This has been one of the most traumatic days of my life. I woke up this morning around eight, made coffee, turned on the TV, got out my laptop, ready to start the day. Marilyn, my wife, had been up late watching TV, so I didn't wake her up. I saw some lights come on, and knew she was up. She came out, sat on the couch, grabbed her chest, and said, "My Pacemaker just went off." She sat a moment, and went out to get a cup of coffee, a few moments later, from the kitchen, a scream, one like you have never heard before, coffee dripping from everywhere.
She came in and we decided to call her Doctor. Then another scream, while she was talking to them. They said, "Call the squad," dialed 911, got an answer, seemed like a lot of questions, while talking with them another scream. While waiting for them, screams about every minute, screams when they came, and screams while being taken to the ambulance. I didn't ride with them, decided to follow after them. To be honest, I could not take any more of those horrible screams.
I must admit, I did not want to enter the emergency room, I was concerned and afraid what news they would have for me. After all, what good comes from a Pacemaker going off. I prepared myself for the worst and went in. After a short wait, they showed me to her room. Tubes, oxygen, needles, peeps, pings, all over the room, a doctor, three or four nurses, a mass of activity. I waited outside. Whatever they gave her, stopped the screams, her blood pressure had been high, but it was coming down.
Daughter, Melissa, came, Marilyn seemed to be a little more relaxed, her Cardiologist came in, finally the Defibrillator guy, who puts a thing over her pacemaker, hooks it up to his computer and takes some readings. She had screamed, and had 37 jolts to her heart.
Then he made a diagram, showing a High here, High and Low, and a Low, and this one was giving a false reading, don't know why, and that is what caused the trouble. The WHY, we figured out. It went back to the "Dish" TV she got. She had spent a week on the phone, not in a good mood, being sent back and forth from the Dish people to Windstream, etc., etc., etc., probably 20 or 30 hours of stress. They all agreed, that was probably what cause the "short circuit."
Anyway, they are keeping her over night for observation, she is in ICU, at our local hospital, Licking Memorial Hospital, Room 240, I think it is. She had more color and seemed quite well when I left.
Now, I have a problem. I did a lot of praying on the way to the hospital, I was concerned about the news when I got there, so along with the prayers I, well, I did some promising .... IF ..... THEN .... that sort of thing. Now I have to try to remember what all I promised.
Any good thoughts and prayers you have to send this way will be gratefully accepted.
PS - They adjusted the unit, they think all is well and they are just keeping her overnight for observation.
