Monday August 31, 2015-Mountain Views at Rivers Edge Resort

No pictures today, but you'll soon see why.

Today was a pretty laid back rest day and we didn't do anything special. Since we've been chauffeuring Mike and Peg around, they've been fixing supper for all of us, which we've really enjoyed.

I felt bad all evening and went to bed at the normal time-about 10 o'clock. My chest had been tight, but upon laying down, it really hurt, with a crushing pain. I was too uncomfortable to stay in bed and got up and went back to my trusty recliner. It didn't get any better there and I started to feel clammy. I decided to call an ambulance. It seemed like seconds went by before Mark, a paramedic, showed up. He came in and began getting my vital signs and preparing me for transport. When he began taking my blood pressure, the first thing he said was "WOW"! He then took it again and said his meter only went to 240. Wow indeed! The rest of the crew soon arrived and brought in a machine to record an EKG as well as blood pressure. The first reading on it was 240/192!!

After finishing up the vitals, we were ready to go. I was soon loaded up into the ambulance. Stella decided to ride in the ambulance too, and Mike and Peg drove over to the hospital for comfort and support.  Actually Peggy drove and Mike rode along. At any rate, we were glad they were there. I was given more baby aspirin before leaving home and Mark soon contacted the hospital for treatment orders. He started an IV in my arm and gave me saline solution drip and gave me a nitro pill and oxygen and continued to monitor my condition. 

After what seemed like 3 hours on a 40 mile, very bumpy road, we arrived at the Rio Grande hospital in Del Norte. This is a nice hospital with a very skilled team in the emergency room. I was wheeled into Trauma 1 and Nurse Kayla took over. My BP had come down to 190/134 but my heartbeat was 194! Double WOW! As someone who is never seriously sick and hasn't been in a hospital for 50 years or so, this was very scary!  

Dr. Robins came in and took over. One of the first meds that he ordered for me was an injected medicine that would momentarily stop my heart to get the heart rate down. After explaining to me what he intended to do, he asked Mark and the ambulance crew if they wanted to watch this procedure. They did and just as the doctor was administering the drug, I looked up and saw what seemed to be a roomful of people there to watch me die! Not really, but it did cross my mind. Let me tell you, it WAS a weird feeling but it did the trick! I never actually felt my heart stop but my rate dropped to about 130, a manageable level. 

To make a long story short, about 1 o'clock, I was at a level that was acceptable. High but acceptable. Mike and Peg took Stella back home and I tried to settle in for the rest of the night. That $15,000 hospital bed was very uncomfortable! I was hooked up to a monitor that also took my BP, two IV ports in my wrists along with bright lights.  Nurse Kayla came in and covered me with a warm blanket and adjusted everything including turning out most of the lights so I could sleep. I wasn't admitted because this hospital has no Cardio specialist on staff and that is what I need. 

They came in about 6:30 to draw more blood for testing. I tried to sleep again but could only nap. The doctor came in around 7:30 and said that he had found something in my blood sample that he didn't like and he wanted to do another blood draw to recheck it. 

After the second blood draw, Dr. Robins came in and told me that he had consulted with the cardiologist in Pueblo and they determined that I could be released to go home. My choices were to be airlifted to Pueblo or to go home to see my own doctor there. You can see what my choice was. 

We came on back home and began changing our travel plans. It was soon apparent that since this is a holiday weekend, we would not easily find any place to stay, so we decided to just stay here in Creede until Sunday and return to Dickinson. Kim is working on finding a cardiologist in the area. 

Since I am writing this on Wednesday, I will tell you that I had a good night's sleep last night and feel great this morning. I started taking a new medicine for my blood pressure and heart rate this morning and am feeling like my old self again. I took Stella to the grocery store yesterday and went for a couple of walks around the park this morning. Mike and Peg pulled out to head to Carthage MO for the rally. We will have to miss it. Bummer.

So long.