Get your lemonade here!

Well, just when you think Life has to get better.............. Yeah RIGHT!

Mike had a heartattack friday night! I was so scared for him.
He didn't feel right after dinner, and thought that something he ate didn't agree with him, so he took some pep-cid and tried to lay down... That made it worse, so he got back up. He was fidgety as I don't think I have ever seen him, so I started to do a little research on WebMD for allergic reaction, but kept coming back to angina, or heart related problems. I also, found on the base site, that there was an all-night, after hours urgent care in Heerlen. I thought that was better than going to the ER, IF he ever decided he wanted to go. BUT, what do you know, around 1.30 he started to get dressed, and asked me to call ahead, to see if they would even see him, since he does not have medical insurance in place yet... They said that would be just fine, and we started out. I offered to drive, and he said no, so I kept an eye on him, and we went.

At first, doc thought it was flu related, and that he never got over the one he had a couple of weeks ago, and when he pushed on muscles, the pain increased, and it seemed more to the outside of the body than insside, but with his diabetes, he wanted to do an EKG anyway. He came back. all apologizing, stating that the machine had been acting up earlier in the evening, but that he wanted to go ahead and see what came up. So the EKG was done.
He had been with another patient while the EKG was being done, but afterwards, he came and told Mike that he had called an ambulance, because he wanted to make sure if what the machine showed was correct, and if it was, he was going straight to Maastricht to the CathLab and there would be decided on the next step. So, the ambulance came, and right when the EKG started, they started prepping to leave. They didn't even wait till the whole thing ran its course. So...... he was loaded in the back, I sat upfront and we raced, doing 150 in a 50, to Maastricht, got unloaded, prepped again, and they took him away. We had no time to say anything. In the ambulance I had texted my sister, to let her know what was going on, thinking that she would find the text when she got up, but right after they took Mike and settled me in with a cup of coffee, she called... She had gone to bed about 2 hours before with a very uneasy feeling, and had heard her phone  go off after all. We chatted a little bit about what was going on and had just said goodbye when they came to get me. They wouldn't tell me anything until after I was back in the room with Mike. It turned out that it HAD been a heart attack (when they couldn't say yet) and they had put a stent in, and they had called the ambulance to take us back to Heerlen, where he would be admitted, treated and released when the cardiologist saw fit.  So off we went again. I texted Nicky that we were on our way back to Heerlen, and got almost immediately a text back: "Reprogramming Tommie, meet you there!" And she was. They had just gotten Mike more or less comfortable and hooked up when she poked her nose in the dooor. She had started out right after she called.  Didn't see a doctor this whole time, just very nice, calm nurses. The ambulance personnel was great. They did a very good job of keeping everybody grounded. Mike must have been in positive panic mode. He hates not feeling good, and is even worse when it comes to hospitals, but he took it all very matter of factly. It almost looked like he wasn't aware of what might have, and still may happen.... Odd fellow that husband of mine! :-)

We stayed a while with Mike, but he was tired, and the meds they gave him and the stress were knocking him for a loop, so we left around 7.30. Regular visiting hours are at 11, so Nicky talked me into getting at least an hour sleep. (I had been up since 2.30 Friday morning for a chat, and it was now Saturday....) but.... would you believe it? At 9AM the hospital called where they should send the bills........... There's no way you can say they're not efficient! We ate a little bit, and went back to the hospital, where they let us in almost half an hour before visiting half hour, and left us alone until almost half an hour after the end of it...... He had a little bit more color, and was joking with the nurse when she asked him how he was feeling. He told her, I'm ok, but every time somebody comes by they want to shave me! (They had shaved different parts every time they replaced the electrodes for the EKG's, and REALLY shaved him at the CathLab! LOL)  IT WAS SOOOO GOOG TO SEE THAT!!!! (his attitude, not the shaving)

Nicky and I went home for a little bit, had some lunch, picked up some stuff Mike may want over the next couple of days, and headed back for the 4 O'Clock half hour. I SO planned on coming back for the 7.30 visit, but I was fading very fast. Nicky got me home, made me a bowl of soup with a sandwich, handed me the phone, told me to call and say goodnight to Mike, because she was leaving, and I was going to bed!  (She can be SO pushy! LOL) But I'm getting ahead of myself.

When we got there, Mike was just given a shot of insuline, and already had 2 metformines to get his bloodsugar down. It was very high. On admission it was 25 (don't know what that translates to in american measurement, but the "normal" is between 5 and 10!) and on second blood draw it was 23, so going down, but not fast enough. I was happy that they were attacking that, because in all that I had seen and heard so far, it never really got addressed. First things first, I guess. They were also getting ready to take the drain out of his leg from the cath, so that meant his blood was clotting good again. He did tell me that he would have to be on medicine the rest of his life, but he didn't seem too upset about it. Which is good! His back was killing him, from having to lay flat, so when he said that to the nurse, she asked if he wanted something for it, and to my surprise, he said yes..... So she gave him the paracetamol (equivalent of Tylenol) and came back with vials to take blood. When he said she wasn't getting any, she said it was only fair, because he got meds! I loved seeing him, being him again.

He also said, that he MAY be able to come home Monday, and that the doctor will sit him down for a talk, so I'm going to see today, if I can sit in on that.... Mikes Dutch is really not that great yet, and I've noticed that the doctors' English isn't much better than Mikes Dutch, so just to make sure everybody understands what's going on, I'm going to sit happily in the middle! (If they'll let me, otherwise I will have to insist on a copy of the records so I know what's going on.... Case in point. The dietician came in and was talking about meats and such, and asked him if he had any restrictions.... well, he's not vegetarian, so he said no. She took me aside on my way out, and asked if Mike knew he was diabetic, because he told her he didn't have any restrictions, but he can't have sugar and stuff....  and she was happy she checked his chart any way!

I guess, this is a very long way of saying that I won't be around much, probably, for a while. I may slip in for a quick update, but I'm not planning on doing a whole lot more than taking care of Mike, making sure the chores get done, (so he doesn't think he needs to do them) and getting used to turning our life upside down.....  Keep him in your thoughts?

It is now 9.15 Sunday Morning, just finished my tea, going to get dressed, and go see my hunny!

Hugs,
Pauli

PS. Forgot to post this one.

Mikes grandfather - for LifeBook.
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