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- Aug 9, 2007
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It's been a long, slow recovery from my knee replacement in November. Months of sitting on the couch popping pain pills can really take it's toll. So I decided I'd head south for a little boat camping. I was giddy to get out of the house, so I was up early and on my way before 6am. It was 27˚ at my house in Salt Lake. Boating sounds like a great idea!
![lake-powell-solo-1.jpg lake-powell-solo-1.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25088-9e5031db89abcc31e284b1a18fef111c.jpg)
I picked up the boat and went to the Wahweap ramp to launch. This was my first time ever launching and retrieving by myself. It went well and soon Nikita was busy searching for fish; her new favorite activity.
![lake-powell-sol-1.jpg lake-powell-sol-1.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25132-af5dabc1cb45202f9b1518c68fdbc53f.jpg)
It was pushing 50˚ out. The air was clean and it felt great to be out of Salt Lake. There were no other boats around, until I ran into this big barge that nearly took up the entire width of the Castle Rock Cut. I turned around at first before I realized he was making room for me to get by.
![lake-powell-sol-2.jpg lake-powell-sol-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25133-3678c1e1eda0661fbfb643dbe626e5a4.jpg)
It was still pretty tight. On I went...
![lake-powell-sol-3.jpg lake-powell-sol-3.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25134-e7b9de08cb28989d0589010f6ea3d295.jpg)
Shorts and flip flops felt great standing still, but it was pretty damn cold as I cruised up lake to Padre Bay. I bundled up and put the throttle down to get it over with quickly. Soon I was floating around the glassy waters below Cookie Jar Butte looking for a place to call home for the night.
![lake-powell-solo-2.jpg lake-powell-solo-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25089-2ee1140d417d15241c4b5dca6e68ede8.jpg)
That'll do.
![lake-powell-solo-4.jpg lake-powell-solo-4.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25091-c576360bcd927f387542ff62d5b022e4.jpg)
After getting anchors set, I wandered up to a nice vantage point on the rocks to sit and take it in. Sage was beyond stoked to be out playing fetch again.
![lake-powell-solo-5.jpg lake-powell-solo-5.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25092-8581eab293265543a090529cf7b89706.jpg)
And Nikita's old bones couldn't get enough of that low-angle winter sun.
![lake-powell-solo-6.jpg lake-powell-solo-6.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25093-670932d3c1098ce2287347dc466655f5.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-10.jpg lake-powell-solo-10.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25097-93e9dcbecdde89f3f6f5e7701bce669f.jpg)
And then it was back to the boat for a drink. Just walking is still pretty tough for my knee. The process of loading, launching and anchoring the boat and then going for a short hike did me in.
![lake-powell-solo-11.jpg lake-powell-solo-11.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25098-11ae87529d3414c36d9c7e5c7169de22.jpg)
But after sitting down and checking out the local satellite imagery, I realized there were some massive potholes right near my camp. They were one of the reasons I wanted to find a camp near Cookie Jar Butte. I've admired them on Google Earth, some measuring 120'+ in diameter. I really wanted to see them up close. So we were off for another short hike.
![lake-powell-solo-12.jpg lake-powell-solo-12.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25099-ac35cc0f2172d073e3e8071355449910.jpg)
One of the big keeper potholes near Cookie Jar Butte. They were all dry.
![lake-powell-solo-13.jpg lake-powell-solo-13.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25100-feefec9fb687ee95c0771291982d5071.jpg)
The biggest one in the distance. It was all full of trees and not as deep as I'd hoped. Still might have been a keeper but not as dramatic as the smaller ones in the area.
![lake-powell-solo-16.jpg lake-powell-solo-16.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25103-d069d1bb88a39fc748a31016ac575336.jpg)
Looking down into one of the other keepers.
![lake-powell-solo-17.jpg lake-powell-solo-17.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25104-3d2c5729f089d4dd0bc188d0a1f806cf.jpg)
Nikita was just so damn happy to be out there. After our hike, she sat on the rocks just staring around with a grin on her face.
![lake-powell-solo-18.jpg lake-powell-solo-18.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25105-181bb0543223a127e9878fcb36e8c65a.jpg)
"What's that you say, biped? Foods?"
