For the past month or so, I have not felt well. The slightest exertion would completely exhaust me and I would become very short of breath and I would have to either sit or lie down for a while to recuperate. I had also noticed some sporadic irritating chest pains that would radiate toward each shoulder and then dissipate after a while.
I should have been able to put it together but for some reason I did not. I was a Nationally Registered Paramedic in the early 80’s and had administered advance cardiac life support to many patients during my term of practicing Paramedicine. I guess when it is YOU, it just doesn’t register but I did go to the doctor a few days before the attack and they scheduled me for a lot of tests that I was to take this week. I didn’t make it nor did my family practitioner pick up on the signs.
This past Monday, March 20, 2023, I was sitting on the couch talking to Linda, my wife, and began to suffer a crushing sharp pain behind my sternum and pain was radiating down my left arm, I was nauseous, diaphoretic, and Linda said I was the color of ash.
She called an ambulance and it took them about 20 minutes to get here. They got me in the ambulance, started a line and gave me a Nitro pill under my tongue which helped ease some of the pain.
When we arrived at the hospital emergency room, there were no rooms available so I laid on the gurney in the hall of the ER for an hour before anyone moved me to a room. Then the resident on duty came in and started asking me questions and decided they would keep me overnight for observation. She then walked out of the room and another attack hit me about 4 times worse than the first one and Linda had to get them back in the room . They looked at my EKG and in about 30 seconds, there were 8 people in that room with crash carts and equipment all over me staring IVs and placing a defibrillator on my chest. Linda was in a corner absolutely terrified, and they rushed me up to the cath lab. I was praying all the way into surgery but not for myself,, I was praying for GOD to take care of Linda. When they did the procedure, they discovered I had a 99% blockage in the “widow maker” artery and the one next to it had a 90% blockage. They inserted 2 stents. I somehow remained conscious through all of this and when the Cardiologist surgeon had finished the procedure, he leaned over and said “ if you had not been in this emergency room when this hit, you would be dead.” I cannot tell you how those words will affect you.
The Echocardiogram showed severe damage to the muscle inside my heart in the Ventricles .
I have a lot of rehab ahead of me and some major lifestyle changes.
The Cardiologist who did the procedure and the one I saw while I was in CCU, were both men of faith and told me that GOD had further plans for me because by all rights, I should be dead.
I got home 4 days later and I will tell you there is a spiritual light glowing inside of me that I can only describe as comfort and love and my life has been forever changed by the Grace of GOD. I have no idea what his plans are for me but I will be the best servant for him that I can be.
I am forever changed.
Mike
Topic: By The Grace of GOD (Read 1390 times)
