As the gurney was being rolled out of the cardiac cath prep area, there were enthusiastic encouragements of “good luck, Tom Selleck” and “hope you are out of here soon, Tom Selleck”. These pleasantries were coming from the nurses, technicians, and even, yes, even the anesthesiologist! I turned around and smiled, then said “Hey you guys, cut it out. I have to live with him!” . . .
. . . and live with him I do, with all the gratitude one can have for the bullet we just dodged, the miracle of medicine, and a remarkable medical team.
“Tom Selleck” in this case is my very own Tom. He was the patient on the gurney, being transferred to a regular room at a local hospital this past Wednesday, in good spirits and happy to be alive.
Tom has been dealing with a complicated and serious eye condition for the past several years. The condition is one that has resulted from being a Type I (Juvenile) diabetic for 45 years. We will talk more about this on our companion blog, Brittle, in time. For now, however, I will bring it all forward with how this condition led to Wednesday’s gurney ride.
A vitrectomy was scheduled for November 19th; a delicate operation on the eye. Tom’s retinal specialist required that he get clearance from his internist, who is also his endocrinologist, for the surgery. An appointment was made, blood work-up and EKG performed, an we made plans for the next month’s recuperation period. A blip in the EKG and Tom’s long-term diabetes necessitated a stress test. On Tuesday, the stress test showed abnormalities. He was immediately seen by a cardiologist, and an angiogram was scheduled for the next day.
Any procedure is risky, dear reader. It is more so with a Type I diabetic. Tom is on an insulin pump, which is the means by which insulin in controlled. The pump is attached by a small needle to his abdomen, with a long tube (like an IV connection) and a small device, the pump, attached to a belt or pocket.
Need I tell you how friendly a hospital gown is for anyone, let alone someone with any type of life device? They ended up taping the pump to the palm of his hand.
Then, there is the actual administration of insulin during any surgery or procedure.
Well, my Tom is much craftier that Jesse Stone, much swifter than Magnum, PI, and tougher than New York City police chief Frank Reagan. He set the nurses straight on what he needed done and how often he needed his sugar levels checked. Before long, the cardiologist came in, papers were signed, and off my dear husband went for a look-see into his arteries.
A little more than an hour later, my hospital issued pager went off, alerting me that the procedure was over. Tom was coming back to his room, and was doing great. He had several blockages necessitating the implantation of two stents .
What surprised us all the most that one artery was clogged by 82%, the other 99%!
Tom has always eaten well, is very active, maintains healthy weight, and has near perfect cholesterol, especially LDL. He showed no symptoms associated with these sort of blockages. No pain. It was a miracle that these arterial blockages were found in the way that they were – and a miracle that he had not suffered a heart attack.
We cannot begin to express how grateful we are that preparation for eye surgery brought Tom to a stress test – and a renewed lease on life. Nor can we express our gratitude for good doctors making timely calls. Tom has recovered fabulously, the route the cardiologist took was through a small prick in his wrist, making recovery easier. We’ll talk some more about neuropathy and how we have now learned that it can also impair the chest on Brittle in a day so. Right now, Tom Selleck and I are going out for a short, brisk walk down the Cutoff.
I feel like saying amen; for this, dear reader, has become a bit of prayer in its writing.
AMEN!
To your amen, I would like to add a praise God and a praise skilled doctors, nurses, medical staff and you and Tom for going through all this with a positive outlook. So glad all went well for you and Mr. Selleck
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Thank you, Janet. Indeed, all, each one, are praised. We know we were given the gift of grace last week and are so very, very grateful. Mr. Selleck thanks you.
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Penny, a miracle. I am so grateful this story has a happy ending. You and Tom will continue in my prayers as he recovers, though it sounds like he is already up and around.
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He is, indeed, up and around and looking forward to resuming all activities in a few days. It was a miracle, Andra, and we are very, very grateful. Thank you for your prayers.
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Wow, what a wonderful story. Doctors and nurses are wonderful people. Glad your husband is recovered!
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Me, too. We are so very grateful to all involved, and the thread of events that led, truly, to saving his life. Thank you.
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Penny, my heart was in my mouth as I read this, and I am so glad it had such a positive ending. You and Tom are being looked after in more ways than one. Blessings and love and amen indeed.
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Thank you, Juliet; for the blessings, love, and good wishes, and for being such a steady, blogging friend. It is so good to see your words here.
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Amen indeed, Penny. How wonderful that this potentially life-threatening condition was found so fortuitously and dealt with so swiftly. We are blessed to have such superb medical services. You will be in my prayers, both now and when Tom’s eye surgery takes place.
