Sligo Weekender
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Abbeyfeale
Betty went from dancing to life support for three days
Bella McEnroy woke up in the cardiac unit of Sligo General Hospital this time last year not knowing where she was and wondering why people were fussing over her when she got out of bed.
The last thing she remembered was having sat down after being dancing on a night out. She did not realize that she had been on life support equipment for three days.
She is one of the many people for whom the cardiac unit at Sligo General Hospital has been the difference between life and death.
“I don’t remember anything of those three days. I was out for the night dancing and the next thing I remember is being in the hospital” the 59 years old Manorhamilton woman said.
“I just remember sitting down after having been out dancing with my husband Willie and he took my sister out for a dance.
“Afterwards I was told that Willie looked back and at first thought I had gone to sleep but then realized there was something wrong.”
What had happened to Bella was that she was suffering from a cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat.
Fortunately, there was a defibrillator available on the premises – the Bird’s Nest pub in Bundoran – and someone able to use it to get her heartbeat back to normal and there happened to be an ambulance nearby that was able to get her quickly to Sligo General.
“I was very lucky that the defibrillator was there and the ambulance was available because I was on life support in the hospital for three days.
“It was a very worrying time for everyone around me but thank God I knew nothing about it. They tell people to talk to people in a coma, but I must say I heard nothing during those three days. I was just gone.”
Remarkably, when Bella came to she felt no ill effects.
“I was flying around the same as ever and I couldn’t understand why they were linking me when I wanted to go to the toilet.”
Bella had also had no warming prior to her heart going into arrhythmia.
“I had no symptoms before hand and I had been keeping fit. I was going to the gym three times a week and was walking and dancing.”
To decide just what had caused Bella’s problem, she needed to have an angiogram.
It established that she had no problem with blocked arteries or anything else, so it was decided that what she needed was to have a built in defibrillator installed to deal with any further irregular heart rhythms. She was sent to St James’ hospital in Dublin for the operation to have it fitted.
Since then she hasn’t looked back. “I’m back to normal again, other than I have to avoid things like heavy lifting.”
But she is back going to the gym three times a week and walking again.
One thing that has been affected a bit is her dancing. “I’m a bit wary now of jiving but I can still do the waltz and foxtrot.”
Bella who has two grown up sons, is very grateful for the care she received in the cardiac unit at Sligo General.
“I got great care there. The staff are lovely and I couldn’t say anything bad about the care I got.”
She hopes that the hospital is successful in getting a permanent angiogram unit.
“It is very important to have that equipment there. I benefitted from them being able to do the test there and I hope it would be there for other people as well.”