Remember Elementary School when your return in September led off with a “How I Spent my Summer” assignment?
I feel like I’m back in school again after a long hard summer away from home.
I’m back after the worst (or possibly the best – depending on how you look at it) summer of my life. After all I am still here to tell you all about it.
And, for those of you who sent messages saying they missed me and missed seeing my name in the paper, Thank You! I am back to writing for the Review, but on a much-reduced schedule these days.
To explain, A trip to the hospital in Midland July 20 for a possible overnight stay and a routine heart test turned into 47 days (including ambulance rides and discharge days) spent in three hospitals – Midland ICU (19 days) Saginaw’s Select Specialty Hospital floor in Covenant Hospital (critical care about 15 days) and finally 12 days at MyMichigan – Alma in their Recovery wing.
Not the kind of summer I would recommend, but a real life-saver for me as it turned out.
Several months of reduced stamina and strength led to the order for a heart test where they inject a dye to see if arteries are blocked. Other than some plaque, mine weren’t, but during the test I had a massive allergic reaction to the iodine in the dye, arteries collapsed and I had a heart attack on the table. Couple that with tubes into my lungs and stomach and a bout of pneumonia (recurring from April) in my lungs and being under a sedative (Fentanyl) for days that gave me hallucinations (it’s 100 times more potent than morphine I’m told). It was a harrowing time.
But despite all that, and thanks to a wonderful surgical team’s lifesaving efforts led by my outstanding Cardiologist Dr. Mattichak, I am still here, recovering at home now.
I was told after I finally was able to understand what had happened to me, that it was “touch and go” (Jack’s words) for a few days while my family waited to see if I would recover, (which I am still doing, by the way).
All along this long, long episode of healing, I was lucky to have wonderful people helping me every step of the way – doctors, nurses, aides, therapists and staff who did their utmost to make my recovery as comfortable and successful as possible. I can’t thank them enough and I can’t name them all, although I don’t remember a single one that wasn’t cheerful and encouraging.
They went out of their way many, many times and worked long hard hours, always with a smile and comforting words for us, their patients, and when it was time for a discharge, sending us out with good wishes for recovery, good luck, hugs and assurances we would be missed – several saying, “Come back for a visit but we don’t want to have you as a patient again!”
At the Intensive Care Unit at MyMichigan Health in Midland, they were patient and caring despite the things I was facing, including the paranoia I was going through due to the drugs.
Once I started getting better, I was discharged and moved to a critical care facility. My time at Select in Saginaw was the real beginning of my road to recovery with lots of encouragement and care on every side. I have to say, that although there was a noticeable shortage of staff and sometimes equipment at that aging facility, those harried, dedicated people did their utmost to make it a positive experience and really cared for their patients despite conditions that made it pretty difficult sometimes. They are the real heroes for those of us in there that were close to death’s door however briefly!
The stellar facility of the three hospitals I was “guest” at for the end of August and Labor Day weekend had to be the Rehab Center at MyMichigan Alma. With a dedicated staff, enough to be there for every patient’s needs, and with a facility that had everything needed for developing an intensive recovery plan that included three hours each day Monday through Saturday, you just had to improve.
I came home the day after Labor Day with a walker and a cane and with the help of home therapy, nursing and personal care, (something nearly every day…) that is still ongoing. I have now graduated to mobility without a walker and even without a cane (indoors at least) and I can take care of myself (most times).
Outpatient therapy will be next, and hopefully the last on my healing schedule. They tell me I should have a nearly complete recovery by the holidays!!