Covid Vaccine Booster

Posted on October 31, 2021 by MaryO

Quick takeaway: I have adrenal insufficiency (one adrenal was removed with my kidney due to cancer, steroid-dependent (post-Cushing’s Disease), growth hormone insufficiency, panhypopituitary. I had some issues after my first COVID-19 injection (Moderna) but not too bad. My booster was October 27, 2021. That time I was smart and updosed on my Cortef (hydrocortisone) right after the shot. My main side effects this time were chills and fatigue.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021: This time I went to a CVS inside a Target store.

I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 11:00 and it gave me directions on where to go.

I was about 10 minutes early, so I had to wait a bit, even though no one was ahead of me.

The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.

The shot was not quite as fast – I felt it a bit but I am used to giving myself daily injections so this was no biggie..

I sat in the waiting area for about 10 minutes to be sure there were no problems but no one checked on me.

This time I was smart – right after leaving the CVS I took a stress dose of Cortef (hydrocortisone).

I also had an appointment with my doctor about a recurring cyst. She prescribed doxycycline (antibiotic) twice a day on an empty stomach.

I cancelled my piano students for the day and took a nap for the rest of the day wearing a sweater and hoodie and under three blankets – I was so cold and a little dizzy/disoriented – I can never remember the difference between the two..

I was so tired, I skipped my growth hormone injection.

My arm seems like it is more sore than last time.

About 2 am, I got up needing to go to the bathroom and I was still so cold. I was under 3 blankets and a bathrobe.

Thursday, October 28, 2021: My arm was sorer than Monday and I was still feeling very cold and dizzy.

It was a work day so I went in but I know I nodded off at my desk a few times. I went home about 3 and fell asleep almost immediately. My DH woke up at 6 for a meeting – I had intended to sleep through it. It was at church, so I laid down on one of the pews and slept there through the meeting. DH took me home instead of going to choir rehearsal.

I skipped my growth hormone injection again.

I had no trouble sleeping this time and slept until about 10 on Friday.

Friday, October 29, 2021: I don’t know if it’s from the injection of the antibiotic but I threw up in the morning and I went back to sleep. I was feeling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold.

It was my mom’s birthday (98!) but we didn’t really get to celebrate much.

I skipped my growth hormone injection again. I didn’t fall asleep right away at bedtime and was able to read a little bit so that’s an improvement!

Saturday, October 30, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok – I woke up about 8 for my first antibiotic and didn’t take my first nap until 12:30. Then, I spent time napping through the day. I’m still cold but “normal cold” with just a sweatshirt (and socks).

My arm is achy but not really sore like yesterday.

Sunday, October 31, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray! We went back to water exercise. I took off my bandage for the first time and noticed that the site had bled a little. Oh well. While I was in the pool, I had another of those lightning headaches but didn’t get out of the pool for Tylenol because I knew it was quick.

Info below from https://medshadow.org/covid19-vaccine-side-effects/ I’ve had the bold ones so far after the second injection.

Moderna

Moderna started Phase III clinical trials for its vaccine candidate in July. In earlier trials, nearly half of patients experienced common adverse effects like injection site pain, rash, headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and fevers after the second injection. These effects generally subsided within two days. CNBC spoke to a few individuals, some participating in Moderna’s trial and some in Pfizer’s trial who said much the same thing: the side effects were intense and included a high fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion, but were worth it for protection from Covid-19.

In the FDA report published in December, the most common side effects were pain at injection site (91.6% of patients), fatigue (68.5%), headache (63.0%), muscle pain (59.6%), joint pain (44.8%), and chills (43.4%). Three patients experienced Bell’s Palsy, a sudden, and usually temporary, weakening or paralysis of the facial muscles.

A few patients with facial fillers experienced swelling after receiving the vaccine. They were treated with antihistamines and steroids. In California, officials halted the use of one particular batch of Moderna vaccines (lot 41L20A) after a small cluster (fewer than 10) of patients at one particular site experienced allergic reactions that required medical attention.

