Wednesday, December 20, 2006

it is thinking time...

On Friday, December 8, I had the scariest moment of my life. Michelle and I were eating sushi at a Japanese restaurant in Toronto, and she choked on an oversized spicy tuna roll. In the frantic seconds that followed, I attempted the Heimlich in vain, experienced a fear that bordered on hysteria, and then clutched Michelle as close as possible after she forced the offending fish down her throat with her finger.

Sometime between December 11 and December 13 I had a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction, 100% blockage of the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery, 100% blockage of one of the diagonal arteries coming from the LAD, to be precise.)

Coincidence? Methinks not.

Changes are afoot.

One would assume that these would be diet, exercise, etc. However, with the exception of additional exercise, most of my day-to-day calorie storage and expenditure won't be changing. After all, Michelle is a dietitian.

The changes I speak of deal with the heart (no pun intended). My relationship with God has been founded on whatever has been convenient for Travis P. Slagle, Esq. As I sat in bed (in a striking cotton miniskirt/kimono number) I heard God speaking through these events. There have been a number of instances where I have narrowly avoided an end to these years here on earth. God has a purpose for my life, and it is high time that I started looking for it.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Travis had a heart attack

My husband awoke at 3am on Thursday morning with severe chest pain. We got to the emergency room and explained the situation, the lady at the desk mockingly asked him, have you ever had heartburn? Travis assured her that this was definitely not heartburn and the staff at the hospital was moving at a sluggish pace. No one can hardly believe that someone in their mid-twenties is having a heart attack. As time went on the pace picked up and EKG's were done and Travis in the severe pain that he was in was given multiple nitroglycerine tablets to place under his tongue. After a while the pain in his chest was reduced from an 8 or 9 to a 3 or 4 and morphine was deemed necessary as well as a nitroglycerine drip. My heart was racing, as I did whatever I could to keep him more at ease. Hours later he was taken for a stress test, since they needed more confirmation even though they were pretty sure damage was done to his heart.

More tests...finally at 12 pm the next day he was taken in an ambulance to a larger hospital for a angiogram. We were told about the risks of this procedure. The one that was standing out in my mind was death. They anticipated it would take about an hour. After what seemed like the longest 3 hours of my life the cardiologist told me about the blocked vessels and explained how he repaired them. He said that I could see Travis shortly. Another hour passed by, finally I saw a very weak looking Travis in his hospital bed. I see him as such a strong man, yet looking at him in that gown with IV's and wires everywhere...this reminded me of a patient I had observed during my clinicals, not my husband. Before I could even talk to him about how everything went and ask him how he was doing, his eyes were stinging and he was in unbearable pain. I ran to find some hospital staff who determined he might be having an allergic reaction and gave him meds immediately. I tried to talk to him but he didn't respond at all. I completed a medical history form and waited for him to wake up.

That day and especially that night were incredibly long. He was unable to drink on his own, reach the button to call the nurse, or anything else. I am so thankful that I was able to be there with him. It was physically and mentally exhausting to attend to him and notify friends and family of his progress. We received phone calls from so many. Some people left encouraging messages or prayed for us on the voicemail of our cell phone. Others offered me a listening ear in time of need.

It is amazing how God provides. He knows how much we can handle and we are able to stand in His strength despite our human weakness. I pictured myself an emotional wreck, but the Lord carried me through the time that Travis needed me to be strong. He is recovering well from it all, but more tests are being done. He is still in the hospital as the doctors investigate other related factors. I pray for God's wisdom for the doctors and praise the Lord for his faithfulness, grace, and mercy. I thank God for the way that He continues to love and bless His children even in the tough times.

Monday, December 04, 2006

News flash...

12 inches of snow expected by morning in Buffalo.