A Close One!

OSU vs UT 2009

As hinted at yesterday, my family has a history of heart disease. Three of my fathers brothers and a sister have had either a stint put in or a bypass, single to triple. Both of my grandfathers died of a heart attack and high cholesterol is rampant in my family.

This has never been more clear then New Year's Day when I received a call from my mother with the dreaded, "Now don't panic." Which, of course has the opposite effect on pretty much everyone. She proceeds to tell me that my father has been having chest pains for the better portion of 12 hours and that they were now in the ER. Mind you, at this point I'm covered in dust, cobwebs, and sweat (I'd started a basement cleanup). I was told not to hurry home, it was mild and nothing would be done until the next day. So, I got the basement to a good end point and took a shower. After talking to my mother a couple of more times (some of them barely able to talk) I decided to calm down and stay in Cleveland for the night and drive back to Toledo in the early morning so I could be there when they did all the important tests.

The results: one blocked artery that turns out to be the artery involved in the majority of my families heart problems. I'm going to postulate that that artery may actually be narrower then normal from birth, genetic. He's lucky that they were able to correct the problem with only a stint. Had they had to do actual open heart surgery I'm not sure my mother would have survived. I believe my father threatened at one point to leave ADA. He's also lucky that he has a niece in the heart unit at the hospital. She pulled the best doctors and nurses anyone could have asked for. She also sat with us on her day off during my dads heart cath.

Superman's behind the ladder rebuilding my garage

I know I'm leaving out a lot of information. He was in the hospital for about 5 days and I know he was ready to go home, if for nothing else then something to eat other then chicken! If my sister were sitting next to me she would  have me to tell how I told her.
The phone conversation went like this:
Me: Now don't panic and sit down.
Sophie: What?!
Me: Are you sitting down? Mom and dad were driving back from the lake when dad started having chest pains. "BEEP" Oh! That's mom. I'll call you right back I promise.

In the 2 minutes between calls she has ran threw her house, thrown on a coat over pjs, rustled up her BF, swung a purse over her shoulder and was waiting on which hospital to fly to.

2nd call:
Sophie: IF YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN I WILL KILL YOU!
I quickly filled her in and calmed down her stabbing inclinations.

While in the hospital and keeping things light I promised my dad that if he could live to 100 Sophie would pop out a grand kid for him.

This has all lit a fire under my ass and I'm think of moving my 1/2 Ironman up by a year, the better to get in a full.