Journal Entry 3

Report: no ECT so far. Because of the bloodthinner Coumadin that I have to take my treatments have been delayed. I explained in past entries that on Thursday, which was supposed to have been the day of my first procedure, my blood wasn't drawn as it was supposed to have been. This resulted in an unproductive trip down to, and back up from, the ECT room. Friday was another unsuccessful day since my blood was too thin for ECT that morning, and again they did not realize this until I was already being prepped downstairs.

I have learned a little about the procedure from sitting in the section of the hospital where it is performed. I will summarize what I know about the process so far: they wake patients up at around 5:30 AM and we are provided with hospital gowns and our blood pressures are taken. By 6:00 AM we are waiting in seats near the nurses' station wearing our gowns. CNA's come up with wheelchairs, one or two at a time, to transport us down to the second floor. once downstairs other nurses put clips on a fingertip to moniter pulse and oxygen level, and the stickers used with equipment to moniter our hearts during the procedure are placed in three locations on the chest. We each stay in a hospital bed, one among many in a large room and separated from other beds by peach-colored curtains on tracks, which are drawn around one's bed during the actual procedure, and pulled back once the seizure is over and the patient is recovering from anesthesia. Most people sleep until the anesthesia has fully worn off once back at the unit, which usually isn't until about noon.

Tonight is Sunday night, which means ECT will be performed again in the morning. This evening my blood was drawn and my blood levels were good, my blood isn't too thin for ECT. So in the morning I will have my levels checked, and hopefully I will finally have my first ECT by 7:00. I'll try to update on that tomorrow.