TIM'S HOSPITAL STAY

TIM WENT TO THE HEART CATH CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE MARCH 5TH. WE WERE SHOCKED WHEN THEY TOLD US HE HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND HAVE A TRIPLE BY PASS DONE. SO WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND THE NEXT DAY THEY DID THE BY PASS. EVERYTHING WENT FINE. HE STAYED THE ALLOWED AMOUNT OF TIME IN CVICU. IT WAS REALLY HARD TO SEE HIM HOOKED UP TO EVERYTHING. I WAS ONLY ALLOWED 15 MINUTES 4 TIMES A DAY TO VISIT WITH HIM. I STAYED DAY AND NIGHT IN THE WAITING ROOM. I JUST COULDN'T LEAVE HIM. ON THE DAY TIM WAS TO LEAVE CVICU I WENT IN FOR OUR 15 MINUTE VISIT. THEY TOLD ME HIS ROOM NUMBER AND SAID I COULD GO ON IN THE ROOM AND WAIT FOR HIM AFTER OUR VISIT. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS EXCITED. BEFORE I LEFT THAT 15 MINUTE VISIT THEY TOLD ME HE WASN'T GOING TO LEAVE THE UNIT AFTER ALL. HE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HIS BREATHING. I LOST TRACK OF TIME WHILE WE WERE THERE. I JUST KNOW IT WAS A FEW MORE DAYS BEFORE HE GOT A ROOM. I DO KNOW THAT I KNEW WHEN I WENT TO SLEEP AT NIGHT IF THE NEXT DAY WOULD BE GOOD OR BAD. TIM DIDN'T HAVE TWO GOOD OR BAD DAYS IN A ROW. ON THE GOOD DAYS I WOULD CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A BAD DAY WHEN I GOT UP. IT TOOK ABOUT 3 WEEKS BEFORE HE HAD TWO GOOD DAYS IN A ROW. HIS BIRTHDAY WAS ON THE 13TH. THAT WAS A BAD DAY. HE CRASHED [MY WORD] 2 TIMES. THE SECOND TIME HE WAS WALKING. THEY HOOKED HIM UP TO OXYGEN AND TOOK HIS BLOOD PRESSURE IN THE HALL. [YOU HAVE TO WALK LAPS AROUND THE HALLS] THEY HAD TO PUSH HIM BACK TO HIS ROOM. THEY TOOK HIM DOWNSTAIRS FOR MORE TEST. HE HAD FLUID BUILDING UP ON HIS LUNGS. GOT OVER THAT AND WERE ABOUT TO SIGN PAPERS TO GO HOME WHEN HE STARTED FEELING BAD. THAT WAS AROUND 9:00 AM. HE GOT WORSE. HE STARTED LOOKING REALLY PALE HE WAS SICK AND WEAK. I COULD SEE THE LIFE SLIPPING AWAY FROM HIM. I COULD SEE THAT EVERYONE WAS STARTING TO WORRY. THEY CALLED THE MAIN CVICU NURSE TO HIS ROOM. SHE STARTED MORE TEST AND OFF HE WENT TO CVICU AGAIN. IT SEEMS THAT WHEN THEY PULLED HIS WIRES THAT WENT TO HIS HEART HE STARTED BLEEDING. THE SAC SURROUNDING HIS HEART FILLED UP WITH BLOOD AND HIS HEART WAS BARLEY BEATING. AROUND 4: 30 OR SO IT WAS BACK DOWNSTAIRS TO HAVE A DRAINAGE TUBE PUT IN. THEN BACK TO CVICU FOR A FEW DAYS. HE FINALLY GOT A ROOM AGAIN. HAD TROUBLE WITH HIS KIDNEY'S, GALL BLADDER AND PANCREAS. I ALSO FORGOT ABOUT HIS HEART BEING OUT OF RHYTHM IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS. THEY TOOK HIM DOWN STAIRS TO SHOCK HIM BACK IN RHYTHM. IT WORKED UNTIL HE WENT BACK TO CVICU THAT LAST TIME. WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF STRESS ON YOUR BODY YOUR BLOOD SUGAR GOES UP SO HE WAS HAVING TO TAKE INSULIN SHOTS TO. THINGS FINALLY STARTED GOING RIGHT AND TIM STARTED GETTING BETTER. HIS HEART WAS STILL OUT OF RHYTHM. HE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE AGAIN. HIS HEART RATE WOULD DROP AS LOW AS 25. SO IT WAS BACK DOWNSTAIRS TO HAVE A PACE MAKER PUT IN. TWO DAYS LATER ON THE 31TH WE GOT TO GO HOME. TALK ABOUT MIXED EMOTIONS. WE WERE HAPPY BUT SCARED. WE JUST HOPE THAT NOTHING ELSE WILL GO WRONG. WE WENT HOME ON THE 31TH. SO FAR SO GOOD. WE GO BACK TO HUNTSVILLE FRIDAY TO SEE A COUPLE OF DOCTORS. THAT WILL TAKE AROUND ONE AND A HALF HOURS OR SO TO DRIVE. IT WILL BE HARD ON TIM BECAUSE HE'S STILL WEAK.

I DID DO A LOT OF CROCHETING WHILE I WAS THERE. WILL POST PICTURES WHEN I FIND TIME. I ALSO MADE A LOT OF NEW FRIENDS. I TALKED TO SEVERAL OF THEM SINCE WE GOT HOME. I'LL TALK ABOUT THEM LATER. THEY ARE VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE. BUT FOR NOW ITS TIME FOR BED.