Anytime you hear these words you know its not good. Thursday morning Jim came to the house around 9:15 with chest pain and what he said felt like a really bad toothache on the left side of his jaw. We went to the emergency room and by9:30 they were putting in two iv's and a nitro drip. After doing an ekg it was decided he was going by ambulance to Wausau. By this time he had so many different tubes and drugs in him there was no arguing about it.
We arrived in Wausau at 12:15 and then waited for the angiogram procedure until 3:30. They watched him close and kept him comfortable until the "team" came to get him. The one lady came in about 3:00 and said she'd be back for him shortly. He of course asked her if she knew what she was doing and she replied "Yeah I did read the manual last night." Of course Jim's reply was "And I bet you stayed at a Holiday Inn too". When she returned for him with her two colleagues, she laid a big blue binder on his bed and said "I brought the manual along in case we forget anything." And away he went.
Now begins the waiting time. A usual 45 minute to hour procedure, this one lasted just short of two hours.
The results: Left artery is 50-60% blockage. They left this one for a further date. Right artery had a 75% block, which they put in a drug-eluting stent.( I learned way too much medical terminology these past few days.) Then came the 99% blockage in the same artery. After placing the stent they had to hook up a pump to get the blood to flow thru. Well it pushed the blood thru all right but the plaque it loosened up went to his heart and caused a heart attack.
Meanwhile back in the waiting room I am watching the patient progress screen and the word "intervention" will never be the same for me again.
The pump stayed on until noon on Friday because they did not want the heart to work at all. They released him on Saturday so he is home and recuperating. His orders are keep the stress level low and walk for 5 minutes 4 times a day. Not his usual work load but it has to be enforced, which is where the girls and I come in. Its not going to be easy but we gotta do it. Taking a normally very active person and confining him to the couch isn't an easy thing to do.
Melissa is flying home today and she'll be here for a week so we are really looking forward to having her here. Tabby and Andy came for the weekend too and Joni will be staying here for a few days or so.
This all comes at a very busy time for us with the trees and wreaths but with lots of help from friends and family we will get thru it just fine. I just have to keep reminding myself of I Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. Psalm 62:8 Trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.
Thank you for your prayers.
We arrived in Wausau at 12:15 and then waited for the angiogram procedure until 3:30. They watched him close and kept him comfortable until the "team" came to get him. The one lady came in about 3:00 and said she'd be back for him shortly. He of course asked her if she knew what she was doing and she replied "Yeah I did read the manual last night." Of course Jim's reply was "And I bet you stayed at a Holiday Inn too". When she returned for him with her two colleagues, she laid a big blue binder on his bed and said "I brought the manual along in case we forget anything." And away he went.
Now begins the waiting time. A usual 45 minute to hour procedure, this one lasted just short of two hours.
The results: Left artery is 50-60% blockage. They left this one for a further date. Right artery had a 75% block, which they put in a drug-eluting stent.( I learned way too much medical terminology these past few days.) Then came the 99% blockage in the same artery. After placing the stent they had to hook up a pump to get the blood to flow thru. Well it pushed the blood thru all right but the plaque it loosened up went to his heart and caused a heart attack.
Meanwhile back in the waiting room I am watching the patient progress screen and the word "intervention" will never be the same for me again.
The pump stayed on until noon on Friday because they did not want the heart to work at all. They released him on Saturday so he is home and recuperating. His orders are keep the stress level low and walk for 5 minutes 4 times a day. Not his usual work load but it has to be enforced, which is where the girls and I come in. Its not going to be easy but we gotta do it. Taking a normally very active person and confining him to the couch isn't an easy thing to do.
Melissa is flying home today and she'll be here for a week so we are really looking forward to having her here. Tabby and Andy came for the weekend too and Joni will be staying here for a few days or so.
This all comes at a very busy time for us with the trees and wreaths but with lots of help from friends and family we will get thru it just fine. I just have to keep reminding myself of I Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. Psalm 62:8 Trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.
Thank you for your prayers.
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