Hmmmm! What are the highlights of our last four weeks. So much has happened, so many lessons learned, so many prayers answered, so many tears, fears, smiles and praise to Father in Heaven.
February 15, I was busy getting ready for our first choir rehearsal when I got a phone call from Dad’s work. Dad had collapsed and was being taken to a hospital. I headed out feeling very calm that he must have a virus and I would take him home and resume my work. I went to the hospital that I was told only to spend 90 minutes trying to get to Death Valley hospital. Morgan joined me for the long hours while we were told nothing for hours. We finally were accosted by a jerk Dr. Corinthian (name changed to protect the not so innocent.) When we quiried the reason for admission to the hospital-a worry as this hospital, thankfully is not in our insurance network, he informed us in a snotty voice that we were not in jail and if we wanted to take the unconscious Steve we were welcome to do so.
After I called the insurance for approval, we walked upstairs with Steve after him being so ill and in the emergency room for 9 hours. We were informed that he had a stroke after an MRI. I came home around 11:00. I had been blessed to have Stephane, Morgan, Hayden, Maddie and the Townsend’s. We also had Leger’s and Ryan Larsen come to the hospital also. I spent the night in a very cold house with my heart breaking. I missed my sweetheart and wondered what lay ahead for us.
We brought him home the following day with instructions to see many doctors. We have had a physical therapist for two weeks in our home. We saw Dr. Cope who helped us to find Dr. Reddy our cardiologist and Dr. Duvarney our neurologist. In assessing Steve’s heart, he had to have a trans-esophageal echocardiogram TEE. That procedure set Steve back. We have spent the next three weeks with Steve losing a lot of ground. His first and worst symptom was vomiting. He couldn’t keep anything down. I kept calling the doctors and taking him in. Finally last week, Dr. Cope took X-rays and decided that Steve needed help. He ordered many medicines and procedures, very painful to endure, to help. We had to take him in for IV fluids on Tuesday. He had 4 liters before he could go to the bathroom. He was given a fifth liter and had to go see the cardiologist. We were told that if his system didn’t start by Thursday that we needed to go to an emergency room. We finally went on Friday. We once again asked for prayers. We spent the entire day there! I was starting to feel nervous about procedures and worried about my sweetheart. He has literally been starving to death in front of me. I was wishing that they would do a CT scan, when Dr. Valenti came in and said he wanted one also. The scan came back clean. I know it was a miracle. He gave us a new prescription and good advice. We are finally feeling like Steve is headed the right direction. In the midst of this, we also had to see a orthopedic doctor for a second opinion. He was a big boar of a doctor. Two hour appointment, no X-rays, just a lot of boarish stories trying to make himself look good and then he says he doesn’t think the shoulder wore out because of Steve’s job....lifting 3 tons of paper daily for 30 years. Yes, that Dr. Andersdaughter (again a name change to protect the you-know-what! ) I am so grateful for Steve’s progress. I have been so lonely. He has been so sick that it was like he wasn’t here with me. I grateful for his arms around me.
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| At Death Valley right after the stroke |
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| Waiting to the TEE |
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Re-hydration
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| At LDS hospital emergency room |
