I am due my 'MOT' on the 14th August 2003 - this involves an overnight stay at the Freeman.   I will explain what is involved for those of you who like to know about such matters.

On Sunday 10th August I took my last dose of warfarin before I go into hospital on Thursday.   As you probably know, warfarin thins the blood and  this helps my new heart function properly, however it also means that I bleed very easily and readily and therefore before undergoing an angiogram I have to stop the course temporarily.

My cardiologist has told me that I will be on warfarin for the rest of my life as I am susceptible to a stroke without it.   Apparently my blood is much too thick and contains platelets which if not controlled would  block  my arteries and cause a stroke.

I have to be at the Freeman for 7.30am on Thursday where I will have a cardiac biopsy and a coronary angiogram, which is a small price to pay for bed and breakfast.   On the Friday I will have X-rays and an ECG before I finally see the cardiologist for my results.   I am then given all my new doses for the various drugs I am taking.

Hopefully, I will then be released and free to go home.

Biopsy

What is a Heart Biopsy?

The heart biopsy is a procedure done to obtain small samples of tissue

from your heart to check for abnormalities. Information obtained from the

biopsy helps your doctor plan your treatment.

How is the biopsy performed?

You will not feel any pain during the procedure. The heart biopsy is done

in the catheterization lab. For the procedure, you will lie on a table and

EKG patches will be placed on your chest and attached to a monitor so that

your heart's activity can be closely monitored. An area on your neck will

be numbed with medication, and a small catheter will be inserted into the

jugular vein in your neck. A small instrument with an end similar to a

clipper is passed through the catheter into your heart. This allows the

doctor to get several samples of tissue from different areas in your

heart. After the tissue samples are obtained, the instrument and catheter

are removed and a bandage is placed at the insertion site.

What is the preparation for this procedure?

The procedure takes approximately one half hour to complete. After the

procedure, you may go home or to other appointments. To prepare for the

procedure, do not eat or drink after midnight. You should, however, take

your medication as usual with sips of water. If you are taking a blood

thinner , contact your doctor or the clinic nurse

for special instructions.

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The description above is taken from a medical site, but just to reassure anyone who may have misgivings about the procedure, there is no need to worry.   I would say the worst part of the biopsy is having to lie on the table at a funny angle then having the table tilted at a stranger angle - I keep thinking I am going to fall off.

Once the neck has been numbed the actual biopsy is probably less uncomfortable than an average trip to the dentist.   My cardiologist, Gareth Parry is a magician at the procedure and once completed my biopsy in under 10 minutes as he knew there was going to be a power cut.  I think he took the last sample when the emergency lighting came on.

The best bit is the cup of tea and a piece of toast afterwards.