Last week at this time I was just getting to the hospital. Thomas went in for a stress test and failed it miserably. The doctor ordered a dye test and promptly bunged him into the hospital. The verdict: some percentage of blockage in all his arteries around the heart. Fifty percent in the main one. S & J really saved me; I really wasn’t thinking clearly and they were so helpful. Part of the problem was that we didn’t get to eat lunch, and I was having blood sugar issues.
We spent Wednesday afternoon in ICU waiting room, which I have to say is like being at WalMart. While we were there, there was a tornado warning for Shelby County. Fun! Actually the tornado wasn’t in our immediate area.
On Thursday morning he had quadruple bypass surgery. The staff at Shelby Baptist Hospital were fantastic. We spent that day in the Cardiovascular ICU waiting room, a little room with a comfy loveseat/recliner and two padded armchairs. J caught up on her knitting and piecing; S beat me three times at Fluxx. Everyone told us that Dr. Ronson was fast and efficient. They weren’t kidding. The surgery lasted only three hours. T’s sister got there late that night after driving 12 hours or more from Missouri.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday are rather a blur of going from T’s bedside to the lobby where S and J kept vigil for me. S is a stalwart guardian. I couldn’t have my cell phone on in the lobby, so I had to dash down periodically to check messages. At one point I was keeping up with T’s phone as well.
Monday morning we got word that he could go home that day! I was surprised, as he’d had some fever and such along the way. When I got there, though, he had at last had his chest drainage tubes removed. Man, he has some amazing holes in him. >shudder< I dashed home to get the house ready for him (mainly changing and washing sheets–wouldn’t you know none were clean) while S stayed with him in case something came up. He wasn’t released until 5 p.m. The nurse was very apologetic, but they’d been quite busy that day.
I’m having a hard time being at home. T keeps having to tell me to slow down. He’s doing really well, I think. This afternoon we’re going to attempt to walk to the end of the driveway and back. That’ll be a big milestone.
J had said I needed to blog about T’s experience, so here it is.
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