![lake-powell-solo-19.jpg lake-powell-solo-19.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25106-72230ec0231ad745e0ca3849936369ab.jpg)
There was a nice sunset that night.
![lake-powell-solo-22.jpg lake-powell-solo-22.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25109-05cc3b5651737dd22cdaa1b4af796453.jpg)
And it just kept going well after dark. The stars were coming out and the horizon was blood red. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Right?
![lake-powell-solo-23.jpg lake-powell-solo-23.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25110-524461e73d8b9c23d3cff308a6f28763.jpg)
I had a fantastic night laying out on the boat. Being alone amplified the experience for sure. I fiddled with the stereo system and got it nice and tuned, then turned it way up and just stared at the milky way. It was downright euphoric.
![lake-powell-solo-24.jpg lake-powell-solo-24.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25111-a5c46a7de3d00a7f8faedeb0d1528e2f.jpg)
I slept on the boat, as usual. I didn't have the energy to even setup my stove that night after everything else. Canned fish and an apple would suffice for dinner.![lake-powell-solo-25.jpg lake-powell-solo-25.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25112-e7ebdfd1fedfc0bcd1190e4566b098fc.jpg)
Big yawn as Nikita emerges from underneath my sleeping bag.
![lake-powell-solo-28.jpg lake-powell-solo-28.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25115-0382c78e4c9f104e583e13cb8925131b.jpg)
One thing I did not anticipate was the heavy dew that occurred each night. It was almost as if it had rained on everything.
![lake-powell-solo-29.jpg lake-powell-solo-29.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25116-f893f273c7cb5232d929b37888fc9856.jpg)
After warming up, I pulled anchors and headed up lake toward Face Canyon.
![lake-powell-solo-34.jpg lake-powell-solo-34.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25121-1df02c4a51d9c5494f897a337e5c0a8a.jpg)
I found a little beach that I thought would give me great early and late light and setup camp.
![lake-powell-solo-31.jpg lake-powell-solo-31.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25118-fd45b1304eaa881fb71d8b24728718fd.jpg)
Unfortunately, my trip took a turn south at this point. After eating lunch, I felt a funny feeling in my chest. Like a fluttering and skipped beats. I tried to meditate my way out of it at first. Then I decided to go fishing, so I motored around the mouth of Face Canyon for a bit. After a few hours I started to worry a bit. I had radio contact where I was, so I figured if I needed emergency medical help, a chopper could land near my camp and get me out. But what about my dogs? They certainly wouldn't take them. I was 30+ miles up lake at this point. Crap.
After much deliberation and a phone call to my wife, I decided to pull camp and head closer to Wahweap. I put the hammer down and got a good 38mph all the way there. Brisk!
As I pulled into Wahweap Bay, I decided maybe I felt a little better, so I found a beach and setup a new camp.
![lake-powell-solo-32.jpg lake-powell-solo-32.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25119-5994b579b11245d33aee8642ddf055ab.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-36.jpg lake-powell-solo-36.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25123-f3fbeb26c7f990959bd5ddf0b30d9534.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-37.jpg lake-powell-solo-37.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25124-32c78e85b0e7c96f543d41522a734ae4.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-38.jpg lake-powell-solo-38.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25125-c0a9b555ebe4d3cdd237f00997cb0e4a.jpg)
It wasn't as nice as the last one, but it did have a big beach that Sage loved to play fetch on.
![lake-powell-solo-33.jpg lake-powell-solo-33.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25120-9d5e5bdb3c32fde41b7ed060484c7fe2.jpg)
The very last seconds of sun light as Sage finally decides she'd had enough.
![lake-powell-solo-35.jpg lake-powell-solo-35.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25122-2169040f4a119e863f87e51c19a4aedd.jpg)
Some nice pastels after sunset.
![lake-powell-solo-39.jpg lake-powell-solo-39.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25126-cc672c0d02fbac724a7163286b4e755b.jpg)
After the sun went down, I opened the shade bimini on the boat to try to deflect some of the dew. It hindered star gazing, but it kept us a bit drier.
