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| [GMCnet] I'm Baaaack... [message #202211] |
Tue, 19 March 2013 22:08  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Hi Y'All,
Sorry for the false alarm. I asked to have the information about my
problem posted merely to alert those who are depending on me for various
things at the convention. It now appears that I'll be able to discharge
those responsibilities.
It's only fair I should tell you what happened: Yesterday morning I
finished packing the S-10 and the GMC in preparation to depart today. I
also changed from the GMC-mounted tow bar to a plain old A-frame because
only that currently fits the S-10. Nothing very strenuous, but with the
temperature in the 70's I was pretty warm and sweaty when I came in the
house about 2 PM and sat down in the family room. SHE brought me a small
bowl of ice cream and I ate it slowly. Not long afterward I had tightness
across the top of my chest and tingling in my left shoulder and elbow.
Those are the same symptoms I've had recently during exercise, such as
accompanying HER on her neighborhood walks.
Those symptoms are the ones I had before 97% and 85% blockages were
"stented" in '09. They're also the reason I had a nuclear stress test two
weeks ago. That test showed no significant anomalies, but my heart rate
went too high to fully complete the test. My cardiologist made some minor
medication changes and told me to call him in two weeks (today) with my
status, at which time he was to decide whether I needed to be catheterized.
With my pains getting worse, I had HER call the cardiologist; his nurse
suggested we call 911 to get to the hospital. We called and within 5
minutes the fire department's rescue team was here, followed shortly by the
ambulance. By the time they got me on the gurney, into the ambulance, and
an IV started, I was in REAL pain: Severe chest pain across the upper
chest and down the center, accompanied by severe sharp pains in both
shoulders and elbows. We live only 3 miles from the hospital -- it seemed
to take hours to get there. I've been in some pretty tight spots during my
76 years; I think that was the first time I ever experienced FEAR. I was
twisting squirming, etc., with no relief. I thought I was a goner. When
the pain started, I'd taken a many-years-old nitro pill; and, they fed me 4
each 81mg asprin in the ambulance. The IV was only saline solution and I
got no other medication.
In the emergency room, I was able to move myself from the gurney to the
bed. Within 30 seconds after that, a wave of sensation swept over me and
most of my
pains were gone!!! Aside from minor persistent aching in the center of my
chest, I've remained pain-free ever since.
The hospitalist doctor who saw me in the emergency room after things
settled down and they took non-productive X-rays and other tests, wanted to
send me immediately to Albany, 37 miles away, the parent of our non-cardiac
hospital. I refused for reasons that needn't be described -- I just have
little confidence in the facility. Then they proposed sending me to Macon,
where my '09 stents were installed. Since I'd just learned from my
cardiologist that the team who did that procedure was now gone, I also
refused that. Only days before, my cardiologist and I had agreed that both
of us would now choose Emery University Hospital in Atlanta if we needed
care. That, plus our long family history with Emery, including my
participation for 10+ years in a long-term cardiac outcomes study, cinched
the issue as far as I was concerned. I was prepared to sign myself out
here, against medical advice, and have HER drive me to Atlanta.
Despite his acute concern that I get immediate care, the hospitalist
finally contacted my cardiologist, who then arranged for me to be admitted
to Emery. They admitted me here, to avoid an ambulance trip last night
through severe thunderstorms with tornado warnings between here and
Atlanta. The ambulance picked me up here at 8:30 AM for the trip to
Atlanta.
At Emery, they did the necessary work-up, slightly sedated me, and did the
catheterization. The results were great: No blockages. The old stents
are still clear. Coming from an aviation background which says a problem
is not solved until its cause is found and corrected, I was somewhat
disappointed by that result. But the doctors say I should be glad they
didn't find anything. But, they can't say it won't recur either. :-( They
think the probability is low -- but don't really know.
I WILL keep my nitro pills current and always have an asprin handy in the
future; I advise everyone to do likewise. Those apparently cleared
whatever it was that caused my problem and led to my "miraculous" recovery.
With nothing else done, that's the only conclusion I can reach.
My restriction is to not drive today because of the anesthesia and to lift
nothing over 10 lbs for a couple of days. SHE drove me home this evening
(HER Lexus sure does ride a lot better than that ambulance!). I expect to
leave tomorrow for Dothan -- though I may humor HER by waiting until after
noon to make the 115 mile drive. I'll ask Stick Miller to come over and
help me with my few remaining chores before leaving.
To all of you who've sent me private messages and called: THANK YOU. I
really appreciate your concern. And I apologize for impetuously alarming
everyone unnecessarily.
See some of y'all soon!
Ken H.
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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