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Thank you, Perpetua. Your words, concern, and prayers are much appreciated. Had it not been for the upcoming vitrectomy, these blockages would not have been found, and a different story would have been told. WE often get annoyed at the number of medical tests, but, this is a prime example of how they can save lives. Yes. We are blessed, indeed.
Hope you own recovery continues to brighten your life, and that DH is doing well after his own incident. Phew! It’s been a rough spot all around, hasn’t it?
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Oh, Penny so very, very scary for you both. I’m grateful beyond words that he is alright. I hadn’t known about your Brittle blog, but I looked up the word and now I know what it is. My heart is there with you, dear one, in relief and gratitude.
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Such kind words and concern brighten my day here, Nan. Thank you. Tom is recovering beautifully and we are certainly counting blessings right now.
You should be able to click on to Brittle at the lower, right hand side of the top post listed. We are just getting started with it, and seem to have obstacles in our way right now, but, will post as often as possible.
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I am so pleased this horrible experience has meant problems have been dealt with. I hope the rest of the Tom’s treatment goes without a hitch. Fondest wishes to you both. Jx
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Thank you, Janice. This all happened so fast last week, but, I know you understand how these things go. We are so very grateful and look at this as a gift of grace.
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Intuition made me “feel” something wasn’t right this past week so I have said my prayers for you three times a day. There are miracles and angels in my world. It was truly a miracle the cardiac problem was found and repaired as it was. Angels surrounded you and Tom and the medical team. You are fortunate to be in a city that has the BEST medical care. I am keeping you both close in my heart as the next procedure takes place.
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My dear friend, Marilyn, you have brought tears of appreciation to my eyes. Your intuition served you, no, us, well last week and surely brought angels Tom’s way, as well as mine, and especially the medical team. How right you are about medical care here. From ophthamologists, retina specialists, to cardiologists and endocrinologists, we are in a good place. Thank you, Marilyn.
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Oh Penny, your Tom is both brave and tough and all those other adjectives (and so are you really). I am glad that the problem was found and corrected quickly and well…..thank goodness for modern medicine. I send my positive thoughts to join those of all your other friends in real-life and virtual land! We all care.
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Your positive thoughts are most appreciated, Sallie. Thank you.
It was all quite amazing, thought scary at the time, and the fact that the doctors could make this diagnosis and correction through a small insertion in his wrist nothing short of amazing.
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I am so happy for you and Tom that this worked out so well and you avoided that bullet! You must truly feel that you are being watched over! Best of luck to Tom with the upcoming eye surgery, too.
Funny, people used to also tell Fred he looked like Tom Selleck – and he ate it up too! 🙂 Tall, handsome men with mustaches!
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Oh, Janet, thank you – and to think, we were just chatting over coffee a few days before, thinking the worst thing looming was the eye surgery. Gratitude feels my heart these days.
That is funny, Janet, and now that you mention it, Fred did have that Selleck look about him. How about Anton?
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Penny, what a week you have both had! Lots of love to the patient, and from all of us here, heartfelt love and prayers. You have both become special to us over the years. Wonderful news that everything has gone smoothly, and Tom is on the mend.
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Thank you, Kate, for your prayers and good thoughts. I feel the same way about you and yours. Tom is, indeed, on the mend, and anxious to be released to resume activities in a few days. Isn’t modern medicine amazing? We are filled with gratitude.
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Ah Penny! This offers such a wonderful conclusion, and I’m so glad. I have been in bed with the flu, and somewhat glued to my radio, I was worried about you with storms! And here you were having another kind of storm entirely. This is indeed wonderful news as you surely dodged an emergency that would have had such long-term implications. You guys are dears, and I want you to know how I pray for Tom–and you! I can see you’ve been brought through quite a storm of another kind. We will all go into the Thanksgiving season with lighter hearts. oxo
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We not only dodged that medical bullet, Debra, but, the tornadoes as well.
Thank you, dear friend, for your support and your prayers. We are both feeling such gratitude for the outcome and how the blockages were discovered. Because of diabetes associated neuropathy in the chest, Tom wasn’t feeling anything, and he has had such excellent cholesterol. No warning. Phew!
We can most certainly all go into Thanksgiving with a “lighter hearts”. I hope you and yours are all feeling better now.
We had quite a stormy day on Sunday, but, no damage. Not far from us where some devastating tornadoes that you’ve already heard about. My prayers go out to all those people with such heavy loses.
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