Close Call

[Mhayes]

Hi Everyone,

Weewood (David Davis) had a very close call after having a heart attack:

"I've not been on Facebook for several days, that was because I had a Heart Attack last Thursday evening. I had a Stent inserted to remove a 95% blockage, the remaining 5% saved my life! It's good to be back, I wasn't sure that was going to be the case."

We are so thankful that you got help in time and our thoughts are with you!

:hug:

Margie

[battleaxe]

Weewood

Wishing you a speedy recovery!


Hugs

Nancy

[Tori803]

Weewood,

Best wishes on your recovery. I had a friend who was given a choice between bypass surgery or a stent. She opted for the stent and is still going strong after 20 years! Stay positive!

Tori

[weewood]

Thanks everyone for your kind words and thoughts! I'm doing much better, and will be seeing my cardiologist tomorrow to see what he thinks, but I truly feel that I'm on the mend. Here's a before and after of my heart. The blockage was in the Right Coronary Artery just as it turns to go underneath the heart. Just though you might like to see what miracles they can perform!

Regards, David

[Hannie]

David, that is an impressive image!  It looks even scarier than what  I imagined a 5% blockage would look like.

So happy that you are here today, telling and showing us what happened to you...

Best wishes for you and your wife,

:hug:

Hannie

[glennab]

David, I'm so thankful that you're on the mend.  That must have been quite a scare.  But a staunch heart will win out every time!  And you definitely have one of those.  You're in my thoughts and my heart right now.  Be well!

Hugs!

GK

[weewood]

I really appreciate the kind thoughts and words of advise! I'm starting to feel much stronger now and how that continues to improve. I go for a nuclear stress test on December 2nd to see if there was any muscle damage to the heart. Wish me luck! Below is a short story as to what happen to me after the heart attack, you may read it if you wish! Regards, David

Thursday, October 28th, I had just taken out the garbage, and Kay asked me to take the flag down because it was going to rain. I got the step ladder, removed and put the ladder away. I folded the flag and took it upstairs, and then for some reason, I walked into the master bedroom, not sure why, but maybe I felt like I needed to lie down. I was on my side of the bed, on the floor, fighting this crushing pain in my chest. The phone was on the opposite of the bed, but I had to get to it, because Kay was downstairs, and I could not holler. I dragged my myself around the bed, and made my way to the phone. Not sure how look it took me, I know I had to stop at the cedar chest to rest, but I eventually made it. I called my cell phone (which was downstairs), Kay answered, and I told her that I was in great pain. She ran upstairs, saw me lying on the floor, and called 911 immediately. We have a fire station about 4-5 blocks away from our house, so they were there in seconds.

My blood pressure was 180, not sure about the low side. The EMT's sprayed nitroglycerin under my tongue several times, and was able to get the blood pressure down to 150, but I was still in agony. I'm not sure what else the EMT's did, I know I ended up with my needles in my hands and arms, and then they lifted me up in blanket that had handles on it, and tried to get me downstairs. I still don't know how they got me through the bedroom door. There were 3 EMT's on each side and me in the middle. The doorway is not the big, but they did it. Once, I was downstairs, they put me on a gurney, and moved me out to the ambulance. I wanted to go to Good Samaritan Hospital, but they were code red and would not accept anymore emergency patients.

So, I had to go to the next closest hospital, which was Santa Teresa Hospital. I don't know how long I was in the emergency room before the doctor arrived. A young doctor, that I was very unsure of, and later found out that he had lied about my symptoms and what they meant. They sent me for a CT Scan, because I have an enlarged aorta (had it for several years now). They want to be sure it had not increased in size. I was fine, the aorta had not gotten any larger. Back to the emergency room, where I waited for a bed upstairs. What an ordeal! I won't bug you with all the facts, but Kay found out that they could not do an Intra-stent Insertion and that was what was going to save my life. My Right Coronary Artery (RCA) was 95% blocked, not that we knew that time, but this hospital could not help, and I would have to be transferred to another hospital (the following day as it turned out). It was now about 3 am Thursday night. I could not sleep, I just wanted to get this over with.

The following day, around 5 pm, I was transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital. Why it took so long to make the transfer happen, is something I probably will never understand. Once, I was at Good Sam, they put me in ICU, and my cardiologist was there in minutes. He told me that they had been waiting for me, for at least 6 hours. Like I said I will never understand why the transfer took so long. Within, and hour I was in the CathLab (another name for their OR), stripped of clothes, and the procedure was being started. I finally got myself to the point the would save me. My cardiologist found a 95% blockage, and even showed me the pictures. I had to be awake this whole operation. He had the stent into my heart about as fast as a New York minute. There's a lot of prep work and a lot of clean up, plus they don't want to move you right away after the procedure. But, the whole thing, ICU bed and back was only about 1 1/2 hours. I sleep some that night, but not great! My incision, where they inserted the catheter ruptured and the nurses work on me for about 3 hours to get me cleaned up and the blood stopped. I don't think I slept any after that!

The next day was great, I could eat and drink (clear liquids), but the doctor wanted me to stay another day for observation. That was okay with me, and so I went home on Halloween with several new medications. I can't believe what a difference a weeks makes!!!!!                      

[glennab]

Gads, David, that was one heck of an ordeal - and mostly, it sounds, due to incompetence on the part of the medical profession. 

Heaven help us for being at their mercy.  I know there are wonderful people in the field, but I've dealt with that type of idiocy when I was put in the hospital for a heart attack, after I told the people in the emergency room that I WASN'T having a heart attack.  They put me on nitro, which gave me a terrible headache, and then gave me morphine for the headache - none of which was necessary! Plus I spent a day in the hospital.  Unbelievable!

I'm just grateful that you seem to be doing fine.  Recovering from blockage that severe is amazing.  Someone's watching over you.  Maybe your beloved brothers!

Hugs!

GK

[Hannie]

David, it is great to hear you are on the mend! 
That is quite a story, everything turned out well for you in the end ansd I hope your test next week will show no muscle damage.

:loveit:

Hannie

[Tess (Tassie D)]

So glad to hear you are on the mend David. Hopefully you will have full recovery and be back to yourself in no time.

[Mhayes]

David, hang in there! Great to hear you are doing better.

Margie

[david_gr]

David,

Glad to hear you are better.  I wish you the best.  Experiences like that make you appreciate just being alive. 

Take care.

David Gr    :up:

[weewood]

David,

Glad to hear you are better.  I wish you the best.  Experiences like that make you appreciate just being alive. 

Take care.

David Gr    :up:

David, You are so right! I'll be going to my cardiologist on December 2nd for a nuclear stress test. He told me that was the only way we could find out if there was any heart damage. Thank you everyone for all the kind words and support. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Regards, David