Out of the first 7.5 million doses administered from Dec 14- Jan 18, 19 cases of anaphylaxis were reported to VAERS after the Moderna vaccine. No patients have died from anaphylaxis. Patients are now being monitored for 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccine to watch for signs of anaphylaxis.

Many patients are reporting injection site reactions that show up shortly after the injection or up to a week later. These reactions — which are characterized by swelling, redness, itching, rashes, heat and pain — are expected to last a day to a week. Physicians emphasize that while these effects can be scary, they are not dangerous and should not prevent someone from getting the second shot. So far, doctors do not report seeing these reactions after the second shot, however so few have been given so far that scientists are not sure how common it will be on round two.

The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.

A study posted on Feb 1 showed that patients who received the vaccine after having been previously infected with COVID-19 showed greater immune response to the first shot and more intense side effects that are associated with strong immune responses like fever and muscle aches. The study included patients who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Some scientists believe these patients may only need a single shot to provide sufficient immunity, but more research is needed.

Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.

This page has information about the other brands of vaccine: https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/2021/02/16/what-you-need-to-know-when-you-get-vaccinated-and-after-you-get-vaccinated/

A really good article – Coronavirus Life: What To Expect When You Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Covid Vaccine 2

Posted on March 23, 2021 by MaryO

Quick takeaway: I have adrenal insufficiency (one adrenal was removed with my kidney due to cancer, steroid-dependent (post-Cushing’s Disease), growth hormone insufficiency, panhypopituitary. I had some issues after my first COVID-19 injection (Moderna) but not too bad. My second injection was March 15, 2021. This time I was smart and updosed on my Cortef (hydrocortisone) right after the shot. My main side effects this time were chills, extreme thirst, fatigue…and a craving for salad(!)

Earlier in March, CVS sent out an email with a few questions to answer before confirming my March 15 appointment. On March 14, they sent me a text and when I clicked on the link, it said I had answered all the questions already. YAY

I got this information again from CVS:

On the day of your appointment:

•Please arrive early enough to check in before your scheduled appointment. Arriving late for your appointment may result in an extended wait time.

•Bring your ID and insurance card, voucher or other coverage

•Don’t forget a face covering—wearing it throughout your visit is required

•When you arrive, please check in at the pharmacy area inside the store or follow the signs for the COVID-19 vaccine

CVS tips for vaccine shots:

•Wearing short sleeves makes getting a shot easier and faster

•If you must wear long sleeves, dress in layers with the short sleeves underneath

• Review the patient fact sheet about the specific vaccine you are receiving

What to do if you feel sick or have COVID-19 symptoms:

•Contact your health care provider immediately

•If your provider recommends it, get tested for COVID-19

• Cancel your appointment

•Don’t come to the pharmacy

•Schedule a new appointment when you’re well

After your vaccine:

•Be prepared to stay for 15 to 30 minutes after the COVID-19 vaccination so you can be observed for side effects.

•If you experience side effects from your COVID-19 vaccine dose, you may find some guidance at Coronavirus: Vaccine, Prevention Tips & FAQs

•The CDC has created a way for you to report how you feel after the COVID-19 vaccination through a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to check in with you. Learn about v-safe and sign up today.

Monday, March 15, 2021: When I got to CVS, I found that everything was very well run like before.

I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 3:30 and it gave me directions on where to go.

This time I wasn’t met by anyone at door but I knew from before where to walk following arrows on floor. Then I was met by so someone who checked my name and he asked if I had done the texting thing (yes!).

There were 2 people ahead of me that I could see. It went very fast. I was in the little partitioned off area within less than 10 minutes.

The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.

The shot was not quite as fast – I felt it a little but I am used to giving myself daily injections so this was no biggie..

The nurse said if I get a headache, take Tylenol only. She also said to stay hydrated.

I sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes to be sure there were no problems There were about 10 or so people sitting around the store that I could see at various stages of their 15 minutes.

This time I was smart – right after leaving the CVS I took a stress dose of Cortef (hydrocortisone).

