Ok, so, what the heck, right? Where have I been?
The last week or so was a total blur. It started on Cinco de Mayo; Mr. B and I were enjoying our evening martini (no, we forwent both a margarita and a mint julep (it was also Derby Day) for our traditional Bombay Sapphires) when my little brother called, worried that he'd had two missed calls from my mom and dad and one from our brother. Well, I hadn't heard anything so I told him not to fret about it.
Famous last words. A few moments later, he called back to report that our dad (who had recently had hip replacement surgery) was back in the ER after experiencing chest pain/breathing problems. My brother told me he and his wife were leaving immediately to be with my mom (and dad) at the hospital.
LONG story short. After many phone calls back and forth with him and my mom and after my dad ended up having a major heart attack right there in the ER (a great place to be for these types of things), Mr. B and I decided I should leave the next day to drive up to NC to help out however I could. Drive? Well, I thought about flying but by the time we got all of that worked out, it'd be just as easy to drive and so that is what I did.
I left at noon and made it to Waltersboro SC (not a very exciting place for a single traveler, BTW). When I travel by myself, I always stay in a "better" hotel. Meaning, not a Motel Six or Red Roof Inn but a place that has interior doors to the rooms. This time I was at a Holiday Inn Express and it was surely nice enough other than there wasn't much around for dinner purposes. I ended up eating a salad from McDonald's in my room and drinking a few beers I'd thought to throw into my cooler.
I was up B&E Monday for the remainder of my drive to NC. I left around 6:30 am and after roughly five hours of additional driving, made it to the hospital in Chapel Hill.
By the time I arrived, much of the excitement was over. Dad was in the cardiac critical care unit waiting for a few additional tests and scans. Turns out the culprit, meaning, what caused the heart attack, was a bunch of blood clots that formed in his heart as a result of him a) going off his blood thinners in preparation for his hip replacement surgery and b) having to be on coagulates for the same reason. He'd been back on the blood thinners a few days but apparently the damage had been done. Frankly, I thought this was all rather scary. Someone with a known heart issue with a pretty much rest of live need to take blood thinners has to go off them for another surgery and yet no one advised them of this risk? I know my dad would have still opted for the hip replacement surgery, but, both of them would have been much more on alert for this life threatening side effect. My mom told me that when dad first started complaining of discomfort in his chest, she wasn't really worried, initially, because his heart monitor wasn't doing anything strange. Well, it wasn't because this problem had nothing to do with his device/ his heart rhythms. But for the grace of God, is all I have to say about what could have happened.
Anyway, the doctors (a slew of them with the one in charge looking like he was all of 25) wanted to ensure there were no more blood clots lurking in any other places. Plus, of course, they had to get his heart stabilized (at the point the device was freaking out a bit trying to get back to normal), his heart rate down, blood pressure up, medications in order, etc., etc. So, dad stayed in that unit until the following day, Tuesday, when they moved him to the regular cardiac unit on the same floor.
The doctor told my mom there was likely little to no permanent damage to his heart and that his heart is very strong. What did I tell you about my dad in the piece I wrote about him a few posts ago? He never gives up. He is determined. He was up and about (using a walker because of the hip replacement) almost right away. Good appetite and antsy to get the heck out of there.
They released him late morning on Wednesday and by that evening, the three of us were sitting around the dinner table enjoying a meal together.
He had an appointment with his regular cardiologist Friday so I waited to leave until we knew he had the all clear from her, which he received. She told him to proceed with his rehab for his hip, after which he'd need to enter into cardiac rehab (a lot of the stuff he already knows but she told him a refresher would be a good idea). I left Saturday morning right before his first appointment with his physical therapist.
I drove until my eyes started to blur and ended up in Lake City, FL. A great exit. Lots of hotels, restaurants and a Starbucks to boot. This time I landed at a Holiday Inn which had its own bar and restaurant so I didn't have to drive around finding something to eat. I wandered down to the bar to order some food to take back up to my room (buffalo chicken salad). While waiting for the food, I had a drink and chatted with the couple sitting in the bar and the (lady) bartender. Talk about a small world, and this is what I mean by that. The couple were talking about his health issues (I overheard). He'd recently had hip replacement surgery. After he recovered, they went on a cruise (their first). A few days after the cruise,he had a heart attack. Why? Blood clots due to, well, you know why. After talking some more, we discovered us three gals were all 48 years old. You know what? That's just weird, isn't it?
Anyway, I made it home safely by noon on Mother's Day. My MIL was there (unfortunately I'd missed most of her visit) and my dear husband was prepared to make us both a special Mother's Day meal.
I was happy to be able to go help my mom and dad out. And, frankly, once we knew dad was going to be ok, it wasn't all doom and gloom. My brother was in the hospital with us a lot (he'd been there pretty much since the get-go) and he came home with us every night to regroup, chit-chat, socialize, eat dinner and relax. I was able to (briefly) see my other brother and also my step-daughter for an hour or so over a coffee at Starbucks after getting her new phone at Verizon (I'd had to get mine the day before, unexpectedly, but, such is life).
Mom and I cooked a few dinners together; I cleaned up and did the dishes, just like old times. I can't remember the last time my mom actually let me do anything in the kitchen. This was sorta nice.
I came home to a bit of craziness because I somehow picked up a Trojan virus on my laptop. I'm so careful but these things do manage to sneak in. It took all of Monday and well into the night for the AVG folks to get it fixed. Thankfully, all is ok but I know had it not been, it would not have been the end of the world.
So, here it is Friday and I'm still feeling a bit discombobulated but I'm thankful to be home and that all is well. Mark and I celebrated our 7th anniversary Wednesday; a bit quiet, just a dinner out, but, quiet is ok.
Now. Onwards and upwards to the rest of May!
Mrs. B
