Subj : Other Ham Radio News
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Sun Aug 01 2021 23:32:55

  My apologies for the delay in posting of several items to the various
ham radio echoes in recent days.

  Last Thursday, I got an uncomfortable feeling between my throat and
my heart, as if I was about to vomit...but I wasn't nauseated or short
of breath...and I didn't have the "classic heart attack symptoms" of
pain in the jaw, or down the arms. But, I went ahead and called 911,
with the Little Rock Fire Department, and the Metropolitan Emergency
Medical Services (MEMS) Ambulance, responding in short order.

  I was ambulatory to St. Vincent's Infirmary in Little Rock, where
my heart rate was racing along at 155!! It had never been above 105
as I could recall. They hooked me up to an intravenous feed of saline
(for fluid), and to a medication to slow the heart rate down. The
latter only worked temporarily, so they added an intraveneous drip
of a solution to lower the heart rate...and was admitted to the
cardiac ward. While there, somebody set off the fire alarm in
another area of the hospital...and there were 2 instances of the
"Rapid Response Team" with a "Code Blue"...one was in the Cardiac
Care Unit. I don't know if either of those patients survived.

  I was basically diagnosed with atrial flutter, a cousin to atrial
fibrillation. Left untreated, both can lead to a fatal stroke or heart
attack...but, it appears that I caught it early enough...so I can stay
off the Silent Keys page for awhile. The medicine got it down into the
upper 50s, but stabilized it in the mid 70's. One ham quipped "it's
like golf...a score of 65 is better than 155" (hi hi).

  It took several hours before they got me to my room, and I thought
I was going to need heart surgery. As it turned out, I didn't need it
(i.e. a pacemaker implant)...at least not yet. However, I have two
follow-up medical appointments this week...a telemedicine conference
with my primary care physician on Tuesday...then I see my cardiologist
on Wednesday. He will then decide if I need additional surgery, which
would obviously require hospitalization.

  Because of a threat of thunderstorms that was forecast in central
Arkansas on Sunday, US Time (today at this typing), and not knowing
when I'd get to come home, I unplugged everything, and shut down the
BBS, before the ambulance arrived. If I have to undergo heart surgery,
the BBS will be temporarily offline again...but I won't know much else
until after I see my cardiologist on Wednesday...and I'll post another
update as soon as I know something.

  They have put me on a blood thinner, and a medicine to slow the
heart rate, and lower the blood pressure (which wasn't too bad,
although the heart rate was). I have no idea what caused it. The
original blood pressure medicine I was on, has been discontinued.

  It was warm in the Emergency Room, and in my room, that I felt like
I had a fever (I had a slight one at 99.4). But, I ended up getting
a much needed sponge bath before sunrise Sunday morning (they were
short staffed), and another one before discharge, to get all the sticky
sensor adhesives off of me. A female nurse did the first bath, with a
male nurse doing the second one. Nudity means nothing to the medical
folks, so I didn't mind them seeing me naked. Besides, I view them as
being there to save my butt, and