Around 7 pm i noticed I had what I used to call a “lightning bolt headache”. There is pain in one spot of my head and it moves quickly down, through my brain and out. I used to get these long ago and I didn’t even know they were a thing until I just looked them andy they are called “Thunderclap Headaches”:

Severe headaches that appear suddenly like a lightning bolt are a cause for concern. This isn’t a sharp pain that goes away as suddenly as it began, but a pain that comes on like a light switch or feels as if someone has hit you in the head with a hammer.

Who knew – I thought I’d made them up. I hope this was the only one.

I could not believe how thirsty I was for the first couple days. My mouth felt like a desert so I drank lots of ice water which meant I needed to run to the bathroom a lot. Sometimes, I didn’t quite make it.

I was so tired, I skipped my growth hormone injection.

About 10 pm I started being very cold. I don’t know if that’s a symptom but I noted that on February 17, also.

My arm seems like it is more sore than last time.

About 3 am, I got up needing to get a drink of water and I was still so cold. I was under 3 blankets, wearing a hoodie and a very warm knit cap. I didn’t have the death dreams like last time but some that were work-related and all jumbled up. This has to get done before that can, but then, this other thing happens, type thing. I just got up, got a little hydrated and checked my emails.

As soon as I typed this sentence, I put my mittens back on.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021: My arm was sorer than Monday and I was still feeling cold, sleeping off and on. Still very thirsty.

I skipped my growth hormone injection again.

I had trouble sleeping, especially if I tried to roll over.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021: We didn’t go to water exercise. I planned that this time, based on my reaction to the first shot.

I had a little headache, dizzy, congested, very tired, lots of brain fog, thirsty. I slept more until about 1 pm and I cancelled piano lessons for the day.

After cancelling lessons, I went back to sleep. I was feeling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold.

At that point, I realized I hadn’t eaten for 2 days or had any coffee!.

For reasons that are very strange to me, I started craving tossed salad, specifically one from a certain local restaurant. I have never in my life craved salad.

I had some dinner (I was surprised that I could eat any) at 9:25 and did my growth hormone injection.

I went to bed at 11 pm. Tossed and turned all night.

Thursday, March 18, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok. I spent time napping and working alternated through the day. My boss called and he’d just had his Johnson and Johnson shot on Tuesday. The call was pretty funny because we both were brain foggy and trying to think of words. His vaccine is the one-dose type – he was glad to get it but found it weird that he could actually feel the medicine going in. That sounds to me more like it was injected into a vein than a muscle.

My DH went out to Domino’s and got some dinner – and finally, I got that salad!

Friday, March 19, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray! We went back to water exercise. I took off my bandage for the first time and noticed that the site had bled a little. Oh well. While I was in the pool, I had another of those lightning headaches but didn’t get out of the pool for Tylenol because I knew it was quick.

Saturday, March 20, 2021: DH gets his second shot!

In 14 days, I’ll be considered to be vaccinated. April 8, we will go visit our new grandson in NYC without quarantining or testing.

Info below from https://medshadow.org/covid19-vaccine-side-effects/ I’ve had the bold ones so far after the second injection.

Moderna

The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.

Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.

This page has information about the other brands of vaccine: https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/2021/02/16/what-you-need-to-know-when-you-get-vaccinated-and-after-you-get-vaccinated/

A really good article – Coronavirus Life: What To Expect When You Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Covid Vaccine 1 – DH

Posted on March 1, 2021 by MaryO

So I decided to write about my DH’s experiences with the COVID-19 vaccine. Quick takeaway: He has had a couple TIAs, a “roto-rooter” surgery on each carotid artery, heart attack, prostate cancer…

He had been waffling back and forth about even getting the vaccine. Finally, a young woman from church signed him up, so he decided to follow through. She is signing up all the eligible people she knows from our church.

He had the Pfizer vaccine on Saturday, February 27, 2021 at a different location than mine – I was actually surprised how much more efficient mine was than his. I had assumed that they would be about the same.

My CVS experience:

When I got to CVS, I found that everything was very well run.

I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 3:30 and it gave me directions on where to go.

I was met by someone at door who checked my name – I showed him my phone screen – he showed me where to walk following arrows on floor. Then I was met by so someone who checked my name and he asked if I had done the texting thing (yes!).

