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Forgive me for not waiting until Thursday to count my blessings. I got home the other night after spending the last 3+ weeks at OHSU, most of it in the cardiac ICU. From what I've been able to patch together I entered the emergency room at the hospital in Redmond about a month ago having trouble breathing. Made it two steps in the door and collapsed, my heart had stopped. They threw me on a copter and sent me to Bend while preforming CPR. Bend got me on life support, ran a camera from my neck to my heart, and a balloon up from my groin hooked to a pump that forced the heart to pump. Not sure how long I was there, I know they had trouble finding a flight company with someone certified to run the pump. A company from somewhere flew to Spokane to get the certified tech and then back to get me and fly over to OHSU. The good folks there had me somewhat stable pretty quick. My brother was on the road following all these flights and met me there. They told him not to keep his hopes up, I probably wouldn't make it, I was in bad shape. But they followed that with, “we're not in the business of letting people die here”.
I don't know the correct term but I've heard what happened described as a ” catastrophic cardiac event” with a 24 hr survival rate around 5%. Not only have I made that, but my recovery has been nothing short of a miracle according to the pros. No brain damage, my kidneys started working after a couple weeks, all I have to deal with now is a badly damaged heart, and I'm ALIVE!
You have no idea the feeling I had coming home and seeing my nine year old daughter again, it was all I could think of in the hospital. I can never thank the doctors and nurses at OHSU enough, and that I was blessed to end up there, one of the best cardiac units in the world. It's going to be one heck of a Thanksgiving this year at my house, I can tell you that! -
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You hit the nail on the head Bert. When I mentioned there was no family history of this I was told there wouldn't be, because even ten years ago the survival rate was a guaranteed Zero. I was also told they have seen this happen to people in their twenties, thirties, even late teens. When it happens it's just your luck of the draw.
My brother was impressed with the precise control they have with drugs. I was kept unconscious until two days before Halloween, but he would watch them come in and put a little something into the line in my arm and instantly I'd move my feet. They would take some readings, put something else in and I'd be out again just as fast.
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WTF. So glad you made it thru. Being so ill does give a true perspective to what really counts in life. My wonderful grandmother told me continuously ” You never really have any problems till you lose your health.” I understood just what she meant when I had a serious health problem. Keep up the good recovery and get back in the “seat” soon. Best Wishes for a wonderful holiday. BG
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Time for an update. When I last wrote I'd just got home, and one of the last things I was told before leaving the hospital was “your job from here on out is surviving and not having to come back here. A social worker will help you with social security disability”.
As of two weeks ago my cardiologist tells me if I keep making the progress I have I may be able to go back to work in a month, starting slowly.
Since that first post I've gone from a 10 lb. lifting weight limit to 30 lbs, and 40 minutes of exercise a day to 2 hours.
If I do the full 2 hours in a day it wipes me out for most of the next day, but it's getting better.And I'm getting lots of seat time on my Jinma 284 motorized articulated wheelchair with loader, pallet forks, trailer ball, etc.
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Great news Keep it up,
Tommy
Affordable Tractor Sales
“Your Jinma Parts Superstore”
http://www.affordabletractorsalesco.com
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Well, it's been a year now since I flatlined at the local hospital, kinda like a second Birthday!
Hard to believe a year has come and gone already. My poor wife has been a mess lately, like a years up and I'm hitting my expiration date.When I saw the Doctor a few weeks ago she insisted she come too. I told him of her reservations and she nodded her head. “What about you? Nervous?” he asked. Hell no! I told him. If I die today I'm happy I've got this much time, I look at everything different now.
I'm getting back to normal, these two pics are the start of putting hay away for the winter from last weekend, Don't let Doc see them!
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Congratulations, amigo! I am all too aware of the feeling you're experiencing – one year ago I had just finished chemo and radiation for Stage 4 throat cancer that had metastasized into my lymph glands. I was at the doc just today and he said all is well so far.
It's pretty damn good to just be alive, isn't it?
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Thanks, Tinbender! The thing I have to watch myself on is spending too much time looking over my shoulder, metaphorically speaking, waiting for something else to crop up. It's a complete waste of time and anxiety, but damned hard to avoid after something like that. Got to keep looking forward and enjoying the day for what it is.
Looking down and seeing grass is waaaay better than looking up and seeing dirt.
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Thanks, but I think I'll settle for just another fifteen or so, Bob. I'm decrepit enough at 65 that the thought of even 80 is a bit daunting. I really did beat myself up with youthful motorcycling, skiing, mountain climbing, racing and other stuff, and the traumas, (gunshot wounds, stabbings, beatings and assorted ruptured organs and joints), collected in 30 years of law enforcement just exacerbated things. It probably wouldn't be as bad as it is if I hadn't been both enthusiastic and just plain clumsy as hell. Sure left a lot of bent and broken parts behind, anyway, most of them in my poor corpus delectable.
How I managed several years of self-employment with no health/accident insurance is nothing but pure dumb luck. While I pay a whole lot for that insurance these days, the insurance companies have paid out several hundreds of thousands of bucks on me over the years so I have no legitimate complaint on that score. If they'd had any idea what I was gonna cost them, they'd probably have just had me whacked to save on the bottom line.
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Well it'll be two years this Tuesday since being released from OHSU, and I thought I'd do a few tests to make sure the tickers still working
. The first was shoveling snow for six strait hours Friday. This morning was getting out at 6:00am to chop wood at -1 degrees. If that doesn't confirm you're still alive nothing will 
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Thanks Bert. That was predicted to be 1/2″ of freezing rain.
I've been a good patient, taking my pills, staying on a no/low salt diet and exercising. Physically my heart has returned to borderline normal, something that as I understand just doesn't happen. I still don't have anywhere near the stamina I used to have but I'll take the results so far any day. The back of the store is now also a private gym with a home gym/weight bench, elliptical and soon a treadmill as soon as I get it working. The six hours of shoveling snow would have taken two in past years but I have to work smart now, using the opportunity to strengthen my heart as opposed to giving it a heart attack. Bottom line is I just may be around for my daughters wedding, something that seemed impossible not too long ago. -
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Glad to hear of your good health report!- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.