That little heart monitor is a bit too heavy when placed vertically on my chest.
I have enough weight in that area as it is, if you catch my drift.
I'd moved it to that location on Tuesday morning, after my shower.
That's when I removed the horizontally-aligned one that nurse Robin had put on me and that I'd been able to keep on for the mammogram on Monday.
When I removed it, the hypercolloid adhesive took with it a layer of epidermis - OUCH!!!
So, placing it back in that position was not an option.
Vertical it would go, right up against the sternum.
Yeah, that was a mistake.
I woke up several times Tuesday night in a panic, convinced that a hand was pushing down on my chest.
Honestly, it was like the A-fib was trying to come back on me!
Then, all day yesterday, the heart monitor's phone repeatedly alarmed to let me know I had "poor connection" between the monitor's pad and my skin.
That was no doubt because the area itched like crazy, as my sensitivity to the adhesive had finally kicked in.
Just after 11 PM, I called the BodyGuardian hotline for help.
The thought of trying to sleep another night with the monitor weighing heavily on my chest was weighing heavily on my mind.
Sherry was amazing, speaking in a calming voice throughout our 54-minute session and reassuring me that others also had these issues.
She had first suggested a "bridge" for the monitor, but she thought that might lead to the same problems I'd already experienced, as it used the same adhesive and the same placement areas.
The winning solution was to revert to electrodes.
Only two would be needed and they would attach to a connection point on my right chest, with a USB port for the monitor to plug into and dangle.
Help would be forthcoming in two or three days.
Let my skin heal and let me relax, she told me.
So, that's what I did.
Yes, four days have been added to the length of my study, so the end date will be more like September 21, instead of the 17th.
That's fine.
At least I had a peaceful night's sleep last night.
1 comment:
I guess all companies have aggravating computers, even those that supply cardio equipment and services.
Seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it?
Why would you want to harass someone with heart issues like that?
Yesterday, the computer called me to tell me it had not received data from my heart monitor for a while.
Duh.
Then, this morning, the computer sent a text to tell me it had not received data from my heart monitor for a while.
Again, duh.
I did something about that one.
I called Boston Scientific to complain about those useless messages.
Bridget finally located useful data for me: the electrodes will be here on Tuesday evening.
I guess I will not be doing a 30-day study after all.
The end date will still be the 21st day of September, as only a maximum of 35 days is allowed, starting with the first day of wearing.
That's okay; Earth, Wind, & Fire will remind me when to stop.
(smile!)
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