He Takes A Licking and Just Keeps On Ticking...

Do you remember that old Timex commercial? I know, I'm showing my age. However, that's the way it has felt around here the last few days. For several weeks Bill has been having some heart symptoms that have left us both somewhat rattled. We went to see his cardiologist March 11 and he concurred and scheduled a PET Scan for Wed, April 7. Easter Sunday am he woke up at about 6:30 with slight chest pains and a slightly sore left arm. His response,"We'll just tell the doctor Wednesday." (I don't think so...) In church he started sweating from his head to the point that his collar was getting wet. This got my attention-and his! When his stents closed after his heart attack in Oct. 1999 the main symptom was sweating profusely from the head. Other friends at church even noticed it. Still he said, "We are going to Sarah's for lunch. She is expecting us there."

SO, unbeknown to him, I quickly grabbed a few essentials and stuck them in the back of the car.

When we finished eating I called the doctor and told him Bill's symptoms. He asked to speak to Bill. When Bill came back from talking to him he said,"He wants us to go to the ER now." (Totally a side note- I have fought hard for the last 26 years against being controlling. That is my default when stressed. I've made tremendous progress. This was a notable exception. I felt like his life was at stake).

We went to Brookwood Hospital and they took him back immediately. When he was in triage he had another "episode" (symptoms). After testing, watching, praying and waiting a while he was admitted to the hospital. Yesterday he had an arteriogram, with the strong possibility of another stent. When he and the doctor came back to the room we had such good news! All of the 5 bypasses that he had 10+ years ago were still open and flowing well. What a relief!! Also the cause of all of his symptoms was due to the fact the one of his former blockages was leaking a small amount of blood into his bypassed vein and that was causing symptoms. The doctor gave him a new medication and adjusted the amount of another so we hope that will "fix" it. We go back in a month. Whew!