next week. The doc has told me to take it easy and not to drink any caffeine. So I’m 48 hours off of Diet Mt. Dew so I’m real shaky. LOL.
I appreciate all the calls, texts and prayers. You all truly are like family and that’s why I enjoy working here so much. So I’ll see you all Thursday morning. I’m off to bed.
BD
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Hope all works out for you, Brad.
Best of luck to you man! We’ll all be praying for you!
@BD – Not great friends, AMAZING FRIENDS. Pun intended. 🙂
Brad,
I hope everything goes well and I wish you a speedy recovery!
Get well soon Brad!
We can rebuild you! We have the technology.
Get well soon man. You need to stay healthy for your little one.
Thank you all so much for the well wishes. I really do appreciate it. I have some great friends!
Another long time listener, first time poster.
I hope the surgery goes well and best wishes to you.
Good luck Brad, all the best on a speedy recovery! I recommend The Muppet Show seasons 1 thru 3.
I hope everything comes out fine for you Brad. Good luck and my prayers are with you.
Brad, I will be praying for you and your family through this time. God will take you, do not worry.
PS: As Spideydude said, “we got the place covered.”
Brad, what are you more worried about, the surgery or being deprived of that sweet, sweet nectar men call Mountain Dew? Seriously, sir, I wish you nothing but the best and a swift, speedy recovery surrounded by your loved ones and lots of comics!
Like Stephen Quammie I’m a long time listener, first time poster. I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the podcast and always look forward to new installments.
I hope the operation goes smoothly and wish you a Wolverine-like recovery BD.
Or a Hulk-like recovery if you’d prefer.
Whichever’s quicker.
Thinking of you now and next week.
All the best for a good surgery and speedy recovery
Take care Brad, we need you as our fearless leader! Best wishes to you all.
I read this earlier this morning. I am happy it’s very fixable. I’m thinking of you Big Brother Brad.
Don’t worry about the place, We got ya covered.
Brad,
Man I WILL be praying for you!, And I hope you really do listen to “US” as friends of yours as you say we are and just take it easy for as long as the Doctors say. For remember this my friend, we are all but small part in this Big Place we call Earth and “WE ALL SHOULD BE KIND TO EACH OTHER, FOR WE NEVER TRULY KNOW WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING, UNLESS WE PRAY FOR EVERYTHING WE ARE ALL THANKFUL FOR: LIVING LIFE TO OUR GIVEN FULLNESS!, AND YOU HAVE MORE TO DO I JUST KNOW IT!”
My prayers are with you Brad. I look forward to hearing a good report.
Good luck!
Wow, that’s intense. I hope everything works out for you! All the best!!
I hope everything goes well for you BD and you recover fast and all that. I know how much hospitals suck. We need you back here man!
BD!! I’ve been a listener and fan of the podcast since 2009 and this is the 1st time I’ve ever posted here.
Please get better because you are not only the heart and soul of the Spider-Man Crawlspace, you are the one man who can pull an Aunt May Medical Miracle.
Stay off the Mountain Dew and spend a few days with your baby and wifey.
Take care, my web-headed friend.
Best wishes, BD!
The good? They can set it right. The bad? They have to Frankenstein your groin! o.O
Best of luck to you and your family pal. <Much love. We're all pulling for you.
Hey Brad, I wish you the best on your surgery. You’re in my prayers pal.
Speedy recovery Brad.
Hope everything goes great for you, Brad. If Aunt May can pull through 347 heart surgeries, you’ll do amazing with this one.
Hope You Feel Better, Chief. As You Read This I’m here To Tell You I Hope You Go Through Your MTW Dew detox all right
Jeez so my first comment made it through. Sorry guys, the wifi here is glitchy at best.
Brad let me tell you you have my prayers. May the surgery be succesful and your recovery speedy.
My thoughts and prayers to you Brad, go into that surgery and kick its ass!
I pray you have a succesful surgery and a speedy recovery, Brad.
Good luck Brad and take it easy!
My thoughts and prayers go out to you, BD. In the mean time, don’t over exert yourself.
–Wolfie
Good luck, Brad!
Best of luck, Brad!
Thoughts and prayers Brad. I’m sure your operation will go fine and then you’ll be back at home, work, and the Crawlspace. Get well.