And how was YOUR day?

[mother/babyRN, RN]

W orked my third night shift the other night, came home, hung out with hubby and the kids, did some errands, finally fell asleep around 3 pm....Woke up about eight thirty, rolled over and fell asleep until 10 or so, when I decided that I needed to go downstairs and see how things were going...Saw my husband, who at 37 had had a silent MI, rubbing his chest and looking gray....Stoic him tells me that he had pain all day but didn't want to disturb me...WHAT!!!! Well, I was obviously terrifically worried but also angry that he hadn't come to get me....Angry that I was angry...Scared....Confused. Called my mom, as the stoic husband said we needed to go to the hospital....She , dear that she is, came right over.....She, unbeknownst to me, was sick...So, already exhausted...Off we go to the hospital, where it is thankfully determined that the cardiac stuff is ok, and there is either an IBS or gall bladder problem.....He was admitted to observation, and so, since it was a Saturday morning, his stress test was not going to be done right away, so home I go to relieve my mom and get the kids situated....She goes home and we are just getting ready to go pick up daddy when I get a call from mom, who just returned home. My terminally ill dad was confused and having difficulty breathing...Over the kids and I go, leaving messages on the cell phone voice mail for my husband that we haven't forgotten him and will be there asap as soon as we get the thing with dad cleared up....Dad refuses to go anywhere...Dad is confused, the color of a dusky gray sky. My mother is upset. My poor brother looks terrified, we are all exhausted and we have an ornery old coot to deal with..I was up all night at the hospital with my chest pain husband and am now smack in the middle of difficulty breathing, confusion and beligerance. I do the nurse daughter thing and burst into tears and beg dad to go....He finally agrees to go as long as we find a special shirt with the names of all the grandchildren, that he can wear. He tells us he can't go without taking a shower and my brother reminds him in an attempt to be humerous, that all incoming patients smell like old goats...Ha ha....

He refuses an ambulance. But, he can't go two steps without stopping...I have three terrified little kids in my van waiting for me.. They are already upset that they woke up and daddy was gone....You can imagine..

Halfway to the car, which my brother and I dragged him to, dad collapses on both of us and asks for an ambulance. He is now frail so we are closer to the car and we lift him in. I am thinking about my strong dad who used to click his heels. Now he can't catch his breath. I am thinking I do not feel strong at all but I am holding him up, along with my brother, who just might crack at any moment. In the back of my mind I am thinking although it sometimes seems I joke about having married a clone of my dad, having them both admitted with chest pain on the same day is NOT funny at the moment. I do not yet know the results of my husbands cardiac workup....I tell my brother he has to go with mom and dad to the hospital and I will follow. I see the terror in his eyes but tell him in case something happens and mom has to pull over he has to be there so I can stop and assist and he can watch MY crew..He agrees...Reluctantly...Off we go..

In a funny twist as we approach the military base we plan to take a shortcut through, I am losing my mind that I can't find my ID card....Mom gets through and I am ready with a story, ANY story to get through..But the guard recognizes me as the nurse who assisted in the labor of his wife the week before and waves me through....Thank God...

We get to the hospital and I see my dazed and confused husband, who received none of the voice messages I sent due to the fact that one does not customarily wear their phone during a stress test..(something I apparently forgot) Actually, something that I DEFINITELY forgot..

So, we check my dad in and pick my husband up...

The registration admitting crew and the er staff are the same people who saw me all the night before..They look confused. No one is as confused or upset as me except that I can't show it....

I call my brothers enroute and even figure out how to get one contact the other (the one who has had a falling out with the family and isn't in touch), and they all manage to visit mom and dad...The black sheep even drives mom home..They reconnect. I was going to get up and do so but I fell asleep...

Now I am afraid to fall asleep in the event my husband doesn't inform me that he is in pain. Now I am miffed that he let that go. I am miffed that it keeps happening and I am just miffed period.. I shouldn't feel that way....I had my strong husband be frightened and my father tell me he thinks he will die...I do not know how the hell to feel.....AND, it was the first day of my vacation. I think I am even a little miffed at that..AM I CRAZY! Both husband and dad were discharged and doing ok thank goodness. It is ME who is the wreck....

[nursedawn67, LPN]

wow! Sound like you need a hug!

and some sleep..

[Mofe'ny]

((((((((((HUGS))))))))) Hope they are both feeling better. Try to get some sleep--- that normally helps too.

[jemommyRN]

Please do yourself a favor and get some :zzzzz :kiss

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

(((((((((HUGS)))))))) to you and yours.

Please have a R&R vacation now, ok? :uhoh21: Wow.

[mother/babyRN, RN]

Hi all,

Feeling MUCH better now with the sleep AND hugs..So are my guys....Thanks so much! It just always help to vent to those who would most understand! Thankyou!

[sharann, BSN, RN]

OMG! What a horrible day you had. It seems that just when we think its all going really well, BAM! These things often fall to us daughters, and nurses. Glad things are looking better. You should have a talk with your hubby to be honest with you will keep you sane.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Yikes. My dad did the same thing. Had shortness of breath and chest pain and never said a word. Turns out he had a MI. I guess what we learn that denial is the hallmark of an MI is true.

Hope things get better for you.

[mother/babyRN, RN]

I think past the events of that day that I was mostly upset that my husband, who HAS had an MI, was still in the denial phase while I was upstairs sleeping. That meant in my mind that our three babies, who he was watching, were at great risk if I was not contacted by him and something awful happened. Now I find myself in the place I was after his MI of being afraid to go to sleep "just in case" something happens. It takes awhile to get that out of your system.....It shouldn't be about me but somehow it is...Does that make sense?

[DETTA]

Cannot agree more,being a daughter and nurse everyone expects you to organise and cope with every situation,could relate very well to this 48hour nightmare:uhoh3:

OMG! What a horrible day you had. It seems that just when we think its all going really well, BAM! These things often fall to us daughters, and nurses. Glad things are looking better. You should have a talk with your hubby to be honest with you will keep you sane.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

Part of message quote:......I call my brothers enroute and even figure out how to get one contact the other (the one who has had a falling out with the family and isn't in touch), and they all manage to visit mom and dad...The black sheep even drives mom home..They reconnect. I was going to get up and do so but I fell asleep...

Now I am afraid to fall asleep in the event my husband doesn't inform me that he is in pain. Now I am miffed that he let that go. I am miffed that it keeps happening and I am just miffed period.. I shouldn't feel that way....I had my strong husband be frightened and my father tell me he thinks he will die...I do not know how the hell to feel.....AND, it was the first day of my vacation. I think I am even a little miffed at that..AM I CRAZY! Both husband and dad were discharged and doing ok thank goodness. It is ME who is the wreck....

I don't think I have heard that hectic of a story in a long while. Rest and recover from all that stress!

[SmilingBluEyes]

so scary....how frightening. hope he recovers completely!