So Yeah...This Happened
I interrupt the telling of our trip to Utah because this absolutely terrifying thing happened. Completely out of the blue. I am still recovering from the scare. No joke. On August 13th...exactly one week ago today...Tyler ended up having heart surgery and having a stent put in his right coronary artery. Yeah... whoa.
We had been home from our Utah trip for a few days when we decided to go walking at the park one night. It is kind of a regular thing for us. There is a little park near us that has a great walking path that goes around in a big loop. I think I have mentioned on the blog that I am kind of a stressy person and a worrier. Exercise is my drug of choice. Anyway, Tyler and I like to go walking late at night over at this park as we discuss our lives, the kids, career, church, finances...you name it...we discuss it. Plus, it is great to do just before bed. It calms my worrying mind (about various issues...nearly all teen related) and gets that metabolism to kick in before going to sleep. I love this time together. I mentioned in my last post that Tyler has had a horrible cold and cough. It has lasted for forever!! He had it at the lake, on our trip, and still had it on our return home. He had gone in before our trip to Utah to get checked out and was told "Yep. A cold." but the doctor did give him an antibiotic...due to his being a Type 1 diabetic and not wanting anything else to develop. He had been on the antibiotic the whole time in Utah and was still on it. That really doesn't pertain to anything but background info. So, at the time of our walk he was still feeling crappy but wanted to get some exercise so we were just walking around the park...not briskly...just walking and chatting.
All of the sudden Tyler said, "Let's stop for a second. My chest is hurting." So we did. I said, "Your chest or your lungs." and he said, "My chest." We happened to be right by a bench so I had him sit down. He had been coughing earlier and so I asked him if it was from coughing and he said no and that it was different and felt like it was spreading across his chest. Panic kicked in. (Tyler's father died of a heart attack at 58.) I immediately began going down the checklist of symptoms: pain in your arm, jaw pain, heavy chest, sweating...etc. as I was going down the list he said, "I feel sick like I might throw up." I remembered my friend Carrie, one of my BFFs from college, and athlete extraordinaire, described her heart attack as feeling weird, like something was wrong but not knowing what, and feeling nauseous. I told Tyler that those symptoms sounded like heart issues and did I need to call 911? Keep in mind that it was around 10pm at night in a deserted park. But by that point he said that he felt better and was ready to go home. He really did feel fine. No more symptoms at all. The whole episode lasted 3-5 minutes tops. We attributed it to his cold, cough, and maybe the fact that he was on an antibiotic and maybe he was having some side effect to that and so he stopped taking it. The next day he was still fine...no symptoms...but the nausea and chest pain really worried me. I told him that he needed to get it checked out. I kind of demanded it...just to be on the safe side. Tyler begrudingly called and made an appt for three days away. The whole time he never had any other symptoms. He felt perfectly fine...besides the cold. He went in on a Monday and the doctor did an EKG due to his family history and being a Type 1 diabetic for so many years. (Heart disease can be common in diabetics.) The doctor noticed kind of a little blip on one side. He didn't really think that it was anything to worry about and that if it was anyone else (someone without a family history and diabetes) they would just keep an eye on it and see if anything changed at his next appt. But...since he had those other issues he thought that it wouldn't hurt to just have him schedule a stress test and have a nuclear medicine test done as well. Tyler and I really weren't that concerned and thought it was a good idea to get cardiac baseline anyway.
He was scheduled for his stress test two days later at 6:30am. I went with him. He was dressed in his shorts and running shoes. All ready to do his thing on the treadmill and had the nuclear medicine imaging done. The whole process took about an hour and a half. We were told that his results would be read by a cardiologist who would come by to say hello to Tyler while on the treadmill but that we wouldn't meet with him unless there was an issue. After Tyler was done, we waited in the doctor's office for the results. I asked Tyler how it went and he said, "Great! Piece of cake." He said that the stress test was easy and that he didn't have any weird symptoms and that he felt great...just like a usual workout. Then we were told that the cardiologist wanted to talk to us. Tyler said that the only thing weird was that the cardiologist kept coming in during the stress test to look at the monitors etc...and didn't just say "hi." but that maybe that was what they do. Who knew? Not us.
