Scary Night

The Story:
My husband left for work at 4 am to drive to Elko Nevada where there were problems with one of his commuter trains. The train was stuck out in the middle of nowhere and there were passengers on the train that needed immediate assistance. My husband, being the on call, drove from our home to somehwere in the desert by Elko Nevada. He tried to drive through the desert to get to the diabled train with not much luck. So, he walked in over 2 miles in and out and through the muddy terrain. It had been snowing that spring day and so the ground was thick with mud which made every step more difficult. He made it in to the disabled train and took care of the crew and the passengers. He then had to trek back out on foot another 2 miles until he reached his 4 wheel drive. After he got to his truck, he became stuck in that thick mud. He was trying to push his vehicle out and a farmer came by and pointed a shot gun at him and accused him of letting his animals out of the gate. After much explanation and discussion, the farmer finally relented and then offered to help him get his vehicle out of the mud. He then went on his way. Around eight PM that night he called me and notified me that he was on his way home and had just stopped somewhere near Wendover to get a bite to eat. I knew that he would arrive in about 2 hours. I have driven that road before and knew the distance well. Around 9:30 in the evening, the phone rang, I thought it was my husband calling to say he was almost home. I knew he had had a hard hard day and would be exhausted. But, it was not my husband, it was a paramedic. Oh the thoughts that ran through my mind in that split second before she told me what was going on. She identified herself and explained in a very calm voice that my husband had had a heart attack and had pulled off the road trying to make it into town. She told me where the ambulance was taking him and that they would be expecting me. Every thought ran through my mind at that exact moment in time. I thought about how I would have to call all of my boys and tell them about their dad. I just couldn't comprehend living without him. We had been married for over 32 years. What would my grandchildren do without their grandpa? I composed myself and called my youngest son who still lives with us and told him to come home now! I explained the situation to him and he was home in less than 5 minutes. I tried to stay calm as we drove from our home more than twenty minutes away to the hospital where he was taken. It seemed like forever, almost like we were in slow motion and everything was moving so much slower than normal. I did not run one light or stop sign and did not even break the speed limit which was driving my son crazy as he had asked me several times if he could drive. He's a speed demon!!! I declined as I had to be in control. We were almost to the hospital and a nurse called and said that my husband was taken to CT for scans and indicated that he would not be in the ER, so not to worry. We arrived five minutes later and he was back from CT. As we walked in to the ER, there were strips of EKG tabs all over the floor along with empty packages many items they had used on my husband. He had the heart monitors attached to his chest and the IV's in his arm and was bare chested, as they had cut his shirt off of him in the ambulance. He was laying in the bed with his feet hanging off the end covered in mud. He still had his boots on. My husband proceeded to explain what was going on with him and how everything came about.

He was driving home and just past the airport he became weak with intense chest pain and could not breathe and unable to lift his left arm. Classic symptoms of a heart attack. He pulled off the freeway and exited trying to make it to the nearest hospital but could not as the pain was so intense. He pulled into a gas station and called 911. The ambulance was there in less than five minutes, which could have saved his life. His heart rate was up over 170 and it was like he was going explode. They cut off his clothes and proceeded to take him to the nearest hospital. My husband cursed at them and told them not to take him to that other (name withheld)hospital and to take him to another hospital, which is where I work. They complied.

Evidenlty, he was in pretty bad shape when they brought him in. They thought he had had a pulmonary embolism or a heart attck. The signs were so classic and very bad. They tested him for everything and they treated him accordingly. They took such good care of him.

The outcome:
He did not have a heart attack or an embolism but a combination of high blood pressure and dehydration and lack of potassium and stress put his heart into an irregular heart rate. His heart is and will be just fine.

It was a pretty scary night and we are just very thankful that he is ok to stick around for a few more years to enjoy his family. Were taking life one day at a time.

I am very thankful that he is ok!