Another Hospital Trip
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:33 am
I went back in the hospital Monday to get another stent put in. I had two stents put in 25 years ago, and I had a catheterization in the spring. At that time, they recommended putting another stent in, but I went on blood thinners after the catheterization and wound up back in the hospital a week later with severe anemia from internal bleeding. No more blood thinners, but a couple of transfusions.
More recently, they think my internal bleeding is under control, so they again recommended a stent. I had my regular followup with the cardiologist a week before Christmas, and I thought I would get the stent scheduled for 2026. However, I began suffering extreme shortness of breath and some dizziness after even mild amounts of exertion like unloading the dishwasher, so we scheduled the operation for this past Monday.
It was supposed to take about an hour but it wound up taking about three. They don't give you anesthetic for this, so I was in varying degrees of pain, some quite severe, for about half the total time. It turned out they had to clear the gunk that had built up inside the old stents over the last 25 years and that took much longer than they planned. I spent the night in the hospital, and came home yesterday and slept most of the day.
I'm cautiously optimistic about how I'll feel when I start moving around today. No champagne tonight but I'll be watching a lot of football the next two days as I get my strength back.
More recently, they think my internal bleeding is under control, so they again recommended a stent. I had my regular followup with the cardiologist a week before Christmas, and I thought I would get the stent scheduled for 2026. However, I began suffering extreme shortness of breath and some dizziness after even mild amounts of exertion like unloading the dishwasher, so we scheduled the operation for this past Monday.
It was supposed to take about an hour but it wound up taking about three. They don't give you anesthetic for this, so I was in varying degrees of pain, some quite severe, for about half the total time. It turned out they had to clear the gunk that had built up inside the old stents over the last 25 years and that took much longer than they planned. I spent the night in the hospital, and came home yesterday and slept most of the day.
I'm cautiously optimistic about how I'll feel when I start moving around today. No champagne tonight but I'll be watching a lot of football the next two days as I get my strength back.
