It's Monday And I Love It

                                         

Well, here it is Monday and I am loving it! Apparently for about twenty minutes last Thursday there was some question as to whether I would ever see another Monday. I would like to take you back to the beginning of this medical rollercoaster ride and share it with you. You know me, I love to tell a story every now and then. I'm not sharing these words for sympathy's sake but because I think there are things that could be helpful or at least eye opening to others. I learned some valuable lessons (again) and that is what I think is worth sharing.

It all began about Christmas when Amber got sick. She developed a terrible cough and chest congestion. I knew it was pretty serious because Amber very seldom complains or lets me know when she's not feeling well. She even went to the Doctor , another shock. Then, a few days before New Year's Eve I became sick with basically the same symptoms, except a whole lot worse (I'm not nearly as tough as Amber).

We spent New Year's eve sitting together in front of the fireplace, Amber was still sick and I had developed a horrible cough along with wheezing, crackling and whistling in my chest. It wasn't as romantic as it sounds. I would go on coughing binges that would last forever with each cough feeling as though someone was driving an ice pick deep into my chest. Then, a little before midnight, we discovered that our central heat had gone out and it was supposed to get down into the teens that night. I knew we had plenty of kinfolks and friends that would gladly have helped but I figured I could keep a good fire going and keep the house comfortable through the rest of the night.

I put on all my winter clothes and some of Amber's and went out into the windy cold to move as much firewood as I could scrape up close to the front door. It took a while due to several coughing spells and the fact I found it difficult to breath the ice cold North wind. It was a long night with countless wood carrying trips but we were warm, tired and weak, but warm.

Although it was New Year's Day, I called our Air Conditioning/Heating guy, Mr. Wilson, and left him a message about our problem. I acknowledged the fact it was a holiday and did mention Amber and I were sick and we would appreciate his help whenever he could make it. In less than an hour he called and said he was on his way. After checking out our heating system he reported there was nothing wrong with the system but that he had determined the valve on our propane tank had frozen up and the furnace wasn't receiving any propane. He further advised he had called the Propane Man who was already out and he said he would come by and change out the valve. Mr. Wilson went back out and took the valve off and had it ready for replacement when the propane truck arrived. In less than 20 minutes we had heat! I paid the Propane Dude for the valve but he didn't charge labor. Mr. Wilson never sent us a bill....He is a good man!

Several days past and Amber was some better but still a ways from being well. I was still coughing , wheezing, etc. and was developing a shortness of breath and general weakness. Amber scheduled another Doctor's appointment for both of us. We were both given steroid injections, antibiotic injections, a steroid pack and a prescription of antibiotics. Because there was a concern about pneumonia, we were both given chest x-rays and told they were normal.

After about a week our cough and most of the chest congestion had gotten much better. I was still on the weak side and had a little shortness of breath but figured it was because I had been sick for almost a month and I just needed to get back into my normal routines and work my way back in shape. Anyway, I had gotten way behind with my chores, i.e. decomposed granite to spread and house painting to do. So I aired up the old wheelbarrow tire and grabbed a shovel, however, it was a slow process, fill up a couple of shovels, then stand with my hands on my hips huffing and puffing, fill up a couple more shovels, then sit down for a while.

Well, I tried the work thing for a couple of days and didn't make much of a showin' . I even went to the gym thinking I would try a really light workout and all I gained out of it was embarrassment, fatigue and depression. The shortness of breath worsened. I couldn't walk from one room in the house to another without having difficulty catching my breath and having to sit and rest. The real kicker was with this increased shortness of breath I had developed a burning sensation in the middle of my chest, a sensation I had felt before.

It was last Tuesday when I went back to the Doctor's office in Goldthwaite and, as I huffed and puffed, I told them of my breathing problems and the burning in the middle of my chest. They performed an EKG which was normal. They performed chest x-rays which were also normal. The Physician's Assistant advised he was still concerned due to my history of two previous heart attacks and would like to send me to the Hamilton Emergency Room for further lab work and tests. He called the ER Doctor in Hamilton, gave him all my present and past medical information and the ER Doctor agreed that I should have additional tests done there. Amber and I left for Hamilton around 5:30 PM.

As I chugged into the Emergency Room, we were promptly admitted and a barrage of blood work was done. Another EKG was performed which was again normal.  After a long wait, the lab work finally came back and I was told the results of all my heart enzymes were also normal. The Doctor expressed some concern that there could still be an underlying problem and would like to schedule a Nuclear Stress Test. I agreed and the two part test was scheduled for part one to be done on Thursday and part 2 to be done the following Thursday. Amber and I left the ER at 9PM and drove the 30+ miles home.

Wednesday was not a good day, I still had the shortness of breath and burning in the middle of my chest when I walked short distances and now had lost my appetite. I stayed very inactive all day thinking I would be back in the Hamilton Hospital the next day at 9:30 AM.

