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General discussion

I'm home....Whose *** was I in the middle of kicking before I left so abruptly?

Dec 12, 2003 11:36AM PST

I want to thank all of you for the wonderful thoughts and prayers you sent in my direction. Forum angels are powerful assets.

A short history....nearly 8 years ago I had a quad by-pass. Four arteries down (one with two blockages). When they were replaced, one artery was replaced with the mammary artery, the other three were replaced with large vein sections from my left leg.

Artery by-passes have a normal 'shelf-life' of ten to fifteen years before they have to be replaced again...and even then if you live clean and healthy, that may never have to happen again. Veins have a lower window of opportunity...generally between seven and ten years, so they usually start watching those types of by-passes more closely. I was stretching the window already.

Last April I had a 'routine' catherization and it was discovered that two of the three veins were completely collapsed with no telling when that may have occurred. It could have been the day after my by-pass surgery. However, those two evidently weren't life threatening (makes you wonder why they replaced them then, doesn't it?). The artery and one vein left were in real good shape with no balloon or stints being needed.

Somewhere along the line on Monday night I started throwing blood clots for no apparent reason. I woke up around 1AM with the same symptoms I had with my first heart attack (the one three months before the big one that resulted in the by-pass). Pressure in my ears, down the sides of my neck, and at the throat base and cold sweats. I called the ex-husband (he was sleeping at his girlfriend's house LOL) and he came and got me to the hospital. From there, the local yocals determined that I was having a heart attack, gave me a new med called TNK that is supposed to be the new TPA clot buster, and shipped me off out of state to a decent hospital.

The clot buster med didn't work, and by 9AM I was in surgery getting angioplasty...sucked out a bunch of clots, and put in two stints for two weak areas of the vein that was in trouble. Didn't know it at the time, but the artery immediately next to the vein where they made the incision got knicked and I was bleeding out quickly.

They got that under control while another team worked on the stints, and put me in the cardiac unit with a blood transfusion among other goodies being pumped in. Unfortunately, I couldn't sit up after that for longer than three or four minutes without going out like a light and drenching myself and the bed in pools of sweat. My blood pressure wouldn't stabilize, so Thursday an ultrasound was ordered for my heart to make sure both the left and right sides at the bottom of the heart were working and pumping away since my symptoms indicated severe damage to the right side. Bells and clapping all around when the ultrasound came through with flying colors. So then it was determined that the pressure couldn't come up because the volume wasn't there....I lost more blood during the artery knick than they thought I had. So another pint of blood and two hours later and they were signing my release papers. LOL

They kept me around for another day and a half before shoving me out the door, but it was sure good to get back on my feet. I was in the same position in that bed for nearly four days and was a little crabby by that time (at least when I was coherent enough to be crabby...morphine can be a good thing for the rest of the world sometimes...too bad it can't be dispensed via the forums at times LOL).

Wanted to touch base with everybody, thank my sister for letting you guys know what was going on with me, thank you all for the kindnesses you bestowed upon her via the forum and emails you sent to her, thank Bignose (this is really Ray Harinec and a great friend of mine for a number of years, even if he tends to nag regarding my health) for keeping you all updated, and thank all the forum angels who hovered long enough to get me back here where I belong. I release them now to get to more important assignments.

Love to you all.......and don't take TNK or TMK if you need it....insist on the real thing called TPA.

TONI

Discussion is locked

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Happy to see you back and feeling better. (NT)
Dec 12, 2003 11:47AM PST

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Re:I'm home....Whose *** was I in the middle of kicking before I left so abruptly?
Dec 12, 2003 11:55AM PST

Glad to have you back here Toni, and in asskicking mood to boot, lol!

DE

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Re: I'm home....Whose *** was I in the middle of kicking before I left so abruptly?
Dec 12, 2003 12:06PM PST

Wow, Toni -- quite an ordeal!

VERY glad the forum angels came through, and you're back where you belong!
-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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I'm glad it ended well! Welcome back! (NT)
Dec 12, 2003 12:19PM PST

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Re:I'm home....Whose *** was I in the middle of kicking before I left so abruptly?
Dec 12, 2003 12:28PM PST

im so glad your home and safe i was crying when i got the 1st newsSad

Grin Grin

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I did too, Mark!
Dec 13, 2003 1:56AM PST

To think I was crying over someone I ALMOST met over a pork chop sandwich! Happy

Amazing how close you feel to folks you've never laid eyes on.

Cindi

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NT-- Welcome back, Toni. Don't DO that again! LOL
Dec 12, 2003 12:43PM PST

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I'm sure it was Dave Evans!! :-) You stay healthy, now ya hear!.
Dec 12, 2003 2:22PM PST

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Re:Whose *** was I in the middle of kicking ?
Dec 12, 2003 3:17PM PST

'tweren't mine......but hey, if that's what rocks your boat....

(((((:-))))))

good to see you Toni...
:-x

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(NT) [NT] Welcome home Toni, glad you're recovering well
Dec 12, 2003 3:54PM PST
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(NT) Glad to see you back, Toni...keep those angels close by your side always :-)
Dec 12, 2003 6:02PM PST

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Welcome back!
Dec 12, 2003 6:28PM PST

So, you had a vein to your heart replaced with a mammary artery? I know there's a real bad joke in there somewhere...Wink

We're thrilled to have you back! Now, why don't you take itma tad easy for awhile, and let the rest of us kick whatever *** requires kicking for, say, a week or so? Of course, feel free to kick in when the spirit and your state of health permits...

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Glad you're back ...
Dec 12, 2003 8:10PM PST

I hope your next trip to Winston-Salem is planned, not urgent.

I knew Forsyth attracted some patients from Virginia, but I guess I never knew just how big its referral base is.

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Re:I'm home....Whose *** was I in the middle of kicking before I left so abruptly?
Dec 12, 2003 9:00PM PST

Good to hear your recovering well. And glad your up to resuming the *** kickings.. Prayers of thanks now going out.

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Glad to see you *home* Toni,
Dec 12, 2003 9:37PM PST

You were missed! Good to see you in a$$-kicking mood, but do try and take it a little easy on yourself for a while.

Evie Happy

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Glad to see........0
Dec 12, 2003 10:19PM PST

you're home.Tooooooo much bingo.LOL

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Very happy to see you back *home* (where the heart is)
Dec 13, 2003 12:30AM PST

And, apparently in good spirits, toot!

I don't know who's azz you were kicking, but mine has been beat on so often over the years it is plumb numb, so (if you must) feel free to have a good kick Happy

All the best to y'all from the crazy coonie down in Texas.

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Jeez!!!!!!!!! Toni you scared the crap out of us!!!!
Dec 13, 2003 1:01AM PST

If you feel like kickin' some A$$ I will send Jim to see you with his uniform!! Happy LOL
So good to see you back in top formHappy Love Ya!

Glenda

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NT So very happy you're home Toni...now quit worryin' us like that!! ;-)
Dec 13, 2003 1:54AM PST

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Welcome back, Toni!
Dec 13, 2003 2:24AM PST
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(NT) Good to see you're home and posting again. Hope continue to improve quickly.
Dec 13, 2003 9:52AM PST
Happy
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Hi Toni and welcome back!
Dec 14, 2003 10:40PM PST

I haven't been in the forum for a few days (I threw my back out last week shoveling snow) or I'd have posted sooner.

What an ordeal, but glad you're home and kickin' butt again!

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Welcome back*
Dec 14, 2003 11:05PM PST

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Re:I'm home....Whose *** was I in the middle of kicking before I left so abruptly?
Dec 15, 2003 2:27AM PST

welcome back and no, I won't speculate as to your question.
lol.
david