DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.
My son Dan, Cpl, USMC-R, now in Iraq for his second tour... I get to hear from him periodically by phone...and e-mail once in awhile...Dan told us he was sending home a DVD he made with his new camera... Well when Dan comes home I think he should seek a job with Steven Spielberg...lol His video was great... background music and all... I can't wait to see his next DVD...
Anyway... more later...
Monday, May 30, 2005
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
10 Days, Two Scares !!
DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.
Well.... 10 days and it's already been one hellova month. Last Thursday I finally got a phone call from my son Dan... the US Marine, presently in Iraq (his second deployment). I was delighted... About 5 minutes into the call, I hear a loud explosion in the background...
Dan yells either into the phone or just in general... "I gotta go... I gotta go... I gotta go"... then the line went dead.
If I had heart problems... I think the big one would have hit me right then. I fell to pieces... for the next 10 minutes I just wept... I could not imagine what horror Dan could be suffering through. And then...The phone rang and again I heard Dan's welcome, angelic voice... "Hi Pops"... sheeesh... Turns out Dan was back at his "forward operating base" had a few minutes to call home, no line for the phone so he called. Also turns out no one passed the word that there would be a controlled detonation of confiscated weapons and so it took a lot of people by surprise, to say the least. So knock on wood... Dan's ok... but I have not been that afraid as a father in a long time.
A few days later and it's Mothers Day. Nothing Special going on in the morning, Jay was home (Rachel too) and we were just working around the house. Jay bought a Knabe upright piano and it was delivered that morning. Great piano. We're supposed to have dinner (possibly)with my friend Liz but that was not firmed up...She was away in New Jersey herself the day before...
So anyway, Jay's friend Liz (from Massachusetts and working in New Jersey, not to be confused with my Liz from Long Island...lol) was in Connecticut and was coming to visit for a few hours. So Rachel and I followed Jay to Port Jefferson. Rachel and I were to wait near a Nathan's Famous Restaurant (about 20 minutes) while Jay went on to the ferry to pick up his friend Liz coming in at 2:45PM.
So, Rachel and I are shopping (across from the restaurant) at a Family Dollar store, picking up odds'n'ends... little stuff... And (here's scare # 2) suddenly I feel a pain in my chest like I've never felt before. Normally if I feel chest pain, it's like "heartburn"... I take some TUMS and away it goes, But this... did not feel like a TUMS will get rid of it type pain. Now, I don't go to doctors or hospitals for myself in any type of rush basis... But feeling this pain...I felt this would be a good time to "get checked".
I told Rachel what I was feeling and she literally dropped what was in her hands and walked me out to her car. She put oxygen on me right away and we were off to Mather Memorial Hospital 5 minutes away. Mather has a unique "Chest Pain ER"...
We walked in and were immediately whisked into the "Chest Pain ER"... Within minutes they had my vitals, taken an electro cardiogram and a chest x-ray. Then came the blood tests. Now we wait for results. Well, the cardiogram looked good but the ER Doc said that does not mean nothing went on. My chest pain had subsided by the time I arrived at the ER... The chest x-ray also, no abnormal findings. So we wait for the blood test results. When they arrive, the attending reads them and tells me my cardio enzymes results were high...(norm is 90... my count was 102... Cardiologist says... no... not really high until 110... but ER Doc playing it safe) a possible indication of heart problems. Muscle damage etc. So he wants me admitted. A least overnight. This is because they want to repeat the blood tests and cardiograms a few times. So I agree. The other reason for the overnight stay is to have a stress test done immediately. If I went home, they'd have to schedule a stress test and that could take 10 days. So I stayed...
Long and short of it is, I pass the stress test, pass with the exception of not going as long as they wanted (my legs cramped up) and my pulse only reached 138, not the 146 they were looking for... But from all indications, the heart is strong. So go home.
And finally, 25 hours after I walked into the ER, I left the ER. But boy, that was a scare. Saw my own Doc few days later... he reviewed all the tests and says I'm good to go... whew... See ya later...
Well.... 10 days and it's already been one hellova month. Last Thursday I finally got a phone call from my son Dan... the US Marine, presently in Iraq (his second deployment). I was delighted... About 5 minutes into the call, I hear a loud explosion in the background...
Dan yells either into the phone or just in general... "I gotta go... I gotta go... I gotta go"... then the line went dead.
If I had heart problems... I think the big one would have hit me right then. I fell to pieces... for the next 10 minutes I just wept... I could not imagine what horror Dan could be suffering through. And then...The phone rang and again I heard Dan's welcome, angelic voice... "Hi Pops"... sheeesh... Turns out Dan was back at his "forward operating base" had a few minutes to call home, no line for the phone so he called. Also turns out no one passed the word that there would be a controlled detonation of confiscated weapons and so it took a lot of people by surprise, to say the least. So knock on wood... Dan's ok... but I have not been that afraid as a father in a long time.
A few days later and it's Mothers Day. Nothing Special going on in the morning, Jay was home (Rachel too) and we were just working around the house. Jay bought a Knabe upright piano and it was delivered that morning. Great piano. We're supposed to have dinner (possibly)with my friend Liz but that was not firmed up...She was away in New Jersey herself the day before...
So anyway, Jay's friend Liz (from Massachusetts and working in New Jersey, not to be confused with my Liz from Long Island...lol) was in Connecticut and was coming to visit for a few hours. So Rachel and I followed Jay to Port Jefferson. Rachel and I were to wait near a Nathan's Famous Restaurant (about 20 minutes) while Jay went on to the ferry to pick up his friend Liz coming in at 2:45PM.
So, Rachel and I are shopping (across from the restaurant) at a Family Dollar store, picking up odds'n'ends... little stuff... And (here's scare # 2) suddenly I feel a pain in my chest like I've never felt before. Normally if I feel chest pain, it's like "heartburn"... I take some TUMS and away it goes, But this... did not feel like a TUMS will get rid of it type pain. Now, I don't go to doctors or hospitals for myself in any type of rush basis... But feeling this pain...I felt this would be a good time to "get checked".
I told Rachel what I was feeling and she literally dropped what was in her hands and walked me out to her car. She put oxygen on me right away and we were off to Mather Memorial Hospital 5 minutes away. Mather has a unique "Chest Pain ER"...
We walked in and were immediately whisked into the "Chest Pain ER"... Within minutes they had my vitals, taken an electro cardiogram and a chest x-ray. Then came the blood tests. Now we wait for results. Well, the cardiogram looked good but the ER Doc said that does not mean nothing went on. My chest pain had subsided by the time I arrived at the ER... The chest x-ray also, no abnormal findings. So we wait for the blood test results. When they arrive, the attending reads them and tells me my cardio enzymes results were high...(norm is 90... my count was 102... Cardiologist says... no... not really high until 110... but ER Doc playing it safe) a possible indication of heart problems. Muscle damage etc. So he wants me admitted. A least overnight. This is because they want to repeat the blood tests and cardiograms a few times. So I agree. The other reason for the overnight stay is to have a stress test done immediately. If I went home, they'd have to schedule a stress test and that could take 10 days. So I stayed...
Long and short of it is, I pass the stress test, pass with the exception of not going as long as they wanted (my legs cramped up) and my pulse only reached 138, not the 146 they were looking for... But from all indications, the heart is strong. So go home.
And finally, 25 hours after I walked into the ER, I left the ER. But boy, that was a scare. Saw my own Doc few days later... he reviewed all the tests and says I'm good to go... whew... See ya later...
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