Heart Attack

Normally I post here first and then link to Facebook, but with only a phone at the hospital I could not do that. On Thursday I had a colonoscopy at Madison County Hospital. In the middle of that procedure, I was told I had a heart attack. I didn't believe it because I had no pain. The procedure was ended quickly (yes, I have to go back to finish it), and I was rushed to the ICU. Seven hours later, the local heart doc told that 1) I had a heart attack, I had significant damage to the heart and I needed surgery. He then went into this thoughtful pose, so I asked: "what time frame are you thinking of?". I thought a week, maybe 10 days... HA. He responded with: "I am trying to decide between tonight and tomorrow morning". "Tomorrow morning" says I as I do not want tired people working on my heart. Besides, I still do not believe I had one. "OKAY, tomorrow morning" and the decision was make.

What I did not know realize was how alarmed everyone else was. I was cool and calm because I didn't believe I had one. In fairly short order I was shipped to Mt Carmel which pleased me no end. I like our local hospital and their food is several steps above Mt Carmel's offerings. During the ride over, a med tech rode with me and he was going over the info pack they send. He showed me the EKG from the operating room and 11:51 was hand written on the strip identifying the time of the heart attack. I had woken up then and was watching them remove a polyp in there (the clarity and resolution of that camera filled a huge flat screen TV with the best picture I had ever seen... astonishing). The time was on the screen and it was 11:51. The tech also showed me the spike in that heart enzime that identifies a heart attack. But even tech gave me the same disbelieving look that everyone had given me when I told them I felt no pain.

I did luck out in the Mt Carmel ICU with the best nurse I have ever encountered, Jessi. When all the questions were answered (after midnight now), I said that I was get little sleep, she offered a sleeping pill and I did get 4 or 5 hours of sleep over all. Here, now, are the sequence of messages I posted as I went through this heart attack business.

11:13PM Thursday: Had a procedure in MCH this morning. Had a heart attack during it and am now in Columbus scheduled for surgury at 9 AM tomorrow. I will get some word out later tomorrow. It was painless heart attack

5:51 AM Friday: Morning is here and so am I. In Mt Carmel, which claims to a top 50 heart hospital. Stent will be installed starting at 9. If u can safely do so, iight a candle for me.

10:10 AM: It appears I will be waiting forever to start.

12:28 PM: Out of surgery and in recovery. One stent. Heart damage they saw yesterday has repaired itself! Be still my heart. Thank you one and all!

8:13 AM Saturday: Hospitals are strange places. This morning I did what little yoga I could do and took a brisk 15 walk. Immediately they took my blood pressure and it was too high. Now l have to stay in bed for an hour to get a more normal hospital reading, meaning comatose!

9:24 AM: Hope is fading fast to escape today.

10:50 AM: I have a smile on my face. I get to go home at 2 today!

1:30 PM: Sprung

I spent the time between the last two messages thanking everyone I could. I could not have imagined that I was able to go home 42 hours after I arrived with only minimal restrictions over the next few days and none after that. It is magic!