We were taken to the cardiologist's office and as we walked in one of the nurses said to another nurse, "He had an abnormal stress test." Boom. Fear. The cardiologist came in and was super nice and personable. He told us that Tyler's results were "troubling". He explained how the heart works and what is supposed to happen during exercise. He then explained what could happen if there was a problem with the heart and how it would react and that result would be worrying. He said that Tyler' heart didn't do that either. He said that what Tyler's heart did was much worse and that it was showing signs of being a badly damaged heart. Holy !@#$. He recommended that Tyler get an angiogram done as soon as possible. Like today. Like in an hour. He explained that Tyler's heart was a "ticking time bomb". Those are not words you EVER want to hear. He couldn't believe that Tyler had no noticeable (to Tyler) symptoms of cardiac distress while on the treadmill. He said that without intervention Tyler would definitely have a heart attack. He said that the angiogram would show us where the damage was located and would allow us to treat it. He said that we wouldn't know the extent of the damage until the angiogram was being done and then at that time they would decide if medication was needed, a stent was needed, or a bypass was needed. He then went into the risks and benefits of all the different procedures. We were in absolute shock and I was in tears...to say the least. How in the world did we end up in this situation. The man is healthy. He never had any symptoms but one little 3-5 minute episode of moderate pain and nausea. (He wasn't clutching his chest in agony.) He just ran on the treadmill and felt fine. Now we might be having a bypass done?! We were immediately taken up to the heart institute and he was prepped for his procedure.
Some background health info on Tyler: He has had Type 1 diabetes for 36 years. He was diagnosed at the age of 7. He has never had any major complications. He is in great control. He has had a pump since before Reilly was born and that thing has been a lifesaver. He has only had one episode of needing to go to the hospital by ambulance for low blood sugar and that was about 6 months after we were married (nearly 20 yeas ago) and pre-pump. He was in the hospital for about 2 hrs max. He has probably only had 6 total bad episodes of low blood sugar that required me to go into nurse mode and by nurse mode I mean me forcing him to him to drink juice against his will. That is in 22 years!! He tests his blood regularly...multiple times a day and night. He sees multiple doctors regularly. He is on top of his diabetes. He has even gotten his A1C level down to the lowest it's ever been. He isn't overweight. He exercises. He gets his blood work done several times a year (way more than the average person) ALL his levels were completely NORMAL. All his levels were PERFECT. His HDL, LDL, Triglycerides, heart rate, blood pressure...all normal. They were checked again at the hospital...NORMAL. His blood sugar was normal. Tyler also eats VERY HEALTHY. We are vegetarians for heaven's sake. We eat clean. Very little processed foods. We have been doing that since Reilly was a baby. He has never smoked. He doesn't drink. He isn't a stressed out person. (He is very easy-going and non-worrying.) He doesn't have problems with heart burn or GURD that can be a precursor to heart problems. He doesn't have dental problems. He has done everything he could possibly do to remain strong and healthy.
We were given paper work to fill out and asked if we had a living will. UM...NO! We were given other paperwork to fill out that would be counted as legal concerning Tyler's wishes. SOBERING. We didn't have very long to wait but the time that we did wait was pretty much the most anguishing experience I have ever had. Tyler was telling me any financial/benefit info I may need if he doesn't come out of it. We were saying all the things that you say when the future is unknown. The worst was when Tyler said "I wish I would have hugged and kissed the kids this morning." (We left super early and all but Kameron were asleep.) I was crying and the nurses were trying to explain that angiograms are very safe and that even if stent is needed they do thousands of them at the hospital and not to worry. But all I could think of was bypass surgery. The unknown was the worst. The fact that they would just get in there and see what needed to be done and do it...regardless of what it was... and that I would just be waiting and not knowing until they could send someone out to tell me.
