My cardiac follow-up was at 11:15 and by noon I was cleared. Cleared to WHAT you might ask?
Well, I was cleared to work, cleared to go to my annual company meeting, cleared to play with my kids and CLEARED TO DRIVE!!!!! Yes, I am allowed to sit in the Pilot's seat again.
!!! YES !!!
I am not a particularly good passenger; you know, control issues and all. I also am not a big fan of putting others on the spot to help cart me around. So, not being allowed to drive was tough. I will say that I did get a new perspective on the outside world around me.
When you don't have to keep you eye on the road and the cars around you, you get to look at...ready?...OTHER THINGS!!! Thaaaat's, right sports fans; did you know that there are things to look at when you are traveling down the road OTHER than cars and road stripes. Who'da thought you could see pretty houses, churches peeking out through the trees, and all sort of interesting road signs? It was nice to be able to enjoy the scenery for once.
But I digress....did I mention that I actually get to DRIVE again???
It truly was a good exam. The doctor said my EKG looked great. He liked what my heart and lungs sounded like & he was happy with my progress in the rehabilitation program. He said it looked like I was having good, strong heart function.
My next appointment is in April. So, if you want to know how it goes you are stuck with me for another 4 months. :)
Let's get back to the story and see if we are almost caught up...
Let's review:
- Got dressed
- Got milk
(yep, answered that advertisers' question ...next, I'm going to locate the beef) - Heart attack
- Heart stopped
- Heart started
- Stent placed
- Hospital stay
- Go home
- Go back
- Go home
So, I am home now with a new toy. The heart monitor was on for 2 weeks. Not a big deal, except that when we sleep, Ashley likes to put her head on my chest. That was tough. We had to lie in just the right spot to make that work.
Fortunately, the monitor could get wet, so I was able to shower.
Ends up that the monitor showed there were no abnormalities in my heart rhythms. Another positive bit of news. Another sigh of relief.
The next 2 weeks or so were pretty uneventful. I sat around a lot. I DID fold some laundry (which is a miracle in and of itself, heart attack or not).
The most notable thing to happen was dinner most nights. Folks from many parts of our lives brought all manner of dinner over so that we would not have to worry about cooking. It was really great. Not only did it give Ashley & I get a break from cooking, but we saw just how giving people can be. AND we got to see a wide range of foods that tasted pretty darn good even though they were heart healthy.
We even had a total stranger bring food. One of our friends who signed up to bring a meal couldn't on her day. She called a friend of HERS that runs a local restaurant and got her to make and deliver dinner for us.
For those of you in the Winston Salem area, I am going to shamelessly plug the restaurant. Dinner that night came from 1703. It is right across the street from the Children's Home on Reynolda Road.
That dinner was yummy and they will be getting a lot more of MY business in the future.
The dinners, ALL of them were wonderful and greatly appreciated. To all who cooked, brought, bought us a meal; thank you so much!
Here is something else I learned as more and more folks brought dinner to us. Telling someone you had a heart attack gives different people WIDELY varying impressions of your condition.
I was not looking particularly healthy. I was tired looking, I was pale, I was NOT clean shaven and I was probably not dressed to the 9's. However, I was mobile, dressed and not connected to any machines.
Some folks seemed like that was exactly what they thought they'd see. They just came in, dropped dinner & left. Some of the visitors seemed to think I looked JUST FINE and stuck around for a while.
But one person in particular wasn't sure WHAT to expect. She admitted she was afraid that I would be in the dining room in a hospital bed. She was very excited to see that I looked...well..."normal".
Just goes to show you never know what to expect when it comes to medical conditions.
Lesson Learned:
If someone does not jump to visit you right away in a medical situation. Don't think ill of them. They don't know what to expect and may be leery of seeing you in a "bad place."
AND...bonus corollary lesson...
If you DO offer to help, be ready to walk into any manner of situation, good or bad. And don't be put off if the offer is turned down. Some folks just don't want to be seen in a "bad place" in their lives.
Generosity offered is generosity appreciated even if it is not accepted.
Good night & God bless.
Fortunately, the monitor could get wet, so I was able to shower.
Ends up that the monitor showed there were no abnormalities in my heart rhythms. Another positive bit of news. Another sigh of relief.
The next 2 weeks or so were pretty uneventful. I sat around a lot. I DID fold some laundry (which is a miracle in and of itself, heart attack or not).
The most notable thing to happen was dinner most nights. Folks from many parts of our lives brought all manner of dinner over so that we would not have to worry about cooking. It was really great. Not only did it give Ashley & I get a break from cooking, but we saw just how giving people can be. AND we got to see a wide range of foods that tasted pretty darn good even though they were heart healthy.
We even had a total stranger bring food. One of our friends who signed up to bring a meal couldn't on her day. She called a friend of HERS that runs a local restaurant and got her to make and deliver dinner for us.
For those of you in the Winston Salem area, I am going to shamelessly plug the restaurant. Dinner that night came from 1703. It is right across the street from the Children's Home on Reynolda Road.
That dinner was yummy and they will be getting a lot more of MY business in the future.
The dinners, ALL of them were wonderful and greatly appreciated. To all who cooked, brought, bought us a meal; thank you so much!
Here is something else I learned as more and more folks brought dinner to us. Telling someone you had a heart attack gives different people WIDELY varying impressions of your condition.
I was not looking particularly healthy. I was tired looking, I was pale, I was NOT clean shaven and I was probably not dressed to the 9's. However, I was mobile, dressed and not connected to any machines.
Some folks seemed like that was exactly what they thought they'd see. They just came in, dropped dinner & left. Some of the visitors seemed to think I looked JUST FINE and stuck around for a while.
But one person in particular wasn't sure WHAT to expect. She admitted she was afraid that I would be in the dining room in a hospital bed. She was very excited to see that I looked...well..."normal".
Just goes to show you never know what to expect when it comes to medical conditions.
Lesson Learned:
If someone does not jump to visit you right away in a medical situation. Don't think ill of them. They don't know what to expect and may be leery of seeing you in a "bad place."
AND...bonus corollary lesson...
If you DO offer to help, be ready to walk into any manner of situation, good or bad. And don't be put off if the offer is turned down. Some folks just don't want to be seen in a "bad place" in their lives.
Generosity offered is generosity appreciated even if it is not accepted.
Good night & God bless.
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