My father @richardd had a heart attack last week while at the hospital for breathing trouble. I am sure this is an experience some of you are familiar with but it was a new one to me. Still processing things a bit and thought a blog post would help me get my thoughts and emotions in order.
I grabbed the above at the height of the chaos, not aware that my dad was in fact having a heart attack at that moment. Heard that he was in the hospital earlier in the day for breathing problems. Decided to stop by after dinner to check in on him, everything was fine when I arrived.
About thirty minutes into the visit he was really having a hard time breathing and losing color. We hit the call light and they said a respiratory specialist was on the way. Ten minutes into waiting his condition was worsening and a family member decided to go into the hallway and find the nearest nurse to help out. Later we found out there was some communication confusion and the respiratory specialist was told the wrong room number.
Eventually there were two doctors, three respiratory specialists, and nine nurses. Together they were able to assess and rectify the situation and get my dad stabilized. Did my best not to panic and realized how important it is in these types of situations to remain calm.
The next day after some tests and talks with doctors it was decided to do a bypass surgery in the next few days. The success rate for this type of procedure is at around 98% but some anxiety was still there for my dad. I am sure any of us would feel the same way before a major surgery like that. By major, I mean your chest is literally sawed in half and opened.
I took the day off work for the surgery to spend time with him in the morning and family for the rest of the day. When I arrived a little before 7am most everyone was there in the waiting room. A little while later we were invited back to see him and even had a nice prayer service. Ironically enough his nurse lived on his same street, odds of this are close to impossible as it is somewhat far away and consists of only fifteen or so houses.
Above is a post surgery picture of all of the IV's running into my dad. Really gives you an appreciation for modern medicine, I could not even begin to explain what any of them were for. I kept this visit brief as he was still kind of in a daze from the anesthesia.
On the way home I picked up the nicest air filter I could find to clean up the air at his house to help with breathing when he returned. Might not be much but was a way for me to feel like I was contributing in some way. Apparently the filter I got removes everything.
I made sure to visit everyday after the surgery to check in on him and his progress. Not sure if you are familiar with the above machine but it helps move the blood around in your legs when you are not able to walk, the sound is annoying after a while. The visits were nice and we was improving everyday.
A serious down side to daily hospital trips is gas. So far I am averaging about a tank every three days which for me is a lot. Luckily the last of his tubing was removed today and he will be doing his therapy stay at a hospital a little close to home. He is ready to get on with his life and move past this major obstacle.
I have been battling my eating habits a lot lately and have not been able to do better while knowing better. This is a good lesson for all of us on how the road we are going down can lead to some serious consequences. It is very important to maintain an active lifestyle and healthy diet to prevent these types of situations.
My dad has already been talking to me about making better food choices and I am going to stock his cabinets and fridge with healthy options for his return. The world we live in is full of easy no effort meals but there is a hidden cost that is not always apparent. In this post you can see that cost...
All prayers and well wishes welcome, still a lot of work and recovery to do!
My sincere prayers and best wishes to your dad!
Thank you.
Hey Cody,
Glad that everything is going well. Makes one really appreciate 'the magic in ordinary days'.
Hope all continues to be well. Definitely use this as a opportunity to improve for the future. I'm 29 and will be having a scan on my heart tomorrow to determine if surgery is required or not.
Remember to still have fun and enjoy each and every moment!
Thanks for the kind words, what prompted the scan on your heart?
Passed out on the way to work for no fathomable reason... an irregular heart beat was detected when I took myself to the hospital. Not exactly how I'd planned a Friday!
Hope your dad is doing well. Looks like he is getting excellent care and has a lot of great family support. That is a powerful formula for quick recovery. I've had family and clients go through bypass surgery and all of them felt much better and lived much healthier after surgery. Praying for you and your family.
Thank you for the comment, yes very appreciative of the hospital and staff.
Sorry to hear. My father had a heart attack recently too. Glad he was able to recover a bit from it. Keep up with that support.
Thank you.
Hi @codydeeds I hope you are doing well. Haven't spoken in a while. I hope that your dad will be alright. It is a terrible thing to go through and the stress is also not good for everyone around him. I will send up a prayer for him. I know exactly how you feel as my dad went through the same thing the year before last, but he is still going strong. Just take it one day at a time.
Thanks, that is solid advice. Much appreciated!
I hope your father recovers quickly. My thoughts are with you.
Thank you!
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Wow, I just happened across this post two months after you posted it. My dad complained of chest pains and was admitted to the hospital. He was very close to having a massive heart attack, and he underwent bypass surgery (twice). This happened well over a year ago. We thought he was doing well and recovering nicely, but on Saturday, July 8, he had a fatal heart attack. We spent all last week in Kansas grieving over him and helping with funeral arrangements. Be thankful you still have your Dad, and be sure to tell him that you love him.