Cancer Chronicles

August 18, 2023

     As my journey to Boston had ended, so did my much-needed break, as reality came flying back in mere hours later. I hadn’t given the cancer much thought during the trip nor the other health and personal issues that have plagued me throughout 2023. I had fun and was as relaxed as I have ever been. Hope you’ve had the opportunity to check my recent blogs out, as there are a lot of fond memories and cool photos included.

     But today, I was back at the hospital where earlier this year, I had a defibrillator changed, two cardiac ablations and had also been cardioverted. The procedures and surgery had been on three separate occasions, from March into early April, engulfing so much time and added stress that I was totally worn-out both mentally and physically. This visit was a bit simpler but had its own set of issues to contend with.

     An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is pretty simple, right? Nope, not if you have an ICD (Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator) and I do. Locally, only two hospitals will do the procedure on a patient with an ICD. One, luckily, happens to be where my cardiologist / electrophysiologist / surgeon works from, and I was able to get in rather quickly. The appointment was made a couple weeks back before my Boston trip.

     Sidenote Time:

     Someone is having fun!

     Grogu, because of your support on my Rick Ollie (@rickollie) • Instagram account, was allowed to travel with me. He received zero no go votes and rode shotgun. Here he is hanging out by the hotel’s pool. 

     The procedure started, annoyingly enough, with paperwork. I had even pre-registered yesterday and there were still two pages of questions to siphon through. Do you have this, if you do, when and where and a whole lot of ‘what the hell is that.’ If I hadn’t heard of it, obviously I don’t or haven’t had it. So, no. You ever notice I enjoy short sentences? Two-word one’s work. Just fine!

     Then I saw the technician that checked my ICD and monitored my heart during the test. Because the MRI is magnetic, he had to shut off the ‘jolt’ setting so it wouldn’t freak out during the test and continually shock me. For the first time this year, I was concerned. Image getting shocked by a defibrillator continuously. Mind boggling. 

     The first time I ever experienced a shock from a device was back in 2006. I was eating a chocolate covered donut in my cousin’s kitchen. The device discharged and my donut went flying into the ceiling fan which was on. Damn, that donut was tasting good. The family still brings it up at gatherings among other things and that’s why I’m posting this oldie! Just for them! 

     Ricky Nelson’s ‘Garden Party’

     EXCERPT: “If memories were all I sang, I’d rather drive a truck.” 

      There were quite a few kids around the pool during my stay, but this young fella wanted the center of attention. He strolled by Grogu humming the ‘Imperial Death March.’ 

     Before he proceeded, Arthur, the tech, told me his decision would be the final one as to whether or not I’d have the test. His ballgame, I accepted that fact. I trust him as he’s worked with my cardiologist Dr S on occasion. Anyone that works with the best, has to be pretty good him or herself.

     I had been given an IV before seeing Arthur for a contrast dye to be used in the final images. Was a little disappointed in the fact it took them three tries before connecting to a vein. It’s happened before and results in just more tape to my arms while the sites stop bleeding. Don’t understand how they can miss veins like mine though. They’re good veins. 

     Glasses off, put on a slab, IV connected, ear plugs in, 80’s music selected, headphones on and we were ready to rock and roll. I’d like to say I heard some Lionel Richie music while the test was happening, but sadly the man whose concert I had just seen in Boston had none of his songs played. Actually, I don’t remember which songs played as the machine was so loud its noise outplayed that of the radio station they had tuned in for me.

     After some klunk-klunk’s and gerr, gerr’s for about a half hour, I heard someone on the headset say, we’re injecting the dye now. Felt a cool flow from the IV enter my blood stream and then a few more klunk-klunk’s and gerr-gerr’s and then it stopped. All over. That was it. 

     After getting up, Arthur and I met up once more and he did the reversal on my ICD that he had done earlier. I went back to my room to dress and waited for a copy of the images on a DVD to give to my radiation oncologist at my next appointment in two weeks. 

     In the end, it was Grogu that reminded me the parting words of the MRI operator who said, “drink plenty of water the next couple days,” as I left the hospital and headed home. 

NOTE: The MRI took place on 8/17/23

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