An EVENT

Friday, June 18

We had an eventful day. We had planned egg roll weekend. Andy and Nicholas were hosting as usual. Gretchen and Noah stopped and got me in the morning and Mike was going to give a tour at Music Man and then drive over for the Korean Meal leaving for Decorah about 4:00. And that happened. Unfortunately, he called Andy about 4:50 (my phone was off) and Mike told me he didn’t know what happened About 10 miles (actually 14 miles) out he felt he would black out...and was trying to pull over and he came to in a corn field...the car was still running so he drove out.

I called him and he was a block from home…saying he was alright…Andy got on the phone and could hear the car.

I called the neighbor Bruce (in Mn) and then Nellie (at home) and asked her to to go check on him. She did and Mike talked to her and then collapsed…she caught him before he hit his head….she called the ambulance.

At that point Andy said we’re going and he drove me home. We were fairly patient in staying in touch with ER and getting updates.

It took Andy and I about an hour and half to get to the ER...I was checking about every 10 min. on the ride. Last night's diagnosis pointed to his pulse dropping from 65-75 to 20....causing blackout....and it happened in ER multiple times. He had a Ct scan and blood draws and it was determined he was being admitted. After admission he also had an MRI. We arrived at ER about 7:25 and Mike was attached to monitors…and with the cardiac doctor….bottom line is he will get a pacemaker on Monday if all proceeds as planned….stay another night and go home Tuesday. Andy and I came home about 9:30 (Friday night).

The blacking out is caused by dropping pulse rate (not blood pressure)

And he was having more episodes so they would not let him go home.

Saturday, June 19

We went back this AM (Saturday)about 9. Today the cardiologist said the enzyme in blood work showed he has had a heart attack....

Monday he is scheduled for an angiogram and then possibly Tuesday he may get a pacemaker. The cardiologist doesn't want to commit to pacemaker until he "sees" angiogram.

So we wait....(not good to have a medical event on Friday evening that can wait

Andy stayed overnight last night and tonight and going home and coming back. Gretchen stopped and visited today. Joe is flying in tomorrow. /Sunday

We are giving thanks that he is where he is and that there are good procedures and gifted hands caring for him.

Sunday, June 20

Sunday 10:15

Dr just in

Echocardiogram showed no heart damage! Which is a huge blessing!

Angiogram on for tomorrow! And the team feels a pacemaker is appropriate so that is Tuesday.

Monday, June 21

It is Monday and Joe and I are waiting for Mike’s turn to have angiogram.

Today was a long day. Mike was scheduled for an angiogram. He was 4th in line and it started about ?12:30 and lasted about 1 hr 45 min. His previous 3 stents were "good" from 2007 but there was a different blockage that the balloon/stent procedure couldn't get through so they backed out and will meet as team and do another angiogram on Wednesday. If they proceed with a pacemaker that is delayed until Thursday. (we later found out one of the previous stents was blocked)

Tuesday, June 22

Today was calm and was recovery from yesterday’s procedure. They want the contrast dye to leave the body.

Tomorrow he has another procedure called atherectomy aka roto rooter of vessel to heart. Then a recovery day, then pacemaker and then home Saturday,

Wednesday, June 23

Frustrating day. After prepping for surgery and no food, at 3:44 pm Mike’s procedure was postponed until tomorrow. Andy and I waited to talk to the doctor.

Two heart emergencies came and the second one, a younger man could not be saved. In Mike fashion he expressed sympathy to the doctor.

So Mike was #4 bumped to 3 and then dropped to 6 and off the list.

So we do this all over tomorrow.

Thursday, June 24

Mike finished his angioplasty and was in room about 5:15 after about 3 hour procedure. They cleaned out a blockage and added two stents.

Andy was with us in AM and Joe later in afternoon. Tomorrow Megan will come and Gretchen will return.

Tomorrow is another day and we will see what it looks like.

Hopefully soon he can come home.

Friday, June 25 Mike’s birthday

Another very long day and finally at 3:00 it was Mike’s turn to have his pacemaker implant. He was back in the room about 1.5 hrs later.

Not many can say they got a pacemaker for their birthday.

He was hungry - he hadn’t really had a square meal for 3 days and it came with a birthday cupcake.

It looks like he is coming home tomorrow!

Saturday, June 26

Finally at noon Mike’s chariot (wheelchair) deposited him in the car and we headed for home.

Joe and Andy had lunch ready. ..and 3 of the 4 of us took naps.

Now to keep the rules and regulations ready and followed...5 days, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, etc!

