This has been one hell of a week...if you started with my original post a few days ago you know what I mean. Downright freaking Shakespearean. I have held up very well and been very optimistic....that's because stuff has been happening to me...and I'm strong and I have confidence...and I have a plan. But today, something happened to my Mom, and I could hardly keep it together. I had spent the last couple days with Mom in Bozeman...I came to tell her in-person just what has been going down of late. I was calm and positive...I did not think I freaked her out. However I was very worried about her. Her breathing was labored...she was not eating well. She said this had been going on for a few weeks. Before I left to return home this morning, I made her make a doctor's appointment while I looked on.
I made it about 45 minutes down the road when my phone rang. "I think I'm having a heart attack. Do you think it would be okay if I called someone at the ranch (our relatives 20 miles away) to drive me to the doctor?" I told Mom to HANG UP and dial 911. NOW. For the first time in my life I used that "authorized vehicles only" interstate turnaround and sped back to Bozeman...I arrived at Deaconess just as her ambulance did and met her in ER #7. She was talking...mostly apologizing for messing up my day. They slipped a Nitro tab under her tongue and did an EKG. Mom had a heart attack in 2004...she didn't even feel that one...it was on a Saturday and no heart surgeon was at our small hospital so she was flown to Billings and had some stents put in. She felt this heart attack. In a few minutes the doctor came back in and said she had just had a BIG heart attack. He thought there was a dangerous blood clot stuck in her artery and recommended powerful blood thinning drugs. He explained the risks and gave her the drugs. She got one more Nitro tablet and eventually more Nitro in her IV. Her chest was hurting. The heart surgeon in Bozeman was again out of town, so Life Flight from St. Vincents in Billings was called. They were there in an hour. By then the second EKG showed that the thinning drug was working and the doctor said her reading was much better. That was my first opportunity to relax. (BTW, that's Mom getting loaded for her second $10,000 helicopter ride in the above picture...nice day for a flight)
It was just a coincidence, but the same surgeon that did her stents in 2004 was waiting for her at St. Vincents. Dr. Dean is damn good. By the time I tied up a few loose ends and drove to Billings mom was just waking up in room 217 of the ICU, the proud owner of 4 new stents. I saw the before and after pictures. Two arteries were nearly totally blocked. Lucky woman. I was totally impressed with everyone from the EMT's that brought her in, to the Deaconess ER crew, to the Life Flight crew, to the St. Vincent's staff. It all worked exactly as it should have.
T'would appear we share many things in this life, Amigo. Aging parents being one of them. However, I'm much older than you so my stories will hit the 'first person' sooner than your's. I'm not sure this is a good thing. :)
ReplyDeleteAt this point Dave, I think you should be on the lookout for locusts. It would appear to be the only disaster, natural or otherwise, that has not yet visited you. Hang in there brother.
ReplyDeleteCJ