I’ve been extremely busy the past six or so weeks. The last two weeks in June, I was in Schenectady NY for work and then spent the entire month of July, seven days a week, sitting at the computer writing reports. It was a lot of work.
On July 30th, Debbie woke me up around 11PM and asked me to get dressed and meet he in the living room. Wondering what was going on, I got dressed, went into the living room and she told me that she was having chest pains and get the truck. I wanted to call 911 but she said she wouldn’t make it if we waited for them. I helped her into the truck and drove like a bat out of hell the two miles to hospital.
When we got there, it seemed like they were all moving slowly until they hooked her up to the heart monitor and realized that she was indeed having a heart attack. I never saw so many nurses and doctors running around and barking order as they worked on stabilizing her. Once that happened the doctor came out into the hallway and told me what was happening, what they were doing, and that she needed to be air-lifted to a hospital about a forty five minute drive away. It was about an hour before the aircrew arrived and escorted here to the helo-pad.
I was not allowed to ride along, and being it was now after 2am, it was a very long and dark ride to the next hospital (it’s located out in the boonies). Upon arriving, I was escorted up to the ICU where she was and was told that her heart stopped twice during the trip and that had to use the paddles to bring her back. I had about five minutes to see her as they were prepping her for surgery to insert a stent in one of her arteries. I was shown where the waiting room was and told the doctor will stop in after the procedure to update me. The room was empty, I was all by myself, and it was too early to call anyone.
After about an hour and a half, the doctor came in and told me all went well and she was in recovery. Because we got to the hospital so quickly after it started, there was very little damage to her heart. We were lucky. Being that she is a nurse, she had a good idea of what was happening when she woke me up. The doctor said she was sedated and probably will sleep for a while so I should go home and come back later that afternoon.
Debbie and I have been married for twenty years. When I travel for work, I’m used to staying in hotels and being alone. But being that I was home and she wasn’t there, the quietness was overpowering. I could not get comfortable and kept the TV, and lights on, to curb the loneliness.
Our plan is to go full-timing when the house is paid off in 2019 and we sell everything. The would give us a good sized bank account to live off on, even though I will still be working when we finally hit the road. However, after what happened, I’m not sure that’s the best plan. Do we hold off for the bigger bank account so life is easy? or do we sell the house now, pay off the bills we can, and go now and hope we make it on the road?
I don’t know.
Debbie spent a week in the hospital, and another at home (me putting my foot down) before going back to work. She’s on five or six medications that she’ll probably have to take for the rest of her life. Thank you to all that sent flowers, well wishes, and just was there to talk to during this trying period. I appreciate you all very much.