Saturday, March 28, 2009

Sheer Heart Attack (alas, no Daring Bakers)

(part of my new cookbook collection...)

Yes, my internet friends, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth and there is no Daring Bakers March Challenge to be found in this post. Why? Well, things have been quite interesting here at Chéz Hatch of late....

My 49 year old DH was driving to work and he felt like he had indigestion, so he stopped for a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit. That didn't help. He then felt like he was wearing about 4 or 5 layers of shirts and that they were all bunchy at the elbows and about 10 sizes too small (aka: squeezing in the chest and arms). He got to work and tried to lay down to see if that would help his "indigestion" which by now in his head had morphed into "The Flu" since he was now also nauseous and sweating. When his flu and indigestion didn't improve, one of his co-workers asked him if he needed to go to the hospital. He said he was ok and to give it a minute. After a minute and when he refused to take a call from one of his important clients, the co-worker told him "That's it. You're going to the hospital. Now."

So, my DH gets to the emergency room. One of the nurses came out of the back, took one look at him and hustled him back to the triage area at which point he was relieved of his shirt, hooked up to a bunch of monitors, had an EKG, and IV with blood thinners pumped in.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I get a call from one of the company's owners telling me that my DH has been taken to the hospital with chest pain and she thought I needed to go there now. I called school, arranged for the hatchlings, tried to call other people to no avail, resolved to cancel T-Mobile as soon as the contract is up in May (no bars my damn a**) and waited for the calm to wash over me. It did.

I met with the doctors in the triage room and they told me that they were going to take him to the Cath Lab and take a look to see what was going on. The main doctor came out after about 45 minutes and told me that he was all done. Huh? How is he? What did you find? Will he have to have surgery? When will you operate??? Um, Mrs. Hatch, it's all done. Really all done.

Modern medicine is so amazing. They fixed him up completely in that 45 minutes. They ran a cathater (cath) up through the artery which runs from your groin to your heart and took x-rays. They found that the main artery which runs down the front of his heart and one of it's tributaries was completely blocked at the junction point. If he had gotten to the hospital 15 to 30 minutes later there would have been a completely different outcome. {shudder} Via the catheter, the doctor took "a balloon with little knives on it" and roto-rootered out the tributary and put a stent in the other. I saw my DH shortly afterwards and he was awake for the procedure (thanks to the chicken biscuit they couldn't knock him out since he had food in his stomach). They officially admitted him and took him upstairs to the heartcare floor. The nurses all thought he was going home the next day and kept trying to convince us of that opinion, but the doctor kept him for an extra day. There were probably more tests and monitoring to be done, but secretly, I think that the doctor wanted to make a real impression on my DH and kept him the extra day so that it wouldn't feel like a drive-through lifesaving. (I'll have a medicated stent please, and hold the onion.)

Bottom line is that he is fine and that he knows that he has some serious lifestyle changes to make including dates with the nutritionist, physical therapist, sleep apnea/sleep center people and maybe a yogi. Unfortunately nagging wives don't have the same impact as a cosmic 2x4 wakeup call up-side the head. A nagging wife with a real 2x4 might be a different story though.

Please learn the warning signs for heart attack and stroke. Heart attack symptoms are different between men and women. Please learn what the different risk factors are for heart disease and resolve to make better choices, especially if you have more than one risk factor. Listen to your nagging wife, husband, partner, friend or child. Please. You matter.

I may be MIA for a little while longer, but we're all doing well here and taking baby steps on the road to a new heart-healthy life. For those of you who knew about this and who have been supporting us, who brought us dinner, offered childcare, kept us in your prayers and more, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of MY heart.



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22 comments:

  1. Oh Lisa! Wow! I'm so glad your husband is ok. It's amazing what modern medicine is able to do. Thank goodness for that co-worker that got him to the hospital.

    I will keep you in my thoughts, take care of him...and you!

    ((hugs))

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  2. Oh my goodness! I am so glad your husband is okay! What a blessing that he had co-workers who knew to take him to the hospital (boys can be so stubborn sometimes). Really, I am so pleased that things are okay, and I hope take care of yourself - this time must be so stressful for you. Know that the blogosphere is sending you good thoughts! (Sending you a heart healthy bowl of oatmeal with flax seeds!...)

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  3. Wow - what a shock! I'm so relieved he's okay - and I am glad you didn't have to hit him upside the head with a real 2x4.

    Hope everything continues to go well - stay strong and for god's sake no more chick fil-a!

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  4. ok thank goodness he's ok!
    I pray he's up for eating better now? I know you're going to get a ton of suggestions, and here's mine: blueberries, berries, oats, salmon, and anything in the mediterrean diet. All that food and food groups are PERFECT to getting a perfect healthy heart.

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  5. Just wanted you to know that y'all remain in my thoughts and prayers.

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  6. Holy Cow!! First of all, I'm so relieved that your husband is doing better. Thank goodness he got to the hospital when he did!! Take care of your family and yourself, and we will see you soon.

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  7. Family first - trust me, we allll understand! Get that in order first!

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  8. I'm so glad your DH is doing better! I am sending good thoughts to you and your family. Take care, Lisa!

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  9. Dear heavens! I'm so sorry to hear about your husband but am glad he's recovering. Take care of him AND yourself.

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  10. I've missed you and I am so glad you posted about this and really really glad your husband is doing better!! Be good to him and take care.

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  11. Oh Lisa! I had noticed that you hadn't posted in a while and was hoping that everything is okay. I hope that your husband's recovery is going well. I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.

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  12. Wow! I hope he continues to feel good, with you cooking for him, I'm sure he'll be fine! ;) Take care.

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  13. Oh my God. This really hits home for me b/c Ben's at a high risk for heart problems. I'm glad you're back! And I'm glad your husband is recovering well!

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  14. Oh my! So glad to hear that your husband is ok! Kudos to his co-worker for insisting he get to the hospital! Take care of yourself and your family, we'll keep you in our prayers.

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  15. Having a heart defect myself, this post is another great remind to take care of ourselves just a little better. Best wishes to your husband!

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  16. OMG, I am glad your hubby is okay. A healthy diet and excercise can do wonders...good luck!

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  17. WOw yikes. My mother died at 45 from heart disease. I'm 42. I went in a couple years ago just to get checked out as it scares me so much. I should follow your lead on eating better though! Glad your hubs is doing better.

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  18. Thank you everyone for all your care, concern and warm wishes. It truly means a lot to me. I also appreciate you hanging in there with me through this rocky time and I'll be back checking you all out soon. Hugs, Lisa

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  19. Oh how did I miss this Lisa? I am so happy everything is okay... one aspect I Noticed, wives of the husband (even though I have a few pounds to lose) seem to keep more busy than our other half-- cleaning everyday, working, cleaning, exercising.


    I realize that my father's problem was due to smoking/stress/smoking and having a bit too many "drinks" but my mum, eats more than him but she keeps busy.

    I wonder if those are some differences or things we have in common. I read that even if you don't completely alter your way of eating, that 30 min of exercise makes a HUGE, HUGE difference, that it even increases our good cholesterol.

    Sometimes after a long day at home, cleaning, etc i Feel like I had an all day work out.

    Maybe getting a pedometer together (he can walk in place) for 30 min to start....

    You do not look old enough to have a 50 year old DH.

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  20. Wow, I am glad he is ok. I hope you are all hanging in there. Best wishes and thoughts to you and your family.

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  21. I like your information because I suffered heart attacks but I need to know if I take Viagra Online I could suffer other heart attacks

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  22. Nice information I learned more about my sick and how avoid it.

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