12:00 PM Wednesday. Thanks for all the prayers. Ray was released from the hospital today. He is home resting, catching up on email and the like. Feel free to drop him a line or give him a call. He’s not allowed to drive for a week, so he will surely feel a little trapped. Maybe he’ll post here soon.
10:00 AM Monday Met with discharge coordinator, Jan. She explained in detail what the doctor did during yesterday’s procedure. She informed that two stints were put in. “The stints will not set off any alarms.” “We can’t take away your stress, but we can teach you how to deal with it” (walking, bike riding, swimming, talking about things, watching funny movies). Rest for an hour after every meal. Don’t change bed linens and run a vaccum cleaner. Don’t drive for a week. No muscle building exercises. Never, ever shovel snow! Talk to people about how you feel. Give yourself a chance to heal. Walk 3 minutes, 3 times a day, building to two 15 minute walks a day.
7:00 AM Monday Many of you know by now, Ray suffered what the doctors have called a “mild to moderate” heart attack on Saturday night. His pain began around 8 PM, but he did not decide to go to the hospital until around 3 AM Sunday morning. He and Carol drove to St. John’s hospital in Anderson, where he was stabilized. From there, he was transported to The Indiana Heart Hospital in Castleton (a part of the Community North campus). Upon arrival at TIHH, he was immediately taken in for a heart catheterization procedure. The doctors discovered that one of his primary cardiac arteries was completely blocked. They were able to insert a drug-coated stint into the artery, and the blockage was alleviated. The doctor performing the procedure was pleased with the results, but he said it would take time before they knew the extent of damage to the heart muscle. The doctor also expressed some concern with Ray’s kidney function, and has ordered some further tests to determine whether or not his diabetes is under adequate control.
As of Sunday evening, Ray was awake, alert, and in good spirits. The doctors have estimated that he will need to be in the hospital for a total of three days for evaluation. Visitors are welcome pretty much any time of day, and the atmosphere at the hospital is very open and relaxed, so do feel free to visit. He is in room 310. He also has his cell phone with him, if you wish to call.
Please pray for Ray and Carol. Further updates on Ray’s progress will be posted to this web site, so feel free to send the link out to folks who might be interested.
-eli