There were 4 people ahead of me that I could see.  It went very fast.  I was in the little room within less than 10 minutes.

The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.

She told me to treat the little quarantine form like gold.  Take a picture on my phone, just in case.  Maybe laminate after second shot.  Keep it with passport.

She said that old folks (like me!) didn’t have as many issues after second shot.

The shot was very fast – I never felt it.

The nurse said if I get a headache, take Tylenol only. I said that was all I could take anyway because I have only one kidney.

I sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes to be sure there were no problems  There were about 10 or so people sitting around the store that I could see at various stages of their 15 minutes.

We arrived for DH’s shot about 5 minutes early – There was no indication outside the store, or on any of the doors, that even said that this place offered injections. When we got inside, nothing. We guessed that it would be at the pharmacy, in the back. Next to the pharmacy was a Quest, like Quest Diagnostics, I thought. DH went in there and was told to check in at the pharmacy. He waited behind people filling prescriptions and asking questions about them. Finally, they took his check-in form and they gave him a ticket for the shot. Then, back in the Quest room.

While he was waiting, I talked to a woman who had just gotten her vaccine. She had no idea how long to wait – unlike CVS where all the chairs had attached timers and someone checking on you and telling when you could leave.

When DH came out (he didn’t wait at all!), he didn’t have a second appointment. The CVS version, I signed up for both before the first injection. We were walking up the aisle and he’d lost his card already. We went back to Quest and he found it. It’s not in a special pocket of his wallet.

As a special treat, we ate out at an old favorite restaurant of ours, where we hadn’t been in nearly a year. We used to eat there almost every Friday night – and they remembered us!

Later that night he was thinking about it – and got a little headache. Meanwhile, our young friend secured his second appointment.

Like me, he was fine the next day but the third day (today) fatigue set in.

Covid Vaccine 1

Posted on February 21, 2021 by MaryO

January 12, 2021 my Mom’s doctor called and offered her the vaccine but she didn’t want it. She said she didn’t go anywhere. True but my DH and I do – and she has a friend visit once a month. I joked to a friend that I could put on a wig and go as her since we have the same first name.

I have been doing the COVID-19 Patient Monitoring System through my doctor’s office since it was first offered. Just a few boxes of how I’m feeling, if I wore a mask and so on. I am a strong believer in helping to participate in medical trials, as I mention below. This one is very easy and takes about a minute out of my day. Easy-peasy.

I’ve been on the Fairfax Waiting List since January 19, 2021. As of right now, they are still scheduling people from January 18 – I read somewhere that 41,000-some people registered on the 18th, so it may be a while to get to my date. They have set up an interesting dashboard to track how things are going – https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/vaccine/data

I got a link from a friend when CVS opened up clinics in my state – https://www.cvs.com/vaccine/intake/store/covid-screener/covid-qns

I kept the CVS link open and checked it every morning. Everything was full until Saturday, February 13. I was able to register at about 5 am. When I went back about 20 minutes later, everything was gone.

CVS sent out an informative email with directions, dates, ics file to easily add to calendar,

On the day of your appointment:

•Please arrive early enough to check in before your scheduled appointment. Arriving late for your appointment may result in an extended wait time.

•Bring your ID and insurance card, voucher or other coverage

•Don’t forget a face covering—wearing it throughout your visit is required

•When you arrive, please check in at the pharmacy area inside the store or follow the signs for the COVID-19 vaccine

CVS tips for vaccine shots:

•Wearing short sleeves makes getting a shot easier and faster

•If you must wear long sleeves, dress in layers with the short sleeves underneath

• Review the patient fact sheet about the specific vaccine you are receiving

What to do if you feel sick or have COVID-19 symptoms:

•Contact your health care provider immediately

•If your provider recommends it, get tested for COVID-19

• Cancel your appointment

•Don’t come to the pharmacy

•Schedule a new appointment when you’re well

After your vaccine:

•Be prepared to stay for 15 to 30 minutes after the COVID-19 vaccination so you can be observed for side effects.

