First ECT.

            After a long time waiting for ECT to help me start to deal with my depression, I actually had my first treatment today. I’m not sure if it was what I expected, in fact it was way different and from what I read it’s almost as if nothing happened. Almost as if I went into the room where they do the procedure, they put me to sleep and I just woke up. However, they did to the treatment and I only wonder if the remaining will be the same as the first one of if they will become more noticeable to me when I wake.

            First off, I already mentioned that on Wednesday I had a series of tests done to make sure my body could handle to procedure. Well, Thursday just prior to going to bed the nurse came and put in an IV stint. I was not sure why they put this in, but I assume it was just incase something happened during the procedure or what, but they put it in anyway and I fell off to sleep.

            This morning I was awakened at 6:30 and they took my vitals, which they do every morning anyway but this time I was awaken for them. They gave me a shot and a drink that came in a plastic cup about the size of a Chrystal Lite container complete with the peal back top. I asked what these were for and was told the drink was to dry my stomach up so there would be no regurgitation and the shot was to dry up my mouth.  Then they gave me a hospital gown and pants to change into and asked to go potty before going down. It was about a half hour before the transporter came with the stretcher to roll me down, which by the way my mouth was very dry by the time we made it to the floor below. I was wheeled into my parking spot, or the spot where I thought was the prep room and two nurses came to get me ready. On the stretcher they placed a pad that went the entire length of the bed rails, placed heart monitor leads on my chest to monitor my heart. After waiting, which I think I fell asleep because they woke me up because it was time for me to have the treatment.

            At this point the doctor and anesthesiologist came in, hooked up some leads to my head and then applied the electrodes on both sides of my forehead. The Doctor at this point gave the order to put me out, I remember the needle going into the stint and that was it about it, I don’t even remember starting to count after he told me. The next thing I woke up and was being moved back to my room. I felt nothing, I had no after effects like loss of memory or confusion. The only thing that gave me proof that I had the procedure was that I had soiled my self from the seizure. After this I spoke to someone who stated that this happened to her for the first thru the third and then on the fourth she started to have the memory loss, or more like confusion. So we will see what happens.

            So that was it for my day and how my first ECT went. From what I read and watched on YouTube it is not half as bad as I had expected. My next treatment is going to be on Monday and I am going to stay the weekend and return home after Monday. The rest are going to be on an out patient basis. I have six more scheduled. I just met with my Doctor who said that what the woman told me is somewhat correct that after the third one slight confusion wlll happen afterwards buy should not be anything like I am expecting. Until Next Time…

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