THE BIOPSY and THE AFTERMATH

"Just a simple routine proceedure. Should only take about 30 minutes". We go to Dr Woo's Westmead rooms. There is a bit of a wait. But we reassure ourselves "that's because he takes the time with everyone. No rush". Finally it's Bryce's turn. I don't go in with him. I respect his privacy. Bryce is in there for some time, so I continue with my reading. A little later, Bryce slowly walks down the hall to sit in the waiting room with me. Donna, the nurse helping Dr Woo is doing everything. Helping him/ talking to the clients/patients/ processing the payments. She has a full job. She calls Bryce. No response. I nudge Bryce or at least look at him. He is unconscious at first sitting slumped and then he collapses on the floor in the waiting room. Oh, says Donna. He's fainted. Some men do that after this proceedure. She summons Dr Woo. He comes. "probably a vaso vagal reaction to the anaesthetic. But Bryce takes a long time to come round. When he does, he's pale and weak. His pulse is weak too. I ask Donna is there somewhere Bryce can lie down to recover, and together we help Bryce back to the biopsy room and onto the skinny couch where Bryce had just had his biopsy. They leave us. They now know I'm a nurse and feel it is safe to leave me caring for Bryce. Donna pops in every now and then. So does Dr Woo. It is 30-40 mins later. The entire time I am taking Bryce's pulse. 32 beats a minute. I ask can we do an ECG. "Yes - good idea" "While we're at it can we do Cardiac Enzymes" I ask. Donna replies that these days they can do a Trytophan(?) level which is better. The ECG declares that Bryce is in Heart Block. A decision is made to send him to Westmead Hospital by ambulance. To cut to the chase, Bryce is triaged, spends time in A+E and is then transferred to Coronary Care where he is continuously monitored. His heart has reverted to Normal Sinus Rhythm now, but they want to watch him closely. The girls are all summoned at B's bedside having come from McQuarie Uni, Woollies Cherrybrook, and Orange Base Hospital. Then we all go home leaving B in CCU at Westmead. He is discharged home the following afternoon with plans for followup, e takes the rest of the week off work.