A responsibility

Tarzan

Here and Accounted for

I guess the kids have let you all know what’s been going on in my life lately, it seems strange to write the words “my life” and really mean it.

December 23rd…All plans for Christmas Eve were complete. Since I’d been in the kitchen all day, Jim suggested we have our favorite burritos for supper. He went to get them and bring them home, and I had just set down in my chair, sis was there and we were visiting.

All of a sudden I felt very strange…my chest hurt, I got very cold & clammy. I thought at first I was coming down with the flu. I made it back to the bathroom, and then thought I was going to pass out so called my sis to come help. Jim walked in about that time, sis yelled for him to come help, as I was really sick. He took one look at me; he and sis got me on the bed and somehow got 2 aspirin down me, and called our daughter the nurse. She recorded his call at 4:47. He told her he was going to drive me to the hospital. She said no you’re not; I will call 911.
When the paramedics arrived, (which didn’t take long), I remember there just being a lot of people standing over me. One of them was a fireman and I thought it very strange that he had a hatchet hanging from his belt and what was he doing in my bedroom?

After assessing me, they decided to call “flight for life”. The ambulance was already there, but they didn’t think they could get me to the hospital in time. I remember being taken out the door on a gurney to the ambulance so they could do an EKG. At this point my heart rate was 40 and my blood pressure was 40 over 20. It was also 3 deg. outside.

Of course the police had to shut down the hiway so the helicopter could land. The ambulance drove me out to the waiting helicopter. I remember being loaded on board…there was the pilot, an attendant and I. I remember looking the ceiling of the helicopter and the last thing I remember is seeing the lights of the city.

At this point everything I say comes from my family, as I am now “out of it totally”. The cardiologist on call that night went right to work on me. I was officially under his care by 6:00. The family waited. About 8:30 the dr. came out to talk to them… He said he had lost me 3 times, the longest for 20 seconds., but I kept coming back again and again.

Then they were given the news that I would be put under a “sleep induced” coma with a balloon inserted in my heart to give it a break. I was kept like that for 3 days, and then it was a process to bring me back out from under it. Jim stayed there with me. Our son and twin daughters, son’s inlaw’s and grandkids all stayed with him.

After I came to again, on Friday I think, I would not go back to sleep. I did not sleep Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, and they made me take some sleeping pills on Monday night.

As I woke up I had to stay in the ICU for 2 more days, until stablized, and could take in a liquid diet, then got moved to a nicer room on the 3rd floor of the hospital. My oncologist even stopped by to see me. He wants to cancel all the stuff scheduled in January so my body will have time to settle down. He said that because of the new stint, all the medications, and the trauma, we would not get a good pet scan anyway.

I really do look like I’ve been run over by a Mac truck. There is hardly a place on my body without a bruise….

As I close this, I want to say thank you…you will never know how much your friendship and love has met to me and all the prayers I’ve received from all of you, family and friends alike.

I think I’m going to get to go home tomorrow. I’ve been on my best behavior all day today trying to impresses the dr.’s to let me go home …I walked 180 feet today! Don’t laugh, that’s a long ways when your body is just coming back to life. They will remove my pic line tomorrow, I’ll have to wait on the doctor, and it’s going to be a very busy day. It’ could be afternoon before I get there.

I think I’m still in shock and simply amazed at what has happened, and am still trying to absorb all this myself. Part of this is working on getting healthy again…I have been given a lot of orders, new medications, and I have to get that going at the top of the list. They want me to stay on oxygen for a while yet, so we will take a portable bottle with us tomorrow, then a rep. will visit us on Wednesday.

I have so much more to say about all this but now is not the time as I need to get to sleep. I do know I feel a responsibility I've not experienced before. There has got to be a reason God sent me back.

I think the family is going to try and get together on Sunday to celebrate Christmas…. we may have hamburgers, but how wonderful to just be a part of it…I love you all.