Everything happened so fast that I literally didn't have time to call anyone. Kelley knew that Tyler was having a stress test that morning and had texted me to find out how it went so I was texting her and asking her to get a hold of my mom. I texted Reilly and Kam to let them know what was going on. Reilly was a CHAMP!! She kept the kids from being scared and she kept the seriousness of the situation to herself. Meanwhile she was googling all the procedures and digging out her biomed notes and sending me comforting texts. So proud of her. I thought of calling someone to give Tyler a blessing and was wracking my brain to think of people in our ward or stake who might already be at work at the hospital but there just wasn't time. I ended up calling the temple and having Tyler's name put on the prayer roll (unbeknownst to me Reilly had done the same thing) and Tyler and I prayed together. Then it was time for him to go. I got to walk him to the room where the procedure was being done and kissed him and told him I loved him and watched him being rolled in.
The nurses were so sweet to me. They told me that I could wait in Ty's room (a shared room) and didn't need to go to the official waiting room. They pulled the curtains so I could have some privacy, brought me warm blankets, juice, crackers...told me that they were praying for my husband. They told me not to worry and to pray and that they would pray with me too if I would like. (I love Catholic Hospitals). So that is what I did. I prayed for the next hour. I didn't even realize that there was a TV in the room; no magazines, my phone was nearly dead and I had forgotten my charger, and I had ignored the prompting to bring a book. I used my phone to get a hold of Tyler's mom, brother, and sister and their texts brought me great comfort while I waited. My mom was on her way but she lives an hour and a half away. Sometime during the hour the other heart patient was brought back into the room and told that the damage couldn't be repaired and that there wasn't anything more that they could do and did he have someone, anyone, that they could call for him. So sad. That hour was the longest hour of my life. What do people do who don't pray? Prayer is such a comfort and a blessing. Even though I sat alone in a room with no bed...no nothing...just me on a little chair...I never felt alone. I truly felt like I was in a room full of people and not just me in a big empty room. So much so that I looked around the room and mouthed "thank you" to loved ones unseen. That was how palpable it felt. Tender mercies from the Lord. Even in our darkest hour we are not left comfortless.
Forty-five minutes into the procedure a nurse came in to tell me that there was a lady who said that she knew me at the the nurses station. Before those words were out of her mouth my mom came bursting into the room. Yeah...try to keep her out!! Of course seeing her loving face and hearing her voice had me in tears yet again. Just like it always does when things are hard or scary. I was SO HAPPY to have her there!! She tried to get me to eat the crackers (not happening) and drink some juice. She was comforting and reassuring. After about another 15 minutes the cardiologist came in and told me where the damage was and that they had to put in a stent and showed me the before and after pictures. Wow. He also gave me the comforting news that the rest of Tyler's heart looked great and was healthy. Hallelujah. He said that the angiogram would show any and all damage and that they were able to put a stent into his right coronary artery and they went in through his wrist rather than his groin which lessens his recovery time and has fewer complications which was wonderful.
In case you don't know: To place a stent (a small mesh tube), the doctor makes a small opening in a blood vessel in your groin (upper thigh) or arm. Through this opening, the doctor threads a thin, flexible tube called a catheter. The catheter will have a deflated balloon at its tip. A stent is placed around the deflated balloon. The tip of the catheter is moved to the narrow section of the artery. The doctor uses special dye to help show narrow or blocked areas in the artery and then the catheter is moved to that area and the balloon is inflated. As the balloon inflates, it pushes the plaque against the artery wall. This widens the artery and helps restore blood flow. The fully extended balloon also expands the stent, pushing it into place in the artery. The balloon is deflated and pulled out along with the catheter. The stent remains in the artery. Over time, cells in your artery grow to cover the mesh of the stent. They create an inner layer that looks like the inside of a normal blood vessel. Pretty amazing!!
The doctor had told us prior to the procedure that it was more difficult to go in through the wrist if a stent or more was needed so Tyler was prepped for both the wrist and the groin. Luckily Tyler has nice big veins and a big fat radial artery. Perfect.