Thursday morning about 6:30AM Amber was in the shower and I got out of bed, walked ten feet to the bathroom and as I returned to the bed I became extremely dizzy, short of breath and was immediately covered in perspiration. I thought I was going to pass out as I sat on the bed. I thought about calling 911 but all my symptoms passed within minutes. I then convinced myself all my tests had been normal to this point and that within a couple of hours I would be in the hospital.

We arrived at the Hamilton Hospital at 9:15 AM and were admitted and sent to the radiology department (yep, still huffing and puffing). The test took about an hour and upon being released we were told to report back the next Thursday for the final part of the test. As Amber and I slowly walked down the long halls of the hospital, I took Amber's hand and told her that something was not right. I told her I didn't think we should go home yet. I wanted to go back to the ER one more time, it didn't matter if they told me everything was normal again or not. Amber agreed.

I was admitted to the Emergency Room one more time. They performed an EKG and a barrage of blood work. After what seemed like forever, the Doctor returned and informed me the tests showed I had either had a heart attack or I was having one. I was rushed back to radiology for x-rays then returned to the ER. The Doctor said he had been in conversation with a Cardiologist in Waco and that they were going to stabilize me and prepare me for transport to Providence Hospital by ambulance.

The nurse began injecting my I V with medication and after finishing the first syringe told me she was suppose to give me two of those injections but my blood pressure was already down to 85/55 and she was going to go talk to the Doctor before giving me anymore. Amber and I were the only people left in the room when I began to feel strange. I asked Amber what my blood pressure was and she said it was 65/40. It seemed like someone was slowly dimming the lights and I began sweating heavily. I told Amber to get the nurse and I can remember seeing the nurse and Doctor running toward me asking me what was wrong and I couldn't talk. Then it was dark....

Amber later told me my eyes had rolled up, my mouth drooped, my blood pressure dropped to 40/20 and then there was alarms going off, bells ringing, lights flashing and people running into the room from everywhere. I had coded.....

After about twenty minutes I was aware of something, I could hear voices and I had the sensation of flashing lights, much like the old florescent lights would flicker off and on before coming completely on. I remember thinking, "I wonder if I can open my eyes." As I opened my eyes, I could see a room full of people, everybody doing something, everybody talking. I looked over by the door and there stood Amber, crying. I had never seen Amber cry like that....

I began to feel better fairly soon, but the room full of people in scrubs stayed hectic for a while, everybody talking, everybody doing something. The Doctor told me they would continue treatment until I was stable and then I would be transported to Waco where a Cardiac team would be waiting for me. He asked me if I had any questions and I don't know why but I said no. I was afraid to ask what had just happened.

I could hear the helicopter coming long before it got there. The crew came in and were very professional yet personable. The Doctor and nurse began their exchange of information with the flight crew. It was as though they were talking about someone else, I couldn't believe they were talking about me. All that stuff couldn't have happened to me and the worst part was Amber had to be a part of it by herself.

They rolled me outside, I couldn't believe how bright it was and how good the sun felt. They began loading me into the helicopter with, what seemed to me, some difficulty. Finally one of the crew asked me if I was about six feet and one inch tall. I told him that was correct. His response was, "That's a shame, if you were exactly six feet tall you would fit perfectly." However, they finally got me loaded and we were on the way to Waco. It was a twenty-six minute trip. There was gusty winds and it seemed to me we were bouncing around an awful lot to have someone on board in as bad shape as I was in. But, I kept an eye on the crew and it didn't appear they were concerned so I decided things weren't as bad as it seemed.

We landed and within a short period of time I was in my room and the Cardiologist was telling me from the information he had there was no doubt I had a heart problem, that they would be taking me to the Cath. Lab soon and they would perform an Angioplasty and if necessary place a stint and if that took care of everything I would go home Friday, the next day. He went on to say if he couldn't solve my problem in the lab, I would be there a while.

Right before they took me in for the procedure, the door opened and in walked my sweet Amber. She had driven from Hamilton to Waco and I was so happy to see her and again feel her hand in mine. As they rolled me down what seemed like miles of halls, Amber walked by my side and I knew everything was going to be okay.

They had said the procedure would be forty-five minutes or so but it was much longer than that. It turns out my right coronary artery was blocked but to my delight they were able to perform a successful Angioplasty and place a stint. As they rolled me out, there stood Amber with part of the family and it felt good. Not long after getting back to my room, the rest of the family arrived. As I laid there looking around the room at my beautiful family I felt good because Amber wasn't by herself anymore.

I came home Friday. To me the happenings of the day before seemed like a week ago. However, all is well, take it easy for a while, take cardiac rehab, see the doctors for follow up appointment over the next month. I am once again a lucky man, a man who listens to his body, a man of persistence, a man determined not to let denial determine his future.