Kind of busy here! Attention ladies.

[Gabby]

The last couple of weeks have been a little exciting here in Podunk OR

We had a HEAVY wet snow that took out a bunch of power lines due to falling trees. Happens every year it seems like. We were out for a couple of days and I got lots of exercise gassing up my little 1000 watt Honda generator, just to keep the furnace working, we have a fireplace but it is so ineficient the only one warm from it is me, lugging more wood to keep it going!
Fortunately they were able to get it going again Saturday before Laurie's son Glenn was to appear for Christmas so we were able to get everything ready with the decorations done as well as cleanup.
Christmas was very nice and dinner together was as usual great my Honey can COOK!

Now it gets sticky ladies.

Thursday after Christmas, Laurie and Glenn were watching TV and she started feeling funny and uncomfortable with tingling down both arms, Glenn told her it sounded like a heart attack and you guessed it,
the nurse at the DR's office said get to ER asap Glenn drove her the 35 miles there, and they plugged her into an EKG and shipped her to Medford to one of the top ten Cardio hospitals in the country.
I'm sitting at home waiting for word from Glenn when the phone rang, and I hear Hi Honey, I'm fine!
(My prayers were answered!) They had placed a stent and she even got to watch the roto rooter at work.
They kept her until Saturday and she was home in time to fix and serve dinner! I'm not kidding, she's one tough lady. I don't want to follow her example on that one.
She cheated though and stopped at the market and bought a broasted chicken. LOL


For you ladies out there the DR told her women have milder symptoms than men (we're weenies) and as a result may be ignored, which can be fatal, so take it seriously. Womens systems are built more tollerant to pain due to child birthing that is the reason. They told her she had a MAJOR attack and it would have killed her if ignored and she was just uncomfortable untill they got her to the hospital and by then it was getting more intense. DON'T IGNORE THE SYMPTOMS GIRLS!!!
OK just so you know she's back to her ornery self bossing me around and cooking as usual, I'm pushing the vacuum though, I love her cooking too much to let her stress herself too much!  LOL
So there you have it! I'm just happy as hell everything turned out as well as it did I wasn't any too sure it would. Thank you LORD!
Gabby

[mickey357]

Thank-God it all turn out the way it did.And you gave some very good advise to all the ladies.

[Intarsia92]

That is great news Gabby, I'm thankful it all turned out OK.  Have you and Laurie in my prayers.

[cdrover(Clyde)]

I am so glad that everything turned out OK. I will pass on your advice to all I know

[chelcass]

You are 100 % correct Gabby.  I also have a stent.  Got it back in 2002.  I knew the weird chest pains i kept have were heart related but my doctor kept telling I was wrong.  Needless to say she in no longer my doctor.  I was lucky I only had a 95% blockage in my main artery and my heart was not damaged.  Nobody knows your body better then you do and you need to listen to what it is telling you.  Doctor are NOT alway right!!

Thanks for sharing Gabby hopefully the ladies will take heed.

Chelcass

[Crabbyboater]

I'm very glad that everything worked out well for you and the wife, Gabby. Scary times!

I had a similar event with my wife having heart problems. She came to me and asked to be driven to the emergency room, which I did.  Doctors and nurses there gave me a bad time for having driven her, saying i should have called 911.  The reason?  If her conditioned worsened while I was driving her there was nothing I could do.  I'd be in the middle of a road, no where to go.  Whereas the ambulance had everything needed right there.  Next time I call 911!  BTW, when we did get there they had to use paddles to shock her 5 times, and she now wears a combo Pacemaker/Defibulator (ICD).  My bionic wife...  Anyway, just a bit more advice for anyone that needs it.

[ShadowB6]

Great to hear Gabby that all turned out well. I work at the University of Ottawa (Canada) Heart Institute and I hear great stories like that every day. Unfortunately not all endings are happy ones such as yours. I'm sure Laurie your wife understands, and hopefully the Dr. explained about the blockage that created the need for the stent and what she must now do.

We have 5 Cardiac Surgical Suites along with 4 Cath Labs & 4 EP Labs for smaller surgeries. We probably do over 100 stent O.R.'s a week and the success rates are very high, so if your wife is feeling good now, be happy that any major complications were caught in the early stages and rejoice at the second chance in life.

I sure do enjoy good stories such as yours Gabby. Thanks for sharing it.

Mike

[SheGold]

Wow Gabby... Thank you for the reminder we are a bit slow on the draw when it comes to pain... Thank you Lord for the mercy shown in this instance.. I think you need to give Mama a big big hug... Thank goodness all was well... Hugs... Sheila

[Marcellarius]

good to hear she's save and sound now!!!
and thanks for the warning, I'll tell my spouse about it.

[Gabby]

One of the best things to come of this, is-------------------------------------------
Drum roll please-----------------------------------------------------
She has quit SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is a stuborn old gal and felt she had to do it in a particular way, and was planning on breaking it off while on a cruise her Oldest Son is taking her and the rest of the family on, this month.
But this is much better, she's on the patch and I'm sure Russ will be keeping an eye on her.
I've been tobacco free since my adventure at the hospital, and now I weigh 185 pounds, just more for the ladies to hug. LOL
Gotta take off at least 10 of that 15 would be better. Holidays are over so the diet will return to normal, no more Egg Nog. Love that stuff and it loves me and hangs around ---------my middle!
Thanks everyone for the kind remarks, and I hope the responses here are taken to heart (no pun intended) to prevent more of the same happening to others we love.
That includes all the lovely ladies here in our forum especially.
Gabby

[Coffeepot]

Hallelujah, Gabby, so glad to hear the happy ending.  Cheers to Glenn for being the alert-hero-driver person he is.  I see your year is off to a good start, especially if both of you can kick that old smoking habit.  Good thoughts and prayers headed your way.

[Keefie]

Glad She is ok Gabby and giving up smoking too, thats extra bonus, I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.

[Gabby]

A little addendum:

Laurie was also advised by the hospital people to use 911 in the future, if she had had greater complications en-route Glenn wouldn't have been able to do anything for her other than drive faster.
The EMT's are equiped to help the patient and have red lights and siren to get there quicker.
Yup I can attest to that part. Don't remember much of my ride though, don't know if they used the siren and lights or not.

So if in doubt don't dawdle grab the phone and hit the magic numbers 911 and let those folks earn their keep.
By the way her attack wasn't a mild one she had full blockage of the artery!
That is usually fatal.

We've both been fortunate to dodge the bullet in 2012, hopefully 2013 will be even better.
I'm really happy others have chimed in with their experiences.
I belong to the local Senior Center AKA Croaker Club
and you would be surprised how little is discussed about such things which could serve to help someone who is ignorant of these details that could save their life. The better informed we are the better our chances are.
Gabby Bill
Again Thank you LORD!

[wombatie]

Gabby I am so glad that the love of your life is fit and well once more.  About 3 years ago I was at home and I had a niggly  pain in my chest, nothing much but it would not go ago, after about half and hour my arm started to feel heavy and there was a tingling sensation.  I called Terry in from outside and we called nurse on call and she rang an ambulance.  I was in hospital for 3 days, they found a blockage (80%) and could not get a stent  in so had to put a balloon in, but I am fine now and I see a cardioligist regularly for check ups.  I gave up smoking 18years ago.  All of your advice is sound because US females tend to think it's just a small pain and it will go away but basicly we are our own worst enemies sometimes.

Marg

[Keefie]

I'm just glad you are all ok.