He's Home!

After five days in the hospital, four of which had practically no intervention whatsoever, Ed was discharged today. He was admitted to CMMC early Friday afternoon to revaluate recent changes on his EKG and promptly put in a holding pattern until Monday which turned into Tuesday due to a scheduling conflict (overbooking) in the Cath. Lab (Heaven forbid any surgeon would have worked after 3 p.m. on Friday or *gasp* consider weekend duty!) for a heart catheterization. This is Ed's fourth since his first heart attack diagnosed several years ago.

I remember, fondly, a morning when he laid bed hooked up to more hospital whistles and bells than you can imagine and asked, "What day is it"? "It's Tuesday." I said. He smiled as much as one can with chest tubes, catheter, oxygen, IVs, drains and a lot of pain killers on board and whispered, "It's 6/6/06". This was the day after his quadruple bypass. There had only been one small setback in the interim until this Friday, Feb 29. I'm sure leap year played no role in this recent event.

Now yesterday, what should have been an hour procedure turned into two and one-half when the surgeon discovered one bypass totally blocked. This necessitated locating to the originally blocked artery, reopening it, and inserting three stents to the narrowed areas to get an adequate blood supply re-established. Collaterals only do so much.

The cardiologist said Ed's "at the mercy of his genes" as both parents died in their mid-50's from heart related conditions. Factor in the fact he grew up in a home with chain-smoking parents plus having almost 20 years service working in a coal mine. All of which are taxing on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

I will be watching his diet more closely (if that's possible?) and made him promise to exercise on a more regular basis. As an added incentive he has a very important event this August. He will be walking our daughter down the aisle.

Each day is a gift and a blessing. We take nothing for granted.