Im baaaaack................

[Gary]

Hello Everybody,

Well like a bad penny I always turn up.

first I want to thank everybody who sent cards and letters and all the folks who wished me well. You have NO idea how much it meant to me. It has been a long month and a half.

The first part of April my wife and I had a romantic dinner here at home and I had been feeling pretty good. I had been to the Dr the week before and he had even reduced my blood pressure meds. I went to bed same as always and that is the last think I remember for over a week.

The rest of the story is as it has been told to me.

Sunday morning my wife got up and I was laying on the bed down stairs, fully dressed which is not unusual if I get up early. I was happily snoring away....
so she let me sleep. after lunch the 2 inside dogs (mini schnauzers) were in my room barking up a storm so she went to give me a hard time about sleeping so late and see why I was teasing the dogs.

I didn't respond and when she turned on the light I was gasping and had turned blue. She called 911 and my daughter (the nurse) the EMT crew thought I had OD or I had low blood sugar. The county coroner is a good friend of ours and when he heard our address over the police radio he came to help as he also is a EMT and a couple of sheriff deputies that we are friends with also responded. My daughter almost had a heart attack when she pulled in our road and the coroner was there!!

The took me to the local hospital and pumped me full of Narcan which of course did nothing I quit breathing and when they put me on a vent I started having seizures. They ran blood tests and my kidneys quit and my potassium level was 5 times over the limit. I had more potassium in me than they use for lethal injections.

I have always wanted to ride in a helicopter and I finally got my wish!! Too bad I dont remember it. My daughter and son in law took a video on their cell phones as I wouldn't believe it otherwise.

In the hospital I developed double pneumonia from aspirating vomit. And then I went into septic shock. My blood pressure dropped to 50/20 and my pulse went to 225. My temp went up to 107. They told my wife to call the family as they felt that I had very little chance of making it. So my son flew down from college.

I then decided to leave the hospital I started to rip the vent out and all the other tubes as well. It took SIL and son (both over 6ft and 200 lbs) to hold me down to that they could get the restraints on me.

The only thing that that would keep me calm was my daughter or my wife singing to me. If a nurse came into the room they would pretend that they were washing my face so they could cover my eyes.

When I finally woke up I saw my daughter and my wife. My daughter said Aren't you going to say hi to Steven? I said "what are you doing here shouldn't you be in college? He said Boy dad you really dont remember anything do you?

A couple of weeks in ICU and 2 or 3 gallons of antibiotics and I am doing pretty good. I went to my PCP for a follow up and complained that I still have no energy and am still short of breath. The Dr said "after I talked to the specialist I didn't think that I would ever see you alive again. So I think your Sx now are pretty minor and it will take a LONG time to get back to where you were before you got sick."

Sorry this is so long. And they still have no explanation of how this all happened. But my chest x-ray is clear and my blood work is almost back to normal. And now the bills come rolling in we are at $67,000 and counting.

Thanks again for all your support. It is nice to be thought of and missed.

Be healthy everyone.

[brucewrs]

Glad you made it..Ouch $67,000?No benefits?

[lady_express_44]

So glad to have you back, Gary.

They still don't know what caused this?? . . . that's not good.

WOW, what a huge debt for your hospital stay. Doesn't insurance normally pay for that in the US?

Thanks for checking in and letting us know you are on the mend.

Cherie

[stillstANNding]

Hi Gary! Welcome back. You have been missed. I would give those dogs that alerted your wife some special treats.

ANN

[Pegakafarmgirl]

Gary my fellow farmer/type friend,, I have been so worried about ya,,, so glad you are on the mend,, keep on keeping on..

[SalpalSally]

Thank You, Gary for the report and I am so glad you are on the mend.

Give those mini schnauzers a kiss right on the lips and then a steak..

Hugs,

Sally

[MS Bites]

$67,000 for a copter ride you do not remember. That stinks.

Glad you are on the mend.

[paj]

Welcome back Gary. What a mess you went thru. Glad to see you back on line. One day at a time.

paj

[blossom4th]

Welcome back Gary!!! You've been missed! We're so glad to see that you're feeling better and able to post again!!!

Those dogs are special and deserve lots of lovin' attention!!!

[Whisper]

Happy to see you back. I think I'll not bother with a copter ride afterall...if I have to do what you did to get one!

Glad you are well...welcome back.
Lorraine