•If you experience side effects from your COVID-19 vaccine dose, you may find some guidance at Coronavirus: Vaccine, Prevention Tips & FAQs

And a short survey, which I took – just add up to 5 stars and write a short paragraph.

Monday, February 15, 2021: When I got to CVS, I found that everything was very well run.

I got a text from CVS asking me to click a link when I arrived at 3:30 and it gave me directions on where to go.

I was met by someone at door who checked my name – I showed him my phone screen – he showed me where to walk following arrows on floor. Then I was met by so someone who checked my name and he asked if I had done the texting thing (yes!).

There were 4 people ahead of me that I could see. It went very fast. I was in the little room within less than 10 minutes.

The nurse asked if left arm was ok to use.

She told me to treat the little quarantine form like gold. Take a picture on my phone, just in case. Maybe laminate after second shot. Keep it with passport.

She said that old folks (like me!) didn’t have as many issues after second shot.

The shot was very fast – I never felt it.

The nurse said if I get a headache, take Tylenol only. I said that was all I could take anyway because I have only one kidney.

I sat in the waiting area for 15 minutes to be sure there were no problems There were about 10 or so people sitting around the store that I could see at various stages of their 15 minutes.

I was glad to see that it was Moderna (MRNA) although I would have taken either. I have a long-standing issue with the other drug company, unrelated to COVID vaccines.

I posted on FB that I had done my first injection and a friend told me about registering at vsafe.cdc.gov for them to keep track of me after the vaccination. I signed up for that right away – and I noticed that CVS had also given me that link.

About 12 hours later (3:30 am) I got up to go to the bathroom and noticed that my arm was a little sore. No biggie.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021: I just got my first dose of Moderna yesterday – sore arm, so far.

The nurse told me yesterday that older people like myself (I’m 72) had fewer side effects since we had been exposed to more things over the years. I’m not sure how accurate that is but I’ll hold on to that hope until I get my second dose on March 15!

Wednesday, February 17, 2021: I had weird dreams overnight but I got up about 4:00 am. I did some work and fell back asleep until 10:15.

We didn’t go to water exercise. I decided at the very last minute, walking out the door. Reaction to Monday shot? I had a little headache, dizzy, congested, very tired. I should have taken more cortisone at this time but didn’t remember until 8:30 pm.

I slept more until about 2 pm and had very weird dreams – I don’t know if the dreams are part of it or not but I reported them to the safe.cdc.gov questionnaire.

I cancelled piano lessons for the day. I wrote to my students:

I am so sorry but I need to cancel today’s lesson. I had the first COVID vaccination on Monday afternoon. I was feeling fine yesterday so I assumed that I wasn’t going to have any side effects but they caught up with me today. It’s just a headache , a bit of congestion and fatigue (I’ve been sleeping all day so far) but I don’t think I would be at my best during XXX’s lesson.

See you next week…

After cancelling lessons, I went back to sleep until time for Pender’s 7 pm Ash Wednesday service. I was felling cold but I don’t know if it was chills or really a cold. I started coughing a little.

At night, I remembered I should have up-dosed. I told my DH that night if he ever noticed me like this again, it was the perfect time to tell me to stress dose. It never occurred to me during the day.

At that point, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. I had dinner (I was surprised that I could eat it) at 9:25 and did my growth hormone injection.

I went to bed at 11 p.

Thursday, February 18, 2021: I’m a little more tired than usual but ok. I spent time napping and working alternated through the day.

Friday, February 19, 2021: Just the normal tiredness. Hooray!

Info below from https://medshadow.org/covid19-vaccine-side-effects/ I’ve had the bold ones so far after the first injection.

Moderna

Moderna started Phase III clinical trials for its vaccine candidate in July. In earlier trials, nearly half of patients experienced common adverse effects like injection site pain, rash, headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and fevers after the second injection. These effects generally subsided within two days. CNBC spoke to a few individuals, some participating in Moderna’s trial and some in Pfizer’s trial who said much the same thing: the side effects were intense and included a high fever, body aches, bad headaches and exhaustion, but were worth it for protection from Covid-19.