After the doctor talked to us and told us that things looked good and that Tyler should be good as new now that his heart was working full force. He said that Tyler should feel much better and have more energy. (Tyler has never been low energy so fatigue wasn't a recognizable sign either.) I mean we are both exhausted but we figured it was due to parenting!! Maybe I need a stent too. I'm exhausted. He also told me that Tyler would most likely be going home that night!! Crazy.
The nurses wheeled him in and I have never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life!! He looked great and was talking pretty normally despite the drugs. The only thing funny that he said was when the nurse asked him if he wanted something to eat he said that he wanted "something medium rare" ha ha!!
Tyler post-procedure and looking pretty darn good and only a little loopy. For the procedure you are awake...but not aware. So he doesn't remember anything that happened after being wheeled in and doesn't remember about an hour after being wheeled back into his room. So he has no memory of cheesing it up in this picture. Ha ha. We sent this to the kids to show them that dad was ok.
We stayed in the hospital while he was monitored and as they gradually released the pressure on the clamp thing on his wrist. Tyler did great and had no bleeding issues, no diabetic issues, heart issues, or medication issues. At about 7pm we were given the okay to go home. Lucky for us we lead such a healthy lifestyle that there really weren't any restrictions put on him except to take it easy through the weekend. Technically they said that he could've gone back to work on Friday but why not just go back on Monday. There were no diet restrictions, no physical restrictions...just to ease back into exercising gradually. So bizarre. My heart really goes out to people who have to give up smoking, drinking, make huge dietary changes, and start exercising, and really taking care of themselves and monitoring their health. We really were blessed to be in a good position and already living the lifestyle needed.
We were told that the cause for his blockage was complications of diabetes (Diabetes is a real bastard. It is so insidious...try as you might to thwart it and stay one step ahead of it.) and family history. Tyler's uncles have all had heart attacks even though they were not diabetics (his father was a diabetic and also Type 1) so pretty much family history is the real culprit. Diabetes just hastened the symptoms on. Scary.
All in all, we are feeling beyond blessed that this was caught and repaired so quickly. We are blessed that Tyler never actually had a heart attack. We are blessed that we went and had him checked out when it would've been so easy to dismiss it as cold related. We were blessed to have gifted cardiologists, insurance, and a fantastic heart institute at our disposal. So many things just fell into place...ping...ping...ping...for Tyler to get this treated. We are blessed for all the well wishes and love and support that our family has felt at this time. Every single call, text, and comment made the world of difference to us. Truly. Thank you.
Tyler is feeling great and after a long weekend of taking it easy...think loads of movie watching and binge TV viewing...Ty is back to work and feeling much better. He has a follow up appt with his cardiologist in about three weeks. He is now on a statin for life and a blood thinner for a year. (No extreme sports for him) and regular cardiology appointments. That is a very small price to pay for the gift that we have been given.
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| So amazing that you can repair a damaged heart through a little tiny incision in your wrist. |
So now onto my soap box: we were told that it is a very good idea for anyone over the age of 40 to go in and get a baseline EKG. Tyler said that it is super easy and really fast. (I have mine scheduled for Sept.4th) It really will show if there is anything worrisome. You can also request a stress test. Most insurance covers this...why not use it? If you have a family history or any symptoms don't delay getting tested. So there you go...that's our story. You never know whose life you might save. When I read my friend Carrie's FB post I never thought the life it would save would be Tyler's. But then I never would've believed that Carrie would've had a heart attack. Carrie is a personal trainer and marathon runner in Southern California. She has a family history and had high cholesterol (hereditary) was on medication for that. She is super healthy and fit and eats uber healthy. Her lifestyle is a choice that she made due to her family history way back in high school. (When I think of all the times she FORCED me to go running and eat fat-free food against my will in college it makes me laugh.) Her lifestyle choice saved her life. She ended up having had 3 heart attacks (two that she never even knew about) and ended up having a stent put in. Her brother had a heart attack three months later. She is doing great and still annoying me to be healthy and fit with her fitness company
Body Evolution. Like her page on FB and you will see all her fitness tips and workouts. She is awesome.
So...yeah...all that happened and we are beyond grateful to have Tyler healthy once again. Thanks for reading.
