Wayne is home

That was a looong 13 days in two different hospitals.  I don't know who it was more stressful for....Wayne, me, or the dogs!  But, we sure are glad he is home now.  That is better than 6 feet under.

I always tell everyone to thank the Good Lord for each day you wake up.  One never knows what each day will bring.  Being thankful is so much better than being miserable.

I thought I did good to marry younger.  Haha  I told Wayne (after this) he needs a younger wife.  But, I have to admit even though it was a scary ride, he kept his sense of humor through it all.

Diagnosis:  idiopathic cardiomyopathy.  Viral?  Chemical?  Hereditary?  Anyone's guess. Idiopathic means they don't know the cause. They did a right and left heart cath and all of his coronary arteries were as clean as a whistle.  Unfortunately, the unknown newly diagnosed cardiomyopathy had been treated in the past as recurrent pneumonia/asthma did some major damage to his heart.  His cardiologist said he is lucky to be alive.  We are looking at a whole new lifestyle change.

But, "now" he has the very best cardiologist (USC) and the very best endocrinologist (UCLA).  Plus, kind of funny that he is an electrician who works in electronics that now his his own generator monitoring his heart.  They put in an AICD (automated internal cardiac defibrillator).

Wayne was as witty as usual through all of the procedures.  He told the cardiologist in the cath lab (when I mentioned that for the past few years he always hiked some 25-50 feet behind me)  that it used to be.... because he liked to look at my ass, but now he couldn't catch his breath to catch up with me!

Wayne had everybody laughing...especially when his ICU RN turned out to be one of my past 1st semester RN students.  We (my past student and I) both kind of figured it out at the same time.  He was my student over 5 years ago. We shared some good laughs on the way back down to the heart cath lab.

It wasn't all funnies.  Lots of tears were shed.  Wayne had to give up a lot of control issues.  He understands that what ever the future brings to him, he has to manage his health.  I believe he said, "Twilight last gleaming."  He gets it.  I'm so sorry it turned out to be this serious.  Diabetes seems simple in comparison to heart failure at age 54. 

We stopped at Walmart for ALL of his new medications.  When Steve the pharmacist brought over the BAG, he said, "Let's see what we have here."  I said, "Steve....I'll tell you what we have here.  We have a SHITLOAD of meds."  I thought he was going to choke laughing.

Lucky us that we have the BEST friends and BEST co-workers ever.  Everyone offered to help out.  I hope I have thanked each and everyone of you.  If not, please let me say thank-you again.

Now onward and upward and back to living :0)