![lake-powell-solo-40.jpg lake-powell-solo-40.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25127-b3a8120a1a454fff630e20c20bba340a.jpg)
It was a bitter cold night out and my heart was still doing funny things. It was not the euphoric star gazing experience that I had the first night. In fact, I was bored. But on the bright side, I had killer cell service in Wahweap Bay, so I hooked the iPad up to the boat stereo and watched a few episodes of Bob's Burgers to kill some time. All the while totally wrapped up in my sleeping bag and wishing I had anything to set on fire for warmth. The last campsite I was in had plenty and I had been looking forward to it.
![lake-powell-solo-41.jpg lake-powell-solo-41.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25128-df0815880a53126069344b50f51af58b.jpg)
It was an awful night of sleep. I got a hole in my pad so I was basically just sleeping on the wood floor. And the fluttering heartbeat issues I was having were awful, especially laying down. I won't lie, the paranoid side of me wondered a few times if I was going to wake up in the morning. I didn't understand what was happening. And man was it cold. I was happy to see the sun on the horizon first thing.
![lake-powell-solo-42.jpg lake-powell-solo-42.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25129-eb2fc23ba8a3b745bc5a00e3529f5fd7.jpg)
Yep, a lot colder than the previous night.
![lake-powell-solo-44.jpg lake-powell-solo-44.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25131-3afb84d423f0c790cdd0ad4bff852786.jpg)
I sat in the sun for a while before pulling anchors and heading back to the ramp. It was an unusually difficult half mile hike to the truck and then another hour and a half to clean and empty the boat before heading back. My heart was beating out of my chest.
I made it home and slept like a rock until the next day. The funny feeling in my chest persisted into the evening, so I finally decided to get it checked out. I was sure it was nothing, so we went to a smaller ER/InstaCare facility thinking we'd be in and out faster. They got me into a room and quickly determined I was having a serious cardiac event, and had been for several days. My resting heart rate was pushing 200 or more and an irregular heart beat was detected. All sorts of wires, tubes and machines were quickly attached to me. A syringe came out and they told me this might not feel great, but to not freak out. "That's kind of odd", I thought. As the drugs hit my system, my heart came to a brief stop. The intended consequence, in hopes of restarting my heart into it's normal, healthy rhythm. But then it immediately popped right back up and started racing again. Time for a double dose this time, they told me. The feeling of death as that drug crept through my veins is like nothing I've ever experienced. I was mid-sentence as it hit me, my words trailed off and a soft whimper slowly took over. My eyes watered and my vision narrowed and fell out of focus. So this is what dying feels like? Baboom baboom baboom! My heart restarts again and starts racing away. Crap.
The ER staff were clearly a bit dumbfounded. I guess that method usually does the trick. Over the next 5 hours they tried a couple more drugs that weren't nearly as terrifying before eventually loading me into an ambulance around midnight. The 90mph ride to the University of Utah hospital was interesting. The only other time I'd had a ride in an ambulance was just after getting hit across the eyes with a baseball bat in 7th grade. This was the first time I actually got to see it!
Sometime after midnight we arrived at the main ER where they redid most of the tests done at the first ER. Thankfully, they did not try to chemically restart my heart again. They wanted to admit me to the hospital but the place was tip-top full. Instead, they wheeled a bed into one of the rooms in the ER where I spent the next 12 hours on a drip intended to bring my heart rate down to a more manageable level. It clipped along between 130-150 all night long despite the drugs. The kind of HR you'd expect midway through a marathon, not laying in bed.
Sometime between multiple needles getting shot into my belly, an ultrasound and many vials of drawn blood, a team of 5 or 6 doctors came in and told me that since all the usual efforts to fix me have failed, they'd need to resort to shocking me. After around 19 hours, they wheeled me into a new room where I got some neat stickers applied to my chest and back. Then it was time for a scope to make sure no clots had formed in my heart. And then they pumped up the drugs and ZAP! I don't remember it, thankfully, but they gave me a little printout from the machine that shows my irregular heartbeat, then I flatlined. Then ZAP and a slow return to a normal healthy, heartbeat. All fixed now. They sent me back to the room where I got a chicken salad and a big glass of water and they finally let me go after 22 hours. The diagnosis: atrial fibrillation. After telling the docs that I was drinking the night before, they started calling it 'holiday heart'. I suppose some lifestyle adjustments are in order. What a trip. I think next time I'll try a little harder to round up some company.
