My Adrenal Vein Sampling (AVS) was scheduled for November 6, 2014 at the University of Kentucky Hospital with Dr. John C. Gurly (a cardiovascular surgeon). I was told to be there at 8:00 am. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink after midnight but was able to take my BP and thyroid meds that morning with a sip of water. I arrived at 7:50 am and was taken back promptly. I changed into the typical hospital gear and was prepped by about 9 nurses (four were student nurses) for my upcoming surgery. I was questioned about allergies and gave them my meds (still in the bottles as it was their standard protocol). I was then given an IV (in my left hand). I can honestly say that this was the most painful part of my whole procedure. I was then hooked up to a BP machine. This machine would automatically check my BP about every 20 minutes. The staff was super friendly. They would bring me a warm blanket about every 30 minutes. They would remove the top blankets, cover me with the warm blanket, and then recover me with the initial blankets (I'm cold-natured but they made sure I stayed warm my entire stay). They even brought warm blankets for my mom and my daughter. Around 9:30 am two nurses came in and shaved my groin area to prepare me for the AVS. Around 10:00 Dr. Gurly came in to go over my paperwork and to get my consent. He then explained the procedure to me and explained that not every hospital does this procedure (because it's so complicated) and that he was the only surgeon at this hospital that performed this procedure. He explained there was a chance that the procedure might have to be repeated due to the right adrenal gland was a gland that was hard to get the catheter into. He explained that he had a 88-90% success rate without having to repeat procedures. He gave me a chance to ask questions, allowed my mom to ask questions, and joked around with my daughter (cool points for him). Around 10:15 I was given a shot of Fentanyl through my IV port for pain (that was painful). Around 10:30 I was taken back to surgery. I was stripped down to my birthday suit in the surgical room (except for a towel across my breast area). I wasn't yet sedated and it was quite embarrassing. Soon the surgical nurse attached the Versed (conscious sedation) to my IV and I the loopy feeling began. I was never completely out of it but felt in a phase that I didn't care what happened. I remember the surgeon giving me the shot (in which he warned me there would be a pinch). It wasn't as painful as the IV. After that I was wondering when he would get started. It was only after I heard him talking to the staff with excitement (apparently my right adrenal was easier than most to get to) that I realized he was already doing the procedure. I couldn't feel a thing (thank the Lord). When the procedure was done he smiled at me and told me that he was 95% sure that the procedure had been successful.
I was then taken back to my room at 11:30 for recovery. I had to lie still for 2 hours. I still had not eaten and I was tired so I drifted in and out of sleep until around 12:55 when the urge to use the restoom became great. When they advised that I would have to use a bed pan I was determined to suffer until 1:30 (in which time I could get up) because that was just too much embarrassment for me. I held on until around 1:15 and then I couldn't take it anymore (forget the embarrassment!!!). They checked with my surgeon and he gave the go ahead to release me to the bathroom. One last wound check (bleeding had stopped) and I was allowed to attend the restroom and then go home. I was given a turkey sandwich as a parting gift.
I can't say enough about the entire cath staff at UK Hospital. They were warm, caring, and genuinely concerned with my well-being. The experience was made so much better because of them.
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