In the FDA report published in December, the most common side effects were pain at injection site (91.6% of patients), fatigue (68.5%), headache (63.0%), muscle pain (59.6%), joint pain (44.8%), and chills (43.4%). Three patients experienced Bell’s Palsy, a sudden, and usually temporary, weakening or paralysis of the facial muscles.

The CDC reports that 11% of patients experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first shot. That raised to 16% after the second shot.

Moderna has announced that it will begin testing its vaccine in children and adolescents, who they believe may have stronger immune responses, leading to more intense side effects.

This page has information about the other brands of vaccine: https://fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com/2021/02/16/what-you-need-to-know-when-you-get-vaccinated-and-after-you-get-vaccinated/

Giving Thanks…

Posted on November 23, 2017 by MaryO

From the Giving Thanks series at http://www.maryo.co/tag/giving-thanks/

Today I am hugely thankful that the last major issue we had here was in 2013 when Tom had his heart attack. That event caused me to start this new blog to post about our experiences.

January 27, 2013 was our 40th anniversary. DH called me and said he was leaving a conference in Washington, DC and we’d go out to brunch when he got home.

The next thing I had heard was that he was in the ER with a suspected heart attack. I rushed to the ER and found him in his cubicle. He’d had 3 nitroglycerine pills by then and figured he could go home.

Wrong! They had him stay overnight at the hospital. January 28th, they decided to send him by ambulance to Fairfax Hospital for a cardiac catheterization and possible stent.

At the end of that, the surgeon came into my waiting room and said that he needed triple bypass NOW. Three of the arteries were 100% blocked. They got me calmed down to see him in the OR.

He was trying to get odds of not doing this surgery and just leaving then. Finally, I said that he would do this surgery, we weren’t going to fool with this.

I really lost it when they asked me if we had any children and I said 1 son in NYC. They called him at work in New York and had him get there as soon as possible. I’m sure he could hear the fear in my voice.

They wheeled DH off for surgery and I waited again. Luckily, 2 church friends came and sat with me and our pastor arrived about 8:00PM. Our son arrived about 8:30PM after taking the Acela and a taxi directly to the hospital.

The surgery was over about 9:00PM but when we saw Tom, he was still under anesthesia. They kept him that way until the next morning since he was too confused when they woke him up.

Long story short (too late!) – he got out of the hospital on the 31st and I played nurse 24/7. He couldn’t drive/go anywhere for 6 weeks, and then there were 12 weeks of cardiac rehab.

One of the things that came out or cardiac rehab was becoming friendly with 2 other couples (although one of them has since split up). We go out to dinner every couple months…and none of the surgeons would be happy about our choices.

A slightly different take on the events, written 3 weeks later on the same blog.

Icy Days and Mondays…*

* With apologies to Karen Carpenter!

I know I’m not supposed to “relive” events. I have done that too often with my Cushing’s and cancer adventures and I’m told that reliving causes nearly as much stress as the original event.

So, I plan to write down my memories here and try to let them go…

It all started on Sunday, January 27, 2013 – our 40th wedding anniversary. I picked up my mom and went to church so I could sing in the choir. DH went to a meeting of some sort on Benghazi.

After church, I stopped off in the church office for a goodie bag that the Staff Parish Committee had left.

Dropped my mom off at her house and went home. I put the goodie bag on the dining room table and logged onto the computer to do some work.

I got a couple text messages from DH:

I figured I’d take a nap until DH came home for that late brunch.

The next thing I hear was my phone ringing, a call from DH. He was in the ER at Fair Oaks with a heart attack. OMG!

I immediately leaped up and rushed out the door. I called one of my pastors and got to the ER in record time. When I arrived, he was in a bed, all hooked up to monitors, fluids and such. He was awake and feeling pretty well thanks to the nitroglycerine they had given him immediately after arrival.

When we had a chance to talk, it turned out that he had been in his conference and realized his chest was getting tight. He found the hotel’s store and bought aspirin – 3 for $11.00 which he thought was extravagant. He bought them and took them anyway – and probably saved his life.