![IMG_1842.JPG IMG_1842.JPG](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25135-8c55530b29e0b7338d2711a43108efa6.jpg)
Featured image for home page:
![slide.jpg slide.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25136-cb7b97948e8504443a6e710ad27f417a.jpg)
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I picked up the boat and went to the Wahweap ramp to launch. This was my first time ever launching and retrieving by myself. It went well and soon Nikita was busy searching for fish; her new favorite activity.
![lake-powell-sol-1.jpg lake-powell-sol-1.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25132-af5dabc1cb45202f9b1518c68fdbc53f.jpg)
It was pushing 50˚ out. The air was clean and it felt great to be out of Salt Lake. There were no other boats around, until I ran into this big barge that nearly took up the entire width of the Castle Rock Cut. I turned around at first before I realized he was making room for me to get by.
![lake-powell-sol-2.jpg lake-powell-sol-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25133-3678c1e1eda0661fbfb643dbe626e5a4.jpg)
It was still pretty tight. On I went...
![lake-powell-sol-3.jpg lake-powell-sol-3.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25134-e7b9de08cb28989d0589010f6ea3d295.jpg)
Shorts and flip flops felt great standing still, but it was pretty damn cold as I cruised up lake to Padre Bay. I bundled up and put the throttle down to get it over with quickly. Soon I was floating around the glassy waters below Cookie Jar Butte looking for a place to call home for the night.
![lake-powell-solo-2.jpg lake-powell-solo-2.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25089-2ee1140d417d15241c4b5dca6e68ede8.jpg)
That'll do.
![lake-powell-solo-4.jpg lake-powell-solo-4.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25091-c576360bcd927f387542ff62d5b022e4.jpg)
After getting anchors set, I wandered up to a nice vantage point on the rocks to sit and take it in. Sage was beyond stoked to be out playing fetch again.
![lake-powell-solo-5.jpg lake-powell-solo-5.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25092-8581eab293265543a090529cf7b89706.jpg)
And Nikita's old bones couldn't get enough of that low-angle winter sun.
![lake-powell-solo-6.jpg lake-powell-solo-6.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25093-670932d3c1098ce2287347dc466655f5.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-8.jpg lake-powell-solo-8.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25095-9a77d1b58fca584b47e988287648efde.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-9.jpg lake-powell-solo-9.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25096-7211e73cbb54d4e4ac1e77c25de29e2a.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-10.jpg lake-powell-solo-10.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25097-93e9dcbecdde89f3f6f5e7701bce669f.jpg)
And then it was back to the boat for a drink. Just walking is still pretty tough for my knee. The process of loading, launching and anchoring the boat and then going for a short hike did me in.
![lake-powell-solo-11.jpg lake-powell-solo-11.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25098-11ae87529d3414c36d9c7e5c7169de22.jpg)
But after sitting down and checking out the local satellite imagery, I realized there were some massive potholes right near my camp. They were one of the reasons I wanted to find a camp near Cookie Jar Butte. I've admired them on Google Earth, some measuring 120'+ in diameter. I really wanted to see them up close. So we were off for another short hike.
![lake-powell-solo-12.jpg lake-powell-solo-12.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25099-ac35cc0f2172d073e3e8071355449910.jpg)
One of the big keeper potholes near Cookie Jar Butte. They were all dry.
![lake-powell-solo-13.jpg lake-powell-solo-13.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25100-feefec9fb687ee95c0771291982d5071.jpg)
The biggest one in the distance. It was all full of trees and not as deep as I'd hoped. Still might have been a keeper but not as dramatic as the smaller ones in the area.
![lake-powell-solo-14.jpg lake-powell-solo-14.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25101-4b0e06b9ea37f022b03770071334faa9.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-15.jpg lake-powell-solo-15.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25102-9e75b2fae7f33655e8208231256523a3.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-16.jpg lake-powell-solo-16.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25103-d069d1bb88a39fc748a31016ac575336.jpg)
Looking down into one of the other keepers.
