A memorable weekend

I won’t forget this Memorial weekend anytime soon.   It began with Huhoney coming home from working up North for a week.  He got home around 6 pm Friday evening and we shared a nice dinner out, settled down in front of the t.v. and caught up on a bunch of shows that I recorded.  He was beat down.  Tired.  We decided to make it an early night and sleep in.  Yes, we slept in longer than I we ever do. 

9:15 am Saturday morning I am awakened by Huhoney leaning against the wall, “What’s the matter” I ask, “dizzy” in a slur….I jumped out of bed and ran to his side, “please don’t fall over on me honey, I can’t hold you up, you have to get to the bench” (5 feet away), he manages, Huhoney is disoriented, starts mumbling, his right arm is doing crazy things…he is sweating, mumbling incoherently and is very upset, I try to calm him, it is 9:20 I looked at the clock, pushed him into the bed and ran to our guest bedroom where my nephew and his wife were sleeping (thank goodness), “Kevin please get up and come to our room, uncle Bob is in trouble”, I run to our bedroom where Huhoney is in distress but still sitting up, his arm is moving wildly,  his eyes are glazed and he is scared.  I hold him to my chest and cry, he is also upset, I ask him if he is having chest pains, NOOOO in slurred speech but I can tell he is disoriented and upset, I can also tell that he is not having difficulty breathing,  by this time my nephew’s wife Carrie sits behind him and I run to my closet and throw on some clothes, Kevin is on the phone with 911.  I am calm but scared.  I have to remain calm.  Kevin, turned on the porch light and opened the front door.  I am holding him again and we are both crying, I told him not to worry, everything would be alright.  He was not having a heart attach but maybe a stroke.  I don’t know why I knew, but I did.

They arrive, 5 of them.  2 on the fire truck and 3 in the ambulance, 9:40.  The hospital is 7 minutes away and that is driving the speed limit.  The fire station is 2 blocks away.  What took them so long? 20 minutes is way too long.

I am calm.  I have to be.  He is in their hands now.  They take him away and I finish getting dressed. Sort of.  I quickly make 2 phone calls, to our 2 sons.  My daughter who is in NC is camping out and I am not sure if she has phone service.  I choose not to call and upset her.  She is her daddy’s girl.

I am in the ER now and it is 10 am.  He is stable.  Still can’t control his right arm and touch his nose.  It was determined NOT to give him a powerful drug that has some bad side effects in case of brain bleed.  The doctors are stumped, he has been such a healthy man.  Just had a physical. 

Test are done, no MRI because of the morphine pump he has implanted.   They need to find the source of the stroke.  about 11 am his right arm has more control.  By 11:30 he is able to touch his nose.  All great signs.  No paralysis.  He will not be going home today and will spend the night.  Huhoney is not happy about that.  Too bad I say.

Off you go…you have a room assigned.  I pull out the trusty ole camera that is always in my purse.  I remind him, ”this is for posterity you know” and start to laugh.  It is a good relief.  We needed to laugh after a good cry.

My son thinks I am crazy but I don’t care.  The hospital guy thinks I am crazy, but smiles for his picture.  I don’t care what anyone thinks.  I really don’t!

 

Here we are Huhoney, this will be home today, they said you will probably go home tomorrow…..

 

 

Brad our son was totally hands on and wanted to take care of his dad, he even did the nurses job and helped him into his bed.  They said it was a nicer bed.  Yeah right.  lol

 

 

I have to keep reminding him that this is for the best.  Huhoney hates feeling helpless and not in control.

 

 

then there are those silly moments when you can’t get a good picture.  Huhoney has a thing about closing his eyes with a flash…

 

 

once in a while I can catch a good one.  Ah how I love this guy!  The one on the left….

Visitors are always welcome.  Gene Hackman wished him good luck too. (hehehe) well not really but thought I would just throw it in anyway.   He once gave out his autograph to a girl at a truck stop on a paper plate cause she thought he was Gene. LOL

 

 

 

visitors are always uplifting… especially if they just want to hang out…and feed you peanuts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well day 1 went by and he didn’t get to go home… they wanted to know where the source of the stroke came from, duh….I should have been a doctor….his leg is swelling up. Nope this hasn’t happened before….are you sure? YES…this hasn’t happened before…bring in the ultra sound cart…

uh yep, there it is, a nice big clot in your leg.  This is day 2 at 7 pm folks.  This is also after 2 physical therapist ran him around the halls at 8 am in the  morning and they finally got the ultra sound guy to come in at 7 pm.  OK we better put him on blood thinners now.  Let’s give him a shot in his tummy.   Hmm this doesn’t look good.  So let’s give him another shot in his tummy on the other side.  Oh dear, let’s get another doctors opinion.  A specialist.  Can’t wait to see this guys bill!  Ummm now he has a very swollen sore leg and also a very sore bruised tummy.  No more shots for you big guy.  You are having a reaction…DUH!

After 4 days in the hospital and lots of vials of blood (15 one time) (12 the next)… on the 4th day Wednesday, he was bring released after listening to instructions from his nurse Mel.  He decided he didn’t need an escort out of the hospital or a wheelchair either, so we made the great escape on our own.  They will miss him.  He loves to joke with the nurses and has a wonderful sense of humor in spite of all the craziness.

he was one very happy Huhoney  and will probably give me a hard time for posting all of this on my blog….oh well I say…POSTERITY, for the records when we are really old and (he) is grey(er) and argue about what really happened!  LOL POSTERITY.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was being a smart-al-ick in the above pic.

 

GET ME OUT OF HERE AND FAST BEFORE THEY CHANGE THEIR MINDS AGAIN!

 

 

This is a beautiful monument out side of the hospital on the grounds.  I have always loved this tree from the day it was erected.  When you drive by at night it is a reminder of the healing and life that is forever trying to be achieved at this hospital.

there are thousands of leaves on this tree and the tips of the branches have the fiber optic lights that change colors from red, to purple, green, orange, blue and white.  It is so beautiful and is a great reminder of how beautiful LIFE is!

“The Tree of Light and Life”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To all of our family and all of my special “Village” friends.  Thank you so much for your well wishes and prayers.  They were felt across the miles.  I was a little preoccupied this week and I apologize for not posting sooner and filling you in on Huhoney’s condition.  He is doing well and it won’t take long for him to be up and running again…well, walking fast…..

Much love and hugs and SMILES ACROSS THE MILES……lindalu