On the way home, he was feeling pretty good so he stopped at the mall to buy an anniversary gift. The salesgirl in Zales didn’t know that ruby was the stone for the 40th anniversary and was kind of ribbing DH for waiting until the last minute to buy a gift. He walked out of there, felt more tightness and headed to the ER…where he called me.

DH was feeling pretty well thanks to the nitroglycerin and aspirin plus whatever else they had in the IV and wanted to go home. The staff said no way – he had to stay overnight so he could be monitored.

The “automatic clock” on the wall said it was Monday. Other rooms said Sunday. Hmmm

A trainee EMT came in to ask some questions as part of his learning process. Every time DH mentioned the word “Benghazi”, his blood pressure spiked about 40 points or so. That term became verboten ever after.

My pastor stopped by and we had some nice chats and prayers.

Time passed, tests were done, doctors and nurses stopped by. Finally, DH was moved to his room upstairs.

About 9 or so I went home and found our dog huddled by the front door – I had left so quickly I hadn’t left her any lights on. I imagine she was quite worried.

I can’t even remember what I had to eat for dinner but I really wanted something chocolate. On a whim, I looked in that goodie bag and there was a double-sized brownie. I think I ate that in record time and it really hit the spot.

Monday morning (for real!), I checked the weather and found that school was starting late because of icy conditions. I put on boots and took the dog out. It seemed to be raining – if it’s raining, it must be warm, right? So I didn’t really pay attention (and I had other things on my mind!) and completely missed seeing the black ice.

Next thing I knew, I had fallen on one knee, my cell phone in my pocket bruised my other thigh and my left arm hurt where I’d reached out to catch myself. Luckily, I hadn’t let go of the dog’s leash.

I ended up sitting in a puddle of icy water for a long time, figuring out how to get up. I finally sort of crawled up the trash can that was sitting in the driveway.

The dog had an abbreviated walk, I changed my wet, cold clothes and headed to the hospital. I was showing DH my knee and one of the staff bandaged it up for me. I told him I hadn’t fallen at the hospital and wouldn’t sue but I guess he wanted to be sure.

(Today, Monday February 18, my knee still has a huge lump under the skin and hurts when I touch it, although I’m no longer limping, The bruise/pain from cell phone finally went away)

The hospital staff decided DH should go to another hospital which is world renowned for its work with heart cases to have a heart catheterization and possible stent. DH was ready to walk out to my car to drive him to Fairfax Hospital. He wasn’t thrilled when he was strapped to a gurney and out to an ambulance instead.

I headed over in my car. They’d changed the entrances to the hospital since the last time I was there and I couldn’t find the “Grey Entrance”. Finally, after wandering around for a long time, I found it.

I saw DH in the prep room where they got him ready for the heart catheterization – then they rolled him away after explaining all the things that could go wrong.

I went out to the waiting room, got some coffee and a sandwich and hunkered down with my iPad.

Eventually, my beeper went off and I was called back to the room where DH had been prepped. The surgeon was there this time. She said that 3 arteries were nearly 100% blocked and they needed to do emergency triple bypass. They also needed me to convince DH of this since he was figuring he could tough it out.

I started crying but she said I had to get myself together and convince him NOW. I had to put on scrubs and off I went to the OR. I got there, DH was on the table trying to figure out the odds if he didn’t do this surgery. All the medical staff said that he had a very low chance of survival without the operation. He still wasn’t sure. He wasn’t afraid to die. Tough Guy, Yadda Yadda.

One of the nurses asked me if we had any kids. I said only one, in NYC. She said I should call him and get him here ASAP. She even dialed the number. I talked to DS at work and he agreed to come right away. He was pretty scared, too. He later revealed that he had been crying on the train ride.

I went back to the OR, told DH that DS was coming and that he was going to do the surgery like it or not. I signed the paperwork and sent him to a very scary surgery.

It was about 4:30 by then and I needed to take the dog out again. They said I could go home – surgery wouldn’t be over until about 8:00PM or so. Got home, took the dog, made sure that there were lights on, and headed back to the hospital. Another pastor from my church called. He said he’d be by the waiting room later.

