I had my yearly heart doctor appointment on the day Idalia scheduled herself to arrive. Because of this, the office called two days earlier and told me I needed to drop everything and get my ass there. I refused. They told me tough noodles, so my SIL and I put our adventures on hold while I attended my appointment.
I had a list of things to discuss. But the office was crazy, and I waited far too long. When she finally arrived, I answered her question about my "wonky skipping heartbeats" by telling her that my Apple watch had recorded an Afib in March, and her eyes widened. She examined me, read my EKG, and told me she wanted me to wear a monitor for 30 days. She explained this was different from the holtor monitor I wore in that they would monitor me 24/7, and if something happened, I'd have to come "straight into the office." Then, she left me at the scheduling desk and told me she'd see me in six months.
No appointments were available until the end of September to tether me to this device, so the girl told me they'd mail it to me.
Her: "It will come with instructions on how to hook it up. It's easy."
I drove home with my mind whirling, and when I pulled into my driveway to collect my SIL for a beach run, I was pissed.
Not only did I not get to discuss my list items, but I had two trips coming in September, one of which would have me flying to the East Coast. How the hell was I supposed to come "straight to the office" if I was in Vermont?
I ignored the problem until the device arrived after returning from my first trip. I opened it, read about it, and put it aside. The next day, the company monitoring the device left me a message asking if I had questions because they could see I wasn't attached to the monitor. The same thing happened again the next day, so I called my cardiologist's office and told them the problem. I dared them to get mad. I wanted to go off on someone about the terrible appointment.
But she was sweet, dealt with the insurance company, and called me back to tell me I could hook myself up the day after I returned from Vermont.
The device came with a cell phone. There were instructions and videos, and I strapped the device to my chest, but it wasn't connecting to the phone. I pulled it off and tried again. I had to do that three times before it clicked. Then, it gave me four numbers, and none matched the number of my device or the other three.
I called the company for help.
The number on my device was AB345-88763-9090. I read those first letters/numbers and looked for AB345 on the phone. Isn't that how people read, from left to right?
Her: "Read the last four digits on the device. Do you see them on the phone?"
I did. Tom would say it was a user error, but I told the woman they should fix that little detail in the instructions.
The next part said: "If your doctor recommends an overlay, go to the next set of instructions," and since my doctor did not say a damn thing about an overlay, I skipped that part. I also spent a week not recording my PVCs and PACs when I felt them because I assumed she wanted me to report Afibs. And let me tell you, my heart was all over the place those first few days, but hell if I know if they were recorded. I didn't report them. Maybe that's my stupidity, but I WASN'T GIVEN ANY INSTRUCTIONS.
By the end of the seven days, my monitor was barely hanging onto my skin. You couldn't remove it once the device had less than 8 hours to go, so I had to stay up until that happened before reapplying the new one. By then, I had killed time by researching this company. That led me to a video on YouTube where everything was explained IN DETAIL. This Cardiac Monitoring Technology sends all patient data instantaneously to a secure cloud, enabling monitoring for 21 different cardiac arrhythmias and real-time monitoring for four important patient vitals.
I learned that the overlay was a layer of protection to hold the device and that tapping the Report Symptom button would take me to another screen with options to tap, such as skipping heartbeats, shortness of breath, etc. Suffice it to say, weeks 2, 3, and 4 were done correctly, and that includes checking the phone constantly to make sure it was connected because it did not warn you when it wasn't.
I named the phone Little Heifer.
I missed him when our time ended and had to return him.
It took four weeks before I heard from the office, and all I got was a reading of sorts from the results I found myself in my patient portal and a "the doctor isn't worried."
I had to Google the results myself and will discuss them with my regular doctor, whom I see at the end of November. Meanwhile, the overlay has aggravated my skin. I'm using a cream my dermatologist gave me for another issue because, after all of this, I'm practically a doctor.
I've decided not to worry since the cardiologist isn't worried. Still, I will have a few choice words to say when I see her in February, especially about the notes from our appointment that said she discussed another test I might want. That never happened. Patient Portal is an excellent addition to the medical field, and if you aren't taking advantage of this perk, I urge you to do so. The things you will find...
For those finding this website because they have to wear this patch, here are some pointers from my experience:
- The numbers on the patch and the phone - read the last four numbers to match
- Read the instructions and watch the video
- Wear the overlay!
- When you remove the old patch and hook the new one, hell yes, take time out to take a REAL shower. No one cares if you aren't hooked up immediately, and that shower will be the best damn thing ever!
- Showering with the device, I used a washcloth or a hand towel over the patch to keep it from getting too wet.
- Record your symptoms, and yes, it will take a while to retrieve the phone, hit the menu, find the right button, etc. Don't do this while driving.
- If you walk away from the phone, make sure to check it when you return. If you aren't connecting, hold the phone to your chest and/or push against your patch.
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