Vaccinations

In my world it is close to a year since the pandemic started closing down our lives. Since mid-January this year, Mike and I have been volunteering at the county public health vaccination clinic…once or twice a week. Mike has been front desk greeter, runner, or sanitizer. I’ve been doing data entry. In Iowa all vaccinations have to be entered in IRIS (Iowa's Immunization Registry Information System) within 24 hours of vaccination. It takes 30+ volunteers at each clinic in addition to the employees and those doing the vaccinations.

Cerro Gordo Public Health has done an amazing job of organizing and holding the clinics. Sadly, with limited vaccine received each week scheduling has been difficult. It certainly reveals those of privilege…those with internet/cell phone/computer… I’m glad CGPH did set aside a phone only time and reserved vaccine for callers.





Cerro Gordo County has 45,000 population and yet people are outraged when 400 doses of vaccine are claimed in 3 minutes. The governor dropped the age from 75 to 65 and in Mason City alone that added 1000 more folks. Slowly the doses have crept up to 800 a week and now 1600 if the doses arrive. And those are the numbers in my little corner.

And also in my corner of the world condoms are offered free at educational “stations” at the vaccination clinic along with info about lead paint poisoning, breast cancer awareness, food safety. Among this population 65 and older many condom packages were taken.

In straightening out myself, and checking definitions I think this defines isolation and quarantine and the difference:

· Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.

· Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

Memories with an Electric Fry Pan

 

This Sunbeam electric fry pan entered our lives in the mid 1950s. We moved from Linn Grove to Alta in 1955.  Its most recent usage was 2020 to make sweet potatoes at our son’s home. It gives some credence to “the best electric appliance made” on the bottom of the pan!

Linda remembers a bread wrapper getting stuck to the bottom early on…and it is still there.

Linda and I remember the fry pan traveling to Seattle with us.  Linda was in fifth grade and her teacher assigned each student to write to AAA and plan a trip.  Linda planned our trip to Seattle. 

Our family of six, Mom, Dad, and the four sisters – ages 14, 11, 9, and 6 travelled in our big Olds 88 in 1961 so Dad could attend the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod Convention.

We always stayed in motels with kitchenettes and two beds.  Mom made meals each evening at the motel.  Bacon tomato sandwiches tasted so good. Lunches were sandwiches out of cooler. 

The Olds had deep wheel wells in the backseat.  Mom put a small suitcase there and it provided another space to sit.  Either Mom or I would ride in the front with one of the younger ones.  The big trunk held our luggage, a cooler and an army camp cot and extra bedding. 

I had just gotten my learner’s permit and Dad had me drive the first day for about an hour.  I sat up straight, hands in 10 and 2, on a two-lane road and never passed.  I’m sure Dad never relaxed.  When he told me to pull over, I remember climbing in the back seat and sleeping for at least an hour.

When we arrived in Seattle, we stayed at the City Center Motel within walking distance of the Convention and also a grocery store.  The electric fry pan of course was in use.

Chris was playing on a wall by the motel and fell.  Mom took her to the nearby hospital. 

On the way home we stopped in Wilbur, Washington for church.  During the sermon I remember Mom and Dad exchanging glances.  The service concluded and we were greeted and welcomed.  Mom and Dad shook many hands including the Pastor’s.  When we were all in the car Dad burst out laughing and could hardly tell what had been said in the sermon.  The pastor in describing overcoming a difficult decision used the idiom “to take the bull by his horns and look him straight in the eye”.  However what the pastor said was “take the bull by the tail and look him straight in the eye!”

Somewhere on the trip home Mom even bought a chicken and fried it in the motel.  It tasted so good!

Dad was so proud of the Olds.  The gas purchase and mileage were recorded at every stop and the mpg figured.  When we were at home, I remember Dad at the dining room table figuring the whole trip…adding the total gallons of gas, subtracting beginning mileage from ending mileage and finding the overall mileage.  He was pleased!  I don’t remember the number just his glee.

In 1967 our family moved to Storm Lake and so did the fry pan.  My children remember the fry pan going on picnics…sometimes with fried chicken or chili with hot dogs on the side for chili dogs in the park.

In 2014 it moved to Andy’s home in Decorah.  Now it is used for….and fried sweet potatoes.  Nicholas makes his grandma’s sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.  He slices the raw sweet potatoes, dusts them with flour and salt and pepper, fries them in butter and then adds brown sugar to caramelize! 

PS  Linda reminded me that the fabulous Olds 88 had no air conditioner and we traveled in summer.  A commonly heard phrase.."she's touching me!".