DelosD ([info]delosd) wrote,
2009-09-29 23:13:00
  • Mood: weird

My week

Yes, it has been a rather interesting week. 
  • Thursday, 9/24/09 at about 12:30 AM, - Proposed to [info]the1trueheather, she accepted.  Disgustingly happy. Go to dinner with [info]treebones that evening and mention that my arm hurts.
  • Friday, 9/25/09 - Have contractor to house to see if there was a way to do remodelling so that both the1trueheather and I can live here.  Same annoying pain in my arm returns just before going to bed.
  • Saturday, 9/26/09 - Go to ER in morning and discover that the arm pain was a heart attack.  This does not bode well for the weekend.
  • Sunday, 9/28/09 - Talk to cardiologist and get scheduled for a heart catheterization on Monday.  Things seem serious but minor as heart issues go.
  • Monday, 9/29/09 - Go in for heart catheterization.  Based on results I don't even get out of the operating room but am instead loaded into an ambulance and taken downtown to the main branch of the hospital for immediate balloon angioplasty on a 99% blocked artery.
  • Tuesday, 9/30/09 - Get the OK to go home and start my very own branch pharmacy. Get home to discover that the furnace wasn't working.
I still have Wednesday to look forward to.

Some random observations:
  • The West Bloomfield Henry Ford hospital is practically a resort hotel.  From my private hospital room, I had a lovely view on the pond and trees, and was able to watch the deer come out to drink and see some types of birds we couldn't even identify.  All of the rooms are private, are larger than most double dorm rooms, and are furnished like high end hotel rooms.  There are also in-room movies, Internet, and TV available.  All meals are ordered individually through room service, and are available 24 hours a day. And the staff was absolutely wonderful.  They are also dedicated to satisfying your "unexpressed needs".  This seems vaguely creepy, but I'll give them points for effort.  If you're going to be deathly ill, this is the place to do it in style.
  • The main Henry Ford hospital in Detroit is, shall we say, not as palatial.  In fact, the rooms are so tiny that my bed, the bedside cart, and two wooden guest chairs didn't really fit.  Trying to put the five people that visited me on Saturday into this room would have meant that three or four of them would have had to have been on the bed.  I would say that the entire room, which I shared with another patient, was significantly smaller than the room I had to myself at West Bloomfield.  (It also didn't have a sleeping couch and lounger, sitting area, and working desk!)  And the heating and cooling was so bad that my room was like a sauna all Monday night and Tuesday day after my procedure, which was decidedly unpleasant.  However, again the staff was unfailingly nice and helpful, though somewhat a little light on the experience side in some cases.  (It's a teaching hospital with a high number of inexperienced interns and residents.)
  • Medical practice has come a long way in my lifetime.  All of the doctors involved in my treatment (and there were probably about six cardiologists and one or two non-cardiac specialists) gave me plenty of information, actively involved me in the decision making, and very patiently answered my questions.  (It probably helps that I know enough about heart issues and treatment to ask reasonable questions too.)  But we've come far from the days of Dr. God.
  • My car is still sitting in the emergency room parking lot at the West Bloomfield Henry Ford hospital.  I need to do something about that. 
  • The furnace is working again.  FLAME may be expensive, but they get somebody there in two hours and just fix the problem.  That's worth it.
  • It's amazing how fast word gets around on things.  I swear some of the people that called me in the hospital had more information on my treatment than *I* did! 
  • And thanks to all of the folks that came to see me, but particularly to [info]dawnwolf and [info]schometortoise, who did more to help out both me and [info]the1trueheather  than I can describe.

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  • 15 comments

[info]metachaos

September 30 2009, 05:35:21 UTC 2 years ago

Oh no! I'm glad you're doing alright. Take care of yourself. -hugs-

Also, you have a way with words. The post reads kinda like "I'm going to get married, yay! Then I almost died. And the furnace was broken. It was kinda annoying." =)

[info]delosd

September 30 2009, 06:37:42 UTC 2 years ago

Well, the furnace being broken WAS annoying! :)

[info]star_gazersusan

September 30 2009, 10:58:56 UTC 2 years ago

Oh my gosh. I didn't hear anything. I hope you're feeling and doing better! *hugs*

[info]delosd

September 30 2009, 16:19:18 UTC 2 years ago

That's because I'm the "strong silent type". :) But it all happened fairly quickly. Thanks!

[info]sheryl67

September 30 2009, 12:37:13 UTC 2 years ago

I was worried about you ever since I found out. Glad to see that you are home.

Let me know if there is anything that you need. :)

[info]delosd

September 30 2009, 16:21:44 UTC 2 years ago

Thanks dear, much appreciated.

And I'm glad I'm home too!

[info]zoethe

September 30 2009, 16:35:00 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you for not being dead. That would have put a serious damper on my life.

[info]blue_duck

September 30 2009, 20:48:43 UTC 2 years ago

Holy crap! This is the first I've heard. So glad you're okay! Whoah, ack!!

[info]blue_duck

September 30 2009, 20:50:41 UTC 2 years ago

*reading closer* If you need help getting your car or whatnot, I can help... not that you don't probably have a dozen volunteers...

[info]delosd

September 30 2009, 23:27:01 UTC 2 years ago

Thanks again, for being willing to be counted amongst my Legions of Volunteers(tm). It was great to talk to you.

[info]le_bebna_kamni

October 1 2009, 14:19:18 UTC 2 years ago

I'm glad you're as stubborn as you are. Heart attack...bah! Now it's the heater and car that's important... ;)

I'm happy to hear that you're out of the hospital. *hugs*

[info]delosd

October 1 2009, 17:08:04 UTC 2 years ago

Thanks dear. I guess I have to cop to the stubborn part. :)

The heater and the car... and now the humidifier. They worked on it to change the filter when they were here for the furnace and seem to have done something that causes it to overflow and flood the furnace room floor when it runs. You see, I have *real* problems!

[info]uplinktruck

October 1 2009, 18:06:32 UTC 2 years ago

Look, just because I do something, doesn't mean you have to try it too...

Glad you are getting well again. Congratulations to both of you.

[info]delosd

October 1 2009, 19:10:54 UTC 2 years ago

But it seemed like it would be so much FUN...! :) Thank you very much for the congrats.

[info]landley

October 6 2009, 00:15:51 UTC 2 years ago

Ouch! Glad you're ok...
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