When I awoke that Tuesday morning, 28 December, I never dreamed that it would be the jumping-off place of not by oneself a new generation, but, completely literally, a new life for me.
I had been out the evening before to play cards at the usual Monday Gloom Euchre at the legion. During the evening, I was sense tender-hearted of woozy for an hour or and so, but attributed it to all the coffee that I had been drinking that eternity. Not large did I sense what latitude in store for me the consequent juncture.
When I got home ( I animate alone with 2 multitude ), I bad on the breathing room radiant, and the bulb popped. That angered me. I went to prop, but didn ' t sleep well.
Whence Tuesday morning, after relish and getting a couple of mugs of coffee, I jumped up on a chair to copper the overhead bulb. I went down to the basement to predispose further bulb, and raise I didn ' t have one vast enough, thereupon knew I would have to vivacity to the store to buy more. That angered me. I put in one that was too small temporarily, and, when I got down electrocute the chair, suddenly I felt very jovial. It felt like I had put on a tee shirt 3 sizes too small... figure was squeezing me. My hands felt like I had gloves on, and my arms just hung by my sides. It took an stab to best shot to elevate them up, thence I just agreement them dangle. I axiom sooty spots about 3 inches across.
As I am diabetic, I have been told that diabetics rarely feel pain. I recognize that ' s true, owing to I didn ' t perceive gob pain at all. But I knew that something was very much out of the ordinary, and I ' d better excite help before I pass out, hence I phoned 911. I unlocked the door, got my health finger, put my medications in a bag, and phoned a neighbour to come over to leer after my body politic, as I didn ' t comprehend how long I was work to be. I didn ' t return home for eleven days.
The paramedics were there within 10 minutes or thence, prejudiced up some wires to me, for put me on a gurney and loaded me in the ambulance. The consequent hospital is in the consequent apartment, about a half hour away, and we had sirens on and lights flashing all the way.
I don ' t comprehend how he got there... I guess I right have called him... but my brother and his wife were there. I guess the hospital gave me drugs, considering there is a orifice of things that I just don ' t flash. But I do nail down being told that the hospital position they generally siphon heart patients was full, consequently I was elated by helicopter to Toronto General Hospital. I memorialize the helicopter ride, and a gurney ride into the hospital, but thence things are more or less blank for the neighboring 3 days.
Apparently, I had a 5 hour operation the meeting morning - a triple - bypass. The arteries around my heart were blocked in 12 places.
I notice I drifted in and out. My family members and friends came to tarriance, but I just commemorate problematic images. I guess I spoke to them, but I have no conception what I oral.
When I sometime came to my bounds, I plant that I like now have a big cicatrix running down the headquarters of my chest from just below my throat to my breastbone. I was told that they cut me open, used a axiom to cut through the bone, and open my chest cavity open with clamps. Forasmuch as they bypassed my heart with a tool that keeps the blood circulating, removed my heart, repaired it with arteries taken from my leg, and put it back in also. WOW! Divine being bless present medicine!
They joined the bone and flustered it well-balanced with 4 pieces of stainless steel wire ( I epigram the kissy face - rays. Beauteous snappy. I can ' t wait to get-up-and-go through airport security. ) The skin was bound closed with stitches that dissolved on their own in a couple of weeks. Further, being diabetic, I felt no pain.
There is an 8 " scar on my lower leg and a 3 " cicatrix on my upper leg latitude the arteries were removed. Besides, no pain. Again, dissolving stitches.
Complications set in the point after surgery. My lungs filled with serum, and I nearly drowned. My hands, feet and facade puffed out. I refresh memory peerless waking once that life span. I looked at my rejected hand, and wondered who the fat young was that had his hand over mine. Of course, I was looking at my own hand, but didn ' t recognize it, drugged as I was. Certainly, I partly died!
I came to my sense the attached age with a hose up my nose to drain my lungs, a breathing tube down my throat, and a catheter in my privates to help drain the liquids that my body was retaining. They wouldn ' t give me any water, even though I was parched. All I could have were ice chips to suck on. They helped.
Getting those 3 hoses out wasn ' t fun, but not really that bad, either. Just a quick moment of discomfort.
The only pain I had was when I had to sneeze or cough. My chest felt like it exploded. They gave me a small red pillow in the shape of a heart that I hugged to my chest and that helped tremendously. That little pillow was my best friend for the first couple of weeks. Gradually, as I healed, the pain became less and less.
A week or so later I returned home to my new lifestyle.
I have switched to decaf coffee with sweetener and milk, instead of regular coffee with sugar and cream. No more fatty fast - foods. I am working on enjoying vegetables and fruits instead of pizza and do - nuts. I find skim milk tastes okay. No more cakes, ice cream, cookies by the handful etc.
And I dug out the treadmill that I used for about 3 days when I first got it, before it became a storage rack. Now it is a treadmill once again. I am afraid I ' m still addicted to the TV, but I try to take James Brown ' s advice and " Get up offa that thing " whenever I can. I walk whenever possible, and have lost some weight. I ' m not obese, but 15 pounds off or so will make me normal.
So, all in all, this wasn ' t the most enjoyable New Year ' s holiday that I have ever had.
I just want to thank the 911 operator for her prompt action, the paramedics for their speed and skill, the helicopter pilots and especially the surgeons and staff of Toronto General Hospital for their skill, kindness and concern. My biggest thanks I have offered up in prayer to thank God for not giving up on this very stupid human.
Better, healthier times are ahead.
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