My Thanksgiving Adventure

I am really thankful. At 1 pm, on Thanksgiving Day, I was released from St. Anthony's North Hospital. I had only been in for a little over 24 hours, but it was the most unnerving day of my life.

Anne and I had spent Wednesday morning shopping for everything for the Thanksgiving meal. We had only one stop left, at Target, so Anne dropped me off at the Hobby Lobby store nearby, while she finished the shopping. I was in the art section, looking at a paintbrush (#4 filbert). When I reached up to put it back in the metal rack, I felt something wrong with my left arm. It felt as if I had a hold of a live wire. I felt several jolts in my arm, it reminded me of when I was young and would go to my Grandma Brauker's farm, and touch the electric fence, only more intense. I staggered back a step, thinking I have to move, that maybe there was something electrical in the area shocking me. I turned and took two steps toward the front of the store, then looked down and realized my left arm was hanging limp at my side. I tried to lift it, but it wouldn't move. I grabbed it with my right arm and lifted it up. It felt like lifting a 5 pound dead weight. I dropped it in panic and took two or three more steps forward, and realized that suddenly, I could feel my arm and was able to lift it again.

At that moment, my phone rang, Anne was pulling up in front of the store. I walked directly out and got in the car. I quickly explained what happened, but it was so strange, because now my arm worked fine. I think I was kind of in denial, because in my mind, I didn't want to believe that such a thing had happened to me. I told Anne I wanted to go home. We were only there a few minutes when we decided, I had to go to the emergency room to check it out.

St. Anthony's North Hospital is about 15 minutes away from our house. We fortunately arrived at a time when it was not busy, and were ushered in to Emergency Room 4, (I felt good about that because four is my lucky number.) and then the tests began. Operating on the assumption that I had had a Transient Ischemic Attack, the first test was a CAT scan of my brain. Next came a chest x-ray, then another trip to radiology for another chest x-ray, and finally an MRI, which I can only describe as being strapped to a board, and having your head slid into a small metal bucket, where 500 people bang the sides of it with hammers, for 20 minutes.

After nearly six hours in room #4, I was taken to the Cardiac Rehab Unit, room 124. This was a little cozier than the gurney in the emergency room, but I didn't get to stay for long, because it was back on the gurney for another long and winding hallway trip back to the emergency room area for a carotid artery ultra sound.

Later, back in the room, I settled in with TV remote in hand, and at last, something to eat in front of me. I was a little more relaxed, but still very nervous of what the tests may find. I slept fitfully, and awoke in the morning to another test. This time the ultra sound machine was rolled into my room and I was given a heart ultra sound. Turns out my heart is not in the right place. (Okay, no old girlfriend jokes out there.) It is just slightly twisted and moved a little to the side. Fortunately, it works okay like that. (Thank you God for the little things.)

At 10 am, the results were in. The doctor said that the tests of my brain were normal. (Proof that I have a brain, now all I would need is a heart and courage.) She said that because my arm went limp, it was necessary to treat it as if I had a stroke or TIA, but overnight, the more she thought of my description of the event, and the negative results of the tests, she was led to a different conclusion. She believes it was cervical impingement, (pinched nerve in the spine.) Ironically, all night long, as I worried about the results, I thought to myself, maybe it might be a pinched nerve, because it really felt like an electrical shock.

Well, that was the good news, and I was so overjoyed to hear I didn't have a stroke. Then she delivered some more negative news. Our carotid arteries are two large ones that run up each side of the neck. At the top of the main artery are two branches, the interior carotid artery, ICA, (which carries blood directly to the brain.) and the exterior carotid artery ECA (which carries blood to the neck and brain). My ICA on the left side is totally blocked. Oh, that did not sound good, but then she delivered some better news. My right side was open, and the left ECA was also open, and other vessels had developed to help carry blood to my brain.

When one of your carotid arteries is blocked, there is nothing medically that can be done, because of the potential of breaking particles loose and causing blood clots. So I asked what to do next. She gave me a prescription for Plavix, which is a blood thinner and told me to continue to exercise.

At this point, I have to credit my lovely wife, Anne. I take back all the grumbling I have done over the years, when you drag me out of a warm bed in the middle of the winter and we bundle up and go for those two to three mile walks nearly every morning. The doctor said that really makes a difference, and helps to build extra blood vessels. So, one hour after I arrived home on Thanksgiving Day, Anne said, "Let's go!" and out the door we went on our two mile walk at a rapid pace.

I only relate my small adventure, because after all, I have spent my life as a writer and many of my friends and relatives are nearing the age of 60, and now seems to be a good time to get a thorough assessment of your medical situation.

I learned two things that have had a significant positive impact on my health. The fact that I exercise regularly, (Thank you again, Anne.) and that I have never smoked. If you can do just those two things you will be better off. Another good thing to do is to get regular medical check-ups, which I have done. Thankfully, I had the carotid artery ultra-sound, or I would never know of my condition. It was a fast non-invasive test that I had never had before.

I will get off my soap-box and stop preaching now, but I just had to relate how those few seconds in the art aisle changed my life.

In my younger days, when we owned horses, and used to break them in and race with them, I had occasion to fall off, and today, I decided, in a sense, it was time get back on. I drove over to the Target store, and dropped off my new prescription for Plavix. While I waited for it to be filled, I walked over to the Hobby Lobby, moved through the store to the paintbrush aisle, to the exact spot I stood two days earlier, reached up and grabbed that #4 filbert. I stood still for a second, remembering, then turned and walked to the checkout.

This afternoon, I am going to use that brush for the first of many, many times. I hope to make some good art with it.

Good health and love to all my friends and family. to all my friends and family.