Just heaving a sigh of relief....

[RNAnnjeh, MSN, CNS]

Wow...what a week last week turned out to be. Just need a minute to share with those who understand. We've all been on "the other side"...you know, the one where we (or a family member) is a patient.

I received a call last Tues from my Mom...apparently my Dad had "some symptoms" and had spent the day in the ED. What symptoms....cardiac, of course!

Now, we all knew that a lifetime of smoking, eating fatty foods, slacking on the exercise, and having a high stress job bought you a ticket to an angina attack. But it was still a shocker for all of us.

Long story short...angioplasty...95% blockage...3 stents...passed stress test...good as new. Fortunately I think he learned a lesson here.

It was very difficult as my parents live 3 provinces east of me and my brother is in Korea. Hard to do long-distance support...but thank god for email and my Dad's blackberry addiction.

Thanks for listening!

[Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN]

Glad things are turning out ok! You always have friends here :) Ivanna

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I am glad everything is ok and he has learned from it, hopefully no more problems.

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

I know what you mean. I think we all dread getting That Call. Or in my case, that clammy hand on my chest and my husband telling me "I've been having chest pain for over an hour." You never saw anyone clear the end of a tall Rice bed like I did. Fortunately, it wasn't a heart attack, it was "only" pericarditis. He spent several days in CCU and went home on a boatload of meds. Since then he's had 3 more bouts of pericarditis, so he's in the "chronic" category now. It's been a wake-up call for all of us. Low sodium diet, more exercise, eating healthier foods, taking meds correctly.

Glad your dad is okay. Hope this "lesson" takes.

[MissERN]

I am so glad that your dad is doing better! Yes, it's a whole different ball game when it's a loved one. I know that I had a hard time watching my brother get stitches in his hand...it's just totally different when it's family or a close friend. I can't imagine how hard it was for you to be so far away from him, but I'm so glad that it went well!