Feb. 11, 2014, Nashville, TN., 2:22 a.m., C.S.T. (can't sleep!)~
Dear All~
Louie here. Hope y'all are well; as for me, can't sleep. Between the emergency pages going off (Code Blue, Code Pink, Code Red, Code White, etc.), noisy, rattling carts, people talking, etc. looks like I will be up with the owls. *Sigh* I am so tired it's a wonder they don't admit ME into the hospital! LOL
Bill is resting, only waking when they come to check his vital signs every four hours. Bill is now in a regular room, and he only has the heart monitor and nasal oxygen on; other than that, he is completely free of tubes. Oh, he has the IV too. He looks so much better than he did when he came into the hospital about a week ago! Thank You, God, for answered prayers!!
The doctors got the results from all his tests; other than his cholesterol being high, there was very little in the way of damage to his heart; but it was enough to warrent an immediate lifestyle change (diet, more exercise, reduction of stress, etc.; easier said than done in THIS family! LOL). His echocardiogram, nuclear stress test, kidney ultrasound, etc. came back without any incidents; everything checked out normally, according to Dr. Mahapatra. So that means Bill will be going home in a day or two, but will still have to take it easy until he fully recovers. He wll be feeling weak and tired for a while.
They will also be monitoring his blood pressure; he has high blood pressure. That was one of the factors leading up to his heart attack.
That means I will take a month off from work (with pay), so I can be with Bill as he recovers from his heart attack. That will be good for him, and it will be good for the children.
Bill is able to get up and take short walks down the hallway; he got up three times yesterday and did very well. The doctors and nurses are very pleased, and so am I. Today they are going to shoot for a longer trek down the hallway; hopefully he will tolerate that as well as he has the shorter jaunts. He will just have to take it slowly. And I (not to mention, his nurses and doctors) will be keeping a close eye on him.
If he does well today, he may get to go downstairs to the lobby, where he can look outside. I know he is tired of looking at these hospital walls! Poor guy is about to go stir crazy! Bill also wants a Whopper, but nope: too high in cholesterol and fat; he will have to settle for chicken or fish instead: much better for him (and for ALL of us!). I will have to make the lifestyle changes too, so we can all be a healthier, happier family. Know the kids won't like that, but I will have to reassure them that we are doing this for Dear Old Dad and it will be better for all of us in the long run. And besides, it's not like I'm giving up all the junk food entirely: we can have a treat maybe once or twice every week or two (or even three).
Well, that's the latest. I am going to lie down and try to sleep; my eyes are starting to go cockeyed and I am seeing two of everything. I will write in here in a day or two after we bust out of this chicken outfit. Until then, this is Louie saying so long; thanks again for the prayers! Looks like we'll be home in time for Valentine's Day; but unlike Valenitne's Day in the past, we will just stay home and have a low-stress, low-key, quiet holiday. No dinner out this year! Take care and God bless; keep those prayers coming!
~Love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May. :)