![lake-powell-solo-17.jpg lake-powell-solo-17.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25104-3d2c5729f089d4dd0bc188d0a1f806cf.jpg)
Nikita was just so damn happy to be out there. After our hike, she sat on the rocks just staring around with a grin on her face.
![lake-powell-solo-18.jpg lake-powell-solo-18.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25105-181bb0543223a127e9878fcb36e8c65a.jpg)
"What's that you say, biped? Foods?"
![lake-powell-solo-19.jpg lake-powell-solo-19.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25106-72230ec0231ad745e0ca3849936369ab.jpg)
There was a nice sunset that night.
![lake-powell-solo-20.jpg lake-powell-solo-20.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25107-b2a6aac64cfabd569eba1fa7a08471c0.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-21.jpg lake-powell-solo-21.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25108-c7b697a7082c3774645c27f31ddca6cd.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-22.jpg lake-powell-solo-22.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25109-05cc3b5651737dd22cdaa1b4af796453.jpg)
And it just kept going well after dark. The stars were coming out and the horizon was blood red. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Right?
![lake-powell-solo-23.jpg lake-powell-solo-23.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25110-524461e73d8b9c23d3cff308a6f28763.jpg)
I had a fantastic night laying out on the boat. Being alone amplified the experience for sure. I fiddled with the stereo system and got it nice and tuned, then turned it way up and just stared at the milky way. It was downright euphoric.
![lake-powell-solo-24.jpg lake-powell-solo-24.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25111-a5c46a7de3d00a7f8faedeb0d1528e2f.jpg)
I slept on the boat, as usual. I didn't have the energy to even setup my stove that night after everything else. Canned fish and an apple would suffice for dinner.
![lake-powell-solo-25.jpg lake-powell-solo-25.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25112-e7ebdfd1fedfc0bcd1190e4566b098fc.jpg)
Big yawn as Nikita emerges from underneath my sleeping bag.
![lake-powell-solo-28.jpg lake-powell-solo-28.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25115-0382c78e4c9f104e583e13cb8925131b.jpg)
One thing I did not anticipate was the heavy dew that occurred each night. It was almost as if it had rained on everything.
![lake-powell-solo-29.jpg lake-powell-solo-29.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25116-f893f273c7cb5232d929b37888fc9856.jpg)
After warming up, I pulled anchors and headed up lake toward Face Canyon.
![lake-powell-solo-34.jpg lake-powell-solo-34.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25121-1df02c4a51d9c5494f897a337e5c0a8a.jpg)
I found a little beach that I thought would give me great early and late light and setup camp.
![lake-powell-solo-30.jpg lake-powell-solo-30.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25117-56477ecf710b4b32886d940e91790671.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-31.jpg lake-powell-solo-31.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25118-fd45b1304eaa881fb71d8b24728718fd.jpg)
Unfortunately, my trip took a turn south at this point. After eating lunch, I felt a funny feeling in my chest. Like a fluttering and skipped beats. I tried to meditate my way out of it at first. Then I decided to go fishing, so I motored around the mouth of Face Canyon for a bit. After a few hours I started to worry a bit. I had radio contact where I was, so I figured if I needed emergency medical help, a chopper could land near my camp and get me out. But what about my dogs? They certainly wouldn't take them. I was 30+ miles up lake at this point. Crap.
After much deliberation and a phone call to my wife, I decided to pull camp and head closer to Wahweap. I put the hammer down and got a good 38mph all the way there. Brisk!
As I pulled into Wahweap Bay, I decided maybe I felt a little better, so I found a beach and setup a new camp.
![lake-powell-solo-32.jpg lake-powell-solo-32.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25119-5994b579b11245d33aee8642ddf055ab.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-36.jpg lake-powell-solo-36.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25123-f3fbeb26c7f990959bd5ddf0b30d9534.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-37.jpg lake-powell-solo-37.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25124-32c78e85b0e7c96f543d41522a734ae4.jpg)
![lake-powell-solo-38.jpg lake-powell-solo-38.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25125-c0a9b555ebe4d3cdd237f00997cb0e4a.jpg)
It wasn't as nice as the last one, but it did have a big beach that Sage loved to play fetch on.
