Thursday, September 19, 2013

Brain Boy: Tin Man meets the Scarecrow: Back to Oz

Knew it was too good to be true.

Just getting ready for our annual Guy's Trip to North Carolina when .... you guessed it ... I got a one way ticket back to TGH. You're probably as sick about hearing about my medical issues as I am telling them.

It was a FOURPEAT.

It started as a heart checkup. I was thinking that the feelings of discomfort I was having in my chest were unrelated to my brain recovery or the shunt ... but I get the ticker checked all the time. Yesterday, I got another stress test and the cardiologist said ... just to be safe, let's get you in the Cath Lab.  As soon as I got there my heart told me it was the right place to be. It screamed at me in arrythmatic tones.

Here's where it got crazy ... and humorous too, although I wasn't laughing at the time.

Three nurses surrounded me at once and here is the conversation:

Nurse 1: "What is your date of birth?"

Me: March the fir ..."

Nurse 2: "What pills do you take at night?"

Me: "Well let's see ..."

Nurse 3:  (feeling my wrist) "Is this hand good for your IV?"

Me: "In my wrist or my arm?"

1: "Tell me when you started to have pain."

Me: "I was here at the hospital and went to admission ..."

2: (TRUE STORY) Before I could answer she put her fingers to my lips and listened to my heart ...

3: Stuck me with the needle and said "Whoops."

Eventually, they got me into the Cath Lab where the team worked like an ant colony to get everything ready for the doctor. The lab was the same one I had visited 4 years earlier for the placement of two stents in my left artery.

This time it was my right artery and they fixed it just in time. One stent ... and now I wait in TGH feeling pretty good ... considering.

Oh ... North Carolina didn't wait for me. My buddies flew out today and sent me pictures of them flipping me off and they sent texts laughing at me that are unsuitable for reprint.

In other words ... they miss me and wish me well.

I'm outta here tomorrow. The Scarecrow has a working Brain, The Tin Man's Heart is in good shape and the Cowardly Lion has been temporarily soothed.
 


2 comments:

Bobby Allan said...

I love how men express their feelings toward each other. Glad they caught this, Joel!

joel said...

Thanks Chrissy.

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