Hi everyone,
I am scheduled for an angiogram on Monday at 7 am, when I made the appointment the nurse said I should be done by early afternoon....now I just got the nerve to go searching on the web for the procedure and it says you have to lay still for up to 12 hours afterwards....the hospital is about an hour away, a friend is going to take me, I am wondering if I should have her go home and come back for me later...

So, my question is, if you had an angioram, how long were you in the hospital?


Tia

Hi Tia,
I had my angiogram at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. I was required to lie flat on my back for six hours afterwards. That was the toughest part as by my age the discs between the L4-L5 vertebrae start to deteriorate and hurt a bit when in one position for such a long time. The nurse was great in helping me to roll onto one side or the other and was very free with the Vicodin  :D. Once I was on my feet again, I felt fine. Wouldn't you know it though, that evening the fire alarm went off in the hotel where I was staying and I had to walk down 7 flights of stairs !!! :P
Because of the anesthesia given, you'll want your friend there to drive you home. Hope they're able to stay with you though - it's kind of nice to have someone to chat with.
Kim

yes u need to lie on ur back to up to 6 hrs but i was soo soo lucky and needed to lie for 8 hrs, urg!!!  it's just so you don't hemorrhage, better safe than sorry.  if your a type who can't lie on ur back u better get used to it, and yes just like kim i have some back problems and the nurse was nice to give me the strong stuff, oxycondone, yipee, and that made me sleep for the most part.  good luck, i hope this helps.

Hi Tia:

I've had two angiograms and, like Kim, they were done at Harborview Hospital in Seattle.
On both occasions I was required to lie flat on my back for 6 hours afterwards.
If your friend can stick around, you might enjoy the company while you're stuck there.  Depending on the level of your sedation (in my case I had the "scardy-cat/I don't want to know" dose), you may be groggy for awhile.  It's just nice to have somebody there with you.  
Don't worry...you'll do great.  It sounds a lot scarier than it actually is.

Sheila

Hi Ladies,
Thanks for responding, I did have an angiogram when I was first diagnosed, but I was out of it from the hemmorage so I don'r remember  :-/
I talked it over with my friend today, I told her it was going to be a long process and she could go home if she wanted to, but she said she would stay, shes a great friend...I call her my adopted mom  :D
Thanks for all your advice...

Tia

Hi all:

I am fresh off of an angiogram (3rd in less than a year).  Each one was different.
1st was right after I had my first TIA last March.  I was in Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo Ca (Orange County).  Since I was not diagnosed at that point, they had me in the hospital for 5 days.  They had put me on blood thinners, so once I had the angio, I had to lay in bed for 6 hours after (they used the angio plug on me for this one, but with the blood thinners, there was more risk of bleeding).  I was able to lie at a 45 degree angle though, but I was in my own room to recover.

2nd was the day before my first MM surgery at Stanford.  I was no longer on blood thinners, but because they chose the compression method instead of the angio plug, not only did I have to lay still for about 6 hours, I had to have a sweet little male intern press on my groin for about 20 minutes - friend for life, maybe not, but I should at least put him on my Christmas card list  :P.  That was tough, cause I was in a group recovery area and bored out of my head and was completely flat on my back.  Surgery was more fun.

3rd angio was last Tuesday during my 6 month f/u.  This time they used the angio plug and I was still off of blood thinners, so the result was only 2 hours on my back.  Unfortunately, my ride didn't expect me to be done so quickly and couldn't pick me up for another 2 hours.

So the moral of this story is...have your friends number on hand if she decides to leave, and have the nurses call about an hour out before you are released.  But if she chooses to stay, bring lots of books or mags.

Hope this helps!
Sandi

Hey Everyone,
Just checking in before I hit the road...I'm glad I did, Pasnblu, your post made me smile.... ;;D
I'm kind of nervous and VERY hungry....wish me luck!

Tia

Good luck Tia.  I am sure you will come thru with flying colors!

If and when you have to have another, you will be prepared for what to expect, although all three of mine had similarities and differences.

I hear that with 6 you get eggrolls****
Best of Luck
Sandi

***A movie from 1968 starring Brian Keith and Doris Day, seriously, www.imbd.com

Hey Everyone...
Everything went great with the test, I told the nurse I was very nervous, so she gave me drugs ASAP, I slept though the whole procedure...I had to lay flat for 1 hour afterwards,I had pains in my lower back from laying so long so the gave me vikadin ;;D...then I sat up in bed for 2 hours,  then to a chair for about 15 minutes...I was discharged at 1:30 much earlier than I had expected...I was in a recovery room with 7 other beds and a TV...I wasn't bored because people kept coming and going, I was real groggy anyway...my friend stayed the whole time, she kept checking in on me, but she went to a seperate waiting area so that I could rest....
Now the results...not as good, but OK...this was my 6 month check up, (actually 8 months)When the doctor that did the angiogram came in to release me he gave me the results...the new veins are growing, but not as fast as they should be, and I still have a lot of moyamoya veins present...he said I shouldn't worry because they are growing...now I make the rounds to my doctors to see what they say about it...


Tia

Wow...that sounds like a marathon angio!  Glad it went well and hope your Doctor has good news for you.

Take care
Sandi

I was never allowed ANY sedation during my angiograms b/c they wanted to be sure I didn't have a stroke.  I fought for anything, I was always a nervous wreck... but they always denied me!!! I am amazed to read that many of you were given sedation, I'm jealous!!!!!!

Has anyone else been denied sedatives?  
Stephanie