Bucket List

We started the week with a visit to Dr. Faux. Mike had been feeling really tired and weak and on our last trip after walking up a ramp had an episode of chest pain that lasted about 15 minutes. Dr. Faux did an EKG which showed a new incomplete left bundle branch block, so he scheduled a treadmill test. On the treadmill Mike soon was showing problems, his heart slipped into a funky rhythm with a very wide QRS and a complete bundle branch block, he also passed out. Dr. Faux caught him and helped him to a cot. A rapid response team was called and soon he was admitted to the ICU. The picture above is of the monitor by his bed. After about 2 hours his heart rhythm converted to a normal rhythm and he was observed. Among the things discovered with the lab work was a critically high tricyclic antidepressant level, 1100, should have been between 100-200, which we think was a result of his kidney disease which did not clear the medicine from his system. They started treating him for the high levels and the kidney disease. He also had another episode of chest pressure while he was lying in bed. So a heart cath was scheduled.
During the heart cath a couple of blockages were seen in the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery. So he was loaded up on an ambulance and shipped to Ogden to McKay Dee Hospital.
During the Angiocath 3 blockages in the LAD Artery were seen, a balloon was inserted and 2 stents and he was cured. Wow!!! The advances in medicine are awesome. He was sent back to his room for recovery but to heal the femoral insertion site and stop the bleeding pressure needed to be applied to the area, so they used a huge C clamp and clamped his leg tightly to the bed. Every few minutes the nurse would come in and slowly release the pressure. This worked very well and by midnight he was able to finally raise his head and get something to eat.
Here is the picture of him after the whole ordeal. We were able to return home the next day for him to rest and complete his recovery. He is doing very well and feels really good. He has had lots of well wishes from family and friends. I was amazed at how well things are going. I was also amazed at how intensely I worried about him.

So during the process Mike mentioned that a few of the things that happened should go on his bucket list as they were firsts for him:
1. being the object of a code.
2. having two IVs at the same time, one in each arm.
3. ambulance ride (he would like a helicopter ride next!!)
4. using a bed pan.
5. using a urinal while lying down.
6. being clamped to the bed!!!

There maybe others but these are the few he listed. Maybe we should work on a better bucket list????