I got the call Friday about 10 minutes after I got home from work. What a scary call to get! I made it to the hospital about 10 minutes before they transferred him to another hospital 40 miles away. The severity of the situation didn’t really hit me until he was wheeled out to the ambulance and suddenly I realized he could die. I held back my tears until he was in the ambulance because I didn’t want him to see me crying. I just told him that I loved him and I told him to hang in there, we’d get through this. We all left the hospital and made plans to drive to the hospital in Topeka where he’d undergo angioplasty.
It was a very long night! We didn’t get home until after 1:00 in the morning. His surgery went well and was over in about an hour. According to the doctors the main artery supplying blood was blocked 110%. They put a shunt (sp?) in the artery to keep it open and they put a balloon in and artery or vein in his right leg to relieve the heart from working so much. They’re not sure how much damage there was done to the heart. Once the artery was unblocked the blood started flowing again but there was one part of the heart that was in shock and wasn’t pumping normally. He’ll have to be monitored for awhile and undergo some cardio therapy. Thank goodness he’s alive!
Also, today is my parents 36th wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!
I lost my dad this past January to three heart attacks in four days. I went to see him in the hospital, and made him laugh in what ended up being our last conversation. I hold on to that. My thoughts and best wishes are with you.
Rachelle, I had a heart attack myself May first. I now have two stents installed in the arteries of my heart. I scared the dickens out of my wife and children, it is no fun to be laying on a gurney and see the worry and anguish in their faces.
I hope your father recovers well and didn’t suffer too much damage to his heart. My God be with you.
I’ll second that. My dad’s heart attack was 20 years ago, after a morning of yard work. Of my 9 siblings, only Karen was still living at home and she drove him to the hospital. Mom may have had a license but didn’t use it. Dad was hospitalized for about 2 weeks and was only allowed one visitor at a time, that one visitor was Mom. Karen drove her to the hospital every day she could and waited in the car.
I’m so sorry that you and your family are having to go through this anguish, Rachelle.
Thank the good God that the surgery went well. I am sending you healing thoughts and prayers…that things will continue to go well, and that your dad lives a long and healthy life.
My own Dad has been under the knife twice for heart attacks.
You should anticipate some Depression on your father’s part. Clinical depression is very common among heart attack survivors.
This is not “the blues” that we all get from time to time. It can be a real problem. Watch for it. Ask your father’s doctor about anti-depressents. And remember–this is a stressful time for you, too. Pick up your regular exercise routine for stress management, or start one if you haven’t already.
Give your father ,( and if she is present, your mother) all the emtional support they need.
We’re all here with advice based on experience, so ask us if you need it.
Rachelle, I hope your father recovers, and gets to celebrate his wedding anniversary in a more prosaic fashion later. You and your parents are in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope you’ll have the opportunity to print out and show your father the well wishes and congratulations of his daughter’s acquaintances.
With that in mind, I would like to congratulate Rachelle’s parents on their anniversary, with the hope of many more to follow.
I got side-tracked earlier, but I wanted to tell you that you and your family are in my thoughts. Daddys are most important in most women’s lives. I hope that all turns out okay and will ask my parents to say a little prayer for you and your daddy.
My dad’s going home today! We went to visit him again last night and by looking at him you can’t tell he had a heart attack. He’s up walking and he’s eating and drinking, he looks great. I just hope that he takes it easy when he gets home. I’m sure he’s not supposed to do too much for the first few weeks. That’s going to be really hard for him but my mom’s going to be home with him… she’ll keep him in line.
I was wrong in my OP. It’s not a shunt that was put into his artery, it was a stent. (Thanks Fletch) I couldn’t remember the word for it!
One of my dad’s friends was at the house as the EMT’s were getting ready to take him to the hospital and one of the EMT’s told Dad’s friend that they didn’t think he was going to make it! Dad was sweating really bad and it was a clammy kind of sweat. I’m not sure what that means but I guess the EMT didn’t think it was a good sign. We were also told that there’s a nickname for Dad’s artery that was blocked. It’s called a “Widow Maker.” For good reason I guess.
Thanks so much for the kind words everyone. I think I will print this out and show it to my dad. He’d like this!
I had a heart attack about 4 years ago and 4 bypasses. The surgery was done on my (middle) daughters 4th birthday. I remember calling her that morning before she went to camp, and I couldn’t keep from crying while I was talking to her. Man, was I scared . . . Make sure you give your dad lots of hugs - the best therapy I had was whe I finally got home and I was able to hug all of my kids.
I am so sorry to hear this, Rachelle. That’s wonderful news that he has gone home so soon. You will all have a long road ahead of you, but it sounds like you’re making great progress. Keep us informed of how he’s doing, please. And if you should need anything, just ask. You are all in my prayers and thoughts.
