And Then His Heart Stopped

Last Thursday my Dad had a heart attack.

I can't really say anything pithy or witty because really - what's to be said?

My Mom called me just after lunch and said: "Tara, it's me.  I'm at Emerg and Dad just had a heart attack."

I had to physically grab the counter to keep myself from falling over.

Dad was having chest pains, so my Mom took him to the ER - and ran a red light to get there.  They were in the ER for not more than two minutes when my Dad had a heart attack.  Everything was OK (well, as OK as things can be after a heart attack) until they lost his pulse. 

Then, in a scene straight out of ER or Grey's Anatomy, they pulled out the paddles and shocked my Dad back to life..... while my Mom watched.  I can't even imagine how terrifying it must have been for her.

Then the Doctor's tried to put a stent in to alleviate the blockage in his heart but they couldn't get it in.  So they decided they would need to do a bypass.

"Coronary bypass surgery is a procedure that restores blood flow to your heart muscle by diverting the flow of blood around a section of a blocked artery in your heart."

That's when my heart pretty much stopped.

I drove down to Cincinnati so I could be with them.  I can honestly say, it was the longest five hours of my life.

Seeing my Dad in the hospital bed with tubes and wires coming out of him was horrific.  We stayed with him that night, but I don't think any of us got much sleep.  The next morning they wheeled him off into surgery and I could barely keep it together as I watched the doctors and nurses take him away on the gurney.

You know how I said the drive was the longest five hours of my life?  I lied - waiting for four hours for his surgery to end was much, much worse.

In the end they performed a triple bypass.  When we finally got to see him I couldn't speak.  He had a breathing tube down his throat, IVs everywhere, machines everywhere (for the Monty Python fans out there, there were many machines that went 'ping').... you get the picture.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were pretty much Hell on Earth for my Dad.  But, he's a pretty stoic old fart (to use his terminology!) and he took it like a champ.  By Sunday night he started to turn around, and by Monday he was almost back to his old self (well, except for the fact that he had an eight inch long incision down his chest.).

I really can't say much about the whole experience - it was so surreal and unbelievable.  It made me appreciate not only my dad that much more, but also both of my parents and the incredible love they have for each other.  They are truly each other's soul-mates.

I didn't take many pictures in the hospital, because really.... it just wasn't right.  But I did manage to snap this one with my camera phone.  It was the first time my Dad sat-up after four days.  I just love the look of content on his face, and the look of sheer love and delight on my Mom's face.

Dad still has a long road to recovery, but for now we are truly counting our blessings.