Not really a great deal of point to this thread, but just needed to vent a little. Last night my Dad came off working the night shift and went to bed during the day ready for the next night’s work, but couldn’t sleep - he complained of an uncomfortable, tight feeling around his middle. We thought it was indigestion, but when it didn’t go he went into the doctor’s on his way to work, just to be on the safe side. The next thing my Mum & I know, we get a phone call from the doctor’s surgery saying that he’s been taken off to hospital in an ambulance!
He was taken into hospital where he apparently suffered a heart attack whilst he was there! To top it all, all of this was going on whilst I had to be “on site” at the folk music club I run, which I wasn’t able to leave - my Mum had to go off and leave me with it whilst she went to be with my Dad at the hospital.
That’s the bad news. The good news is, although it’s early days yet, it could have been more serious - everything with his heart seems to be more or less back under control, they’ve got him hooked up to all the usual stuff and are keeping him in for a few days, he’s awake and concious (he rang my Mum this morning from the hospital), and complaining that he hasn’t got any pyjamas with him and would love a cup of tea! Of course, the whole thing’s set my jangling, panic-attack riddled nerves off again and I can’t shake off an impending feeling of dread, but for the moment things are better than they could be…
I’ve got to be honest, this year so far for me has been utterly crap! My sole consolation is that it’s only 6 months till 2009, and whilst things could still get worse, even my crummy luck has got to turn around at some point, right?
Chris, glad to know your Dad is recovering. And I don’t think you should write off this whole year as bad yet. As you said, I am sure your luck will indeed turn around, sooner than you think :).
Thanks everybody for the words of support - it means a great deal.
My Dad’s still - knock on wood - bearing up OK. He’s had a stent (in actual fact, three joined together) fitted to one of the arteries to his heart to help where there was constricted blood flow. They think he may need this doing to another but want to wait and see whether this first one improves things by itself - I must confess I’m very ignorant of medical matters, but what I do know is that at the moment we are all very lucky.
I’m still completely stressed out, but then that’s nothing unusual! Last night I had to take painkillers for a blinding headache. My Mum is also very stressed out trying to sort everything out as well as constantly back and forth to the hospital - this morning she went to the doctor’s herself because she felt so ill, and has been told that her blood pressure is high, and they also want to see her again in a fortnight to arrange for her to have an ECG. My Mum has to shoulder a lot of responsibility looking after me (disabled) and my Grandmother (83, suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) while my Dad goes out to work, so it’s not surprising. Hopefully things will improve…
My Dad is expected home sometime between Sunday - Tuesday. I’ve no idea what will happen then - they’ve told him he’ll be able to go back to driving (albeit probably not right away), that’s pretty much all I know.
Again, thank you so much everyone for all the thoughts, prayers, and words of support - they mean a great deal to me and to my family.
Don’t hesitate to vent, Chris; it will help you and we are here for you if you need us. Heck, you can PM me privately if you want to talk.
That your family is stressed out is to be expected in this kind of situation, especially since your mom’s blood pressure went through the roof and you’ve been having headaches. Stress is notorious for causing these. If any of you need medical atttention because of it, then by all means get it. There’s no point in the rest of you joining your dad in the hospital.
You were wise to get him to the doctors in time because he’s still alive as a result. If they think he needs another stent, then he more than likely does. All he has to do is follow the post-op regimen they will prescribe for him and he should be all right. They will ask you to make sure he stays on the program and report any side effects or symptoms if he complains of them. In addition, they will want to see him for regular check-ups to see if the stent is doing its job. If it isn’t, then he may have to undergo a by-pass.
Of course, the whole thing’s set my jangling, panic-attack riddled nerves off again and I can’t shake off an impending feeling of dread, but for the moment things are better than they could be…