Two friends from the church office texted me to say they were coming over to sit with me in the waiting room. They got there about 6:30 and we decided food might be a good thing. We headed out, following a variety of directions and signs and walked for a l-o-n-g time.

My knee was killing me. We got to the cafeteria and found out that it was closed. the 24-hour one was elsewhere. We finally found that, got some food and my cellphone rang. The surgeon would be coming out soon to talk to me.

We hustled back to the waiting room and the surgeon came out about 8:00 with good news. Successful surgery! DH wasn’t awake yet but we could see him about 9:00PM.

The pastor arrived about 8:30, then DS got there about 8:45. Finally, they said we could see DH although he still was asleep. My friends left, pastor and DS went in to see him in ICU, sleeping so peacefully with so many lines attached. The pastor prayed, then left. DS and I decided to stay to see DH awake.

About an hour later, the ICU tech said they were going to keep him asleep overnight so we went home.

Tuesday, January 29 – DS called the hospital fairly early and found that DH was still a bit agitated so they were keeping him under a bit. I took the dog out and we got ready to head back.

I got a call that he was waking up but agitated. He kept fighting with the nurses on the day of the week. He kept saying it was Monday, even though it was Tuesday. Surprise, surprise. The calendar on the wall hadn’t been changed. It still read Monday. No wonder that’s what he thought!

We stayed all day, though nurses, techs, doctor visits and such. He was in ICU so was monitored very well. DH was quite confused and repeated himself a lot. He wasn’t quite sure what had happened.

Wednesday, January 30. DH had been moved from ICU into a regular room and we had to follow visiting hours, even though we were family. We could visit at 11 and had to leave at 1, then back for 6-8. Actually, this worked out well since I was able to take my first nap since this whole ordeal began.

DH had called DS early in the morning and said he “needed” his cell phone to make some work calls. Luckily, DS talked him out of that, saying that he could say some wrong things, given his temporary memory issues. Thank goodness! I didn’t want him spending his days talking on the phone.

We got there about 10:45am and they still wouldn’t let us in due to “flu season”. I’m not sure how we could give him the flu in those 15 minutes before official visiting hours.

I glanced at the whiteboard on the wall where the nurses’ names, doctor’s name and such were written. Unfortunately, no one had changed this whiteboard since Monday, so that’s what it still said. <sigh>

We visited – DH got to eat a bit and had started having lines removed. He thought he might put his shorts on so went into the bathroom to do that. Unfortunately, he managed to pull the IV out of his hand and bled quite a bit. The nurse sent him back to bed and said no more of that!

A representative from the group Mended Hearts stopped by with information and a heart-shaped pillow. They have meetings the first Saturday of the month, so we might go to some of those.

The first pastor dropped by again and we made plans for Friday to pick up DH’s car which was still at the ER. No one else I know could get it – it’s a standard shift car.

Not much else – visiting, napping, improvements every day.

Finally, it’s not Monday! Nowhere, nohow. Just Thursday, January 31 after 4 days of Monday. Hooray!

DS had a headache so I went to the hospital alone. He was going to come for the nighttime visiting hours. As it happened, DH came home this day after lots of testing, last minute X-Ray, discharge notes, complaints about the night nurse…

We got home about 5:00PM. Yea!

Now the real work began – visiting nurses, medications, doctor visits, rehab.

Since it’s no longer Monday, this post is over 🙂

Whew! There was a lot more after the surgery – visiting nurses, cardiac rehab, so on and on.

I am hugely thankful for my pastors, friends, family, people who brought us dinners, all the doctors, nurses, surgeons, visiting nurses, rehab personal, Mended Hearts, ambulance folks, aspirin, nitroglycerin, insurance, Fair Oaks Hospital, Fairfax Hospital, everyone involved in any way with this escapade.

Giving Thanks, Day 3

Posted on January 27, 2017 by MaryO

Adapted from http://www.maryo.co/giving-thanks-day-3/

Today I am hugely thankful that the last major issue we had here was in 2013 when Tom had his heart attack. That event caused me to start a whole new blog to post about our experiences.

Adapted from https://maryomedical.com/2013/02/08/the-beginning/