A Year Ago Today.......

I brought my husband home from the hospital.

I had taken him in to the ER on May 6th with all the classic heart attack symptoms.

They were not new to us. In the very first hour of March 17, 2009 I drove LD to the hospital after he complained of a headache, chest pains, numb arms/hands, difficulty breathing. We had no idea he had a heart condition. He'd had some of these symptoms before and the doctor had scheduled him for a stress test - but that was another two weeks away. After being up late Monday night trying to figure out why he was feeling so badly - and an aspirin and cup of hot tea didn't solve the problem - and his blood pressure went way UP - I made an executive decision and driving like a mad woman - took him to the  ER.

Fortunately, there was NO ONE in the ER at 1:00 am on that Monday morning.

They were able to immediately get to work on him.

His blood pressure dropped drastically and they thought they had lost him there for a few minutes. The team took him on up to the heart cath lab and were working on him when he did, indeed, have a heart attack! What perfect timing!

One artery was 80% blocked and one was 95%. 

He had two stents put in the artery that was most blocked.

The doctor on call that night was simply amazing.

NOT the cardiologist he had been seeing but God had the situation in hand.

Dr. Jennings told us LD's heart had not been damaged as severely as it would have been had he not been right there in the heart cath lab when he had it!

Medication, diet and exercise were ordered and we had a happy ending.

UNTIL........two years later. He had a stress test in early spring and the doctor took him off Plavix. By now Dr. Jennings had moved back to New York so we were back to the original cardiologist. Apparently he NEEDS that blood thinner because he came close to having yet another heart attack. This time Dr. Yeppes was on duty and - again!

God had the right people in the right place at the right time. Always. I knew this then and knew even if we did NOT have a 'happy ending' that God was still God and that would be enough. Happily, Dr. Yeppes stabilized LD and kept him over the weekend with surgery scheduled for Monday morning. He told Louis Dean that he had some REALLY sick people to care for and since LD was NOT in eminent danger - he could wait til Monday. Emergency surgery is just that.....and emergency!

I prefer 'SCHEDULED' surgery!

The surgery took a lot longer than they thought and a nurse came out to tell me it was complicated but going well. At long last here came Dr. Yeppes with a smile on his face!

He said it was tricky and complicated because the arteries were so twisted but he loves a challenge and was successful! Only one more day in the hospital to recover.

So on this day last year I brought him home......another happy ending.

This is a snapshot I took of him yesterday working on the house.

For a man with heart disease and Type II Diabetes - he does very well!

He often says, "I can dive off deeper and come up drier than most men!"

 

This was this morning.

What better way to celebrate the day than by having a stress test???

It was a bit stressing.....he went out to leave for his appointment and his big old truck wouldn't start! I had to throw on some clothes, grab a hat and sunglasses and race out the door to drive him in the car! By that point he was too discombobulated to drive himself! He thinks he passed with flying colors!

I'm really grateful for Louis Dean. We met on eHarmony and will see our seventh anniversary next month. I have never been so happy in my life!

I have a blogger friend whose husband is having some serious health problems.

You can find here here at: "Chatty Crone" if you have a minute.

Or simply offer a prayer on Rick's behalf. AND hers!

I love the world of Blog and Facebook!

The best prayer chain EVER!!!

Now for my 'Amber Update!'

She has had a pretty good week. Her dad went down there for a few days and was able to spend some time with her at the hospital fetching and carrying and filling her water pitcher. He even wheeled her down to the cafeteria for a lunch and yogurt treat.

AND she was visited by TRIPLETS - and their mom!!

Her latest blog post: "Triplets, Quads, Oh, My!"

I'll close this day with a recent pic of the 'Quad Squad!'

There they are!! All FOUR! I feel like I already KNOW them!

Now I am off to finish packing.....Amber says she feels like a ticking time bomb and I want to be able to get out of here at a moment's notice.