![lake-powell-solo-33.jpg lake-powell-solo-33.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/25/25120-9d5e5bdb3c32fde41b7ed060484c7fe2.jpg)
The very last seconds of sun light as Sage finally decides she'd had enough.
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Some nice pastels after sunset.
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After the sun went down, I opened the shade bimini on the boat to try to deflect some of the dew. It hindered star gazing, but it kept us a bit drier.
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It was a bitter cold night out and my heart was still doing funny things. It was not the euphoric star gazing experience that I had the first night. In fact, I was bored. But on the bright side, I had killer cell service in Wahweap Bay, so I hooked the iPad up to the boat stereo and watched a few episodes of Bob's Burgers to kill some time. All the while totally wrapped up in my sleeping bag and wishing I had anything to set on fire for warmth. The last campsite I was in had plenty and I had been looking forward to it.
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It was an awful night of sleep. I got a hole in my pad so I was basically just sleeping on the wood floor. And the fluttering heartbeat issues I was having were awful, especially laying down. I won't lie, the paranoid side of me wondered a few times if I was going to wake up in the morning. I didn't understand what was happening. And man was it cold. I was happy to see the sun on the horizon first thing.
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Yep, a lot colder than the previous night.
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I sat in the sun for a while before pulling anchors and heading back to the ramp. It was an unusually difficult half mile hike to the truck and then another hour and a half to clean and empty the boat before heading back. My heart was beating out of my chest.
I made it home and slept like a rock until the next day. The funny feeling in my chest persisted into the evening, so I finally decided to get it checked out. I was sure it was nothing, so we went to a smaller ER/InstaCare facility thinking we'd be in and out faster. They got me into a room and quickly determined I was having a serious cardiac event, and had been for several days. My resting heart rate was pushing 200 or more and an irregular heart beat was detected. All sorts of wires, tubes and machines were quickly attached to me. A syringe came out and they told me this might not feel great, but to not freak out. "That's kind of odd", I thought. As the drugs hit my system, my heart came to a brief stop. The intended consequence, in hopes of restarting my heart into it's normal, healthy rhythm. But then it immediately popped right back up and started racing again. Time for a double dose this time, they told me. The feeling of death as that drug crept through my veins is like nothing I've ever experienced. I was mid-sentence as it hit me, my words trailed off and a soft whimper slowly took over. My eyes watered and my vision narrowed and fell out of focus. So this is what dying feels like? Baboom baboom baboom! My heart restarts again and starts racing away. Crap.
The ER staff were clearly a bit dumbfounded. I guess that method usually does the trick. Over the next 5 hours they tried a couple more drugs that weren't nearly as terrifying before eventually loading me into an ambulance around midnight. The 90mph ride to the University of Utah hospital was interesting. The only other time I'd had a ride in an ambulance was just after getting hit across the eyes with a baseball bat in 7th grade. This was the first time I actually got to see it!
Sometime after midnight we arrived at the main ER where they redid most of the tests done at the first ER. Thankfully, they did not try to chemically restart my heart again. They wanted to admit me to the hospital but the place was tip-top full. Instead, they wheeled a bed into one of the rooms in the ER where I spent the next 12 hours on a drip intended to bring my heart rate down to a more manageable level. It clipped along between 130-150 all night long despite the drugs. The kind of HR you'd expect midway through a marathon, not laying in bed.
Sometime between multiple needles getting shot into my belly, an ultrasound and many vials of drawn blood, a team of 5 or 6 doctors came in and told me that since all the usual efforts to fix me have failed, they'd need to resort to shocking me. After around 19 hours, they wheeled me into a new room where I got some neat stickers applied to my chest and back. Then it was time for a scope to make sure no clots had formed in my heart. And then they pumped up the drugs and ZAP! I don't remember it, thankfully, but they gave me a little printout from the machine that shows my irregular heartbeat, then I flatlined. Then ZAP and a slow return to a normal healthy, heartbeat. All fixed now. They sent me back to the room where I got a chicken salad and a big glass of water and they finally let me go after 22 hours. The diagnosis: atrial fibrillation. After telling the docs that I was drinking the night before, they started calling it 'holiday heart'. I suppose some lifestyle adjustments are in order. What a trip. I think next time I'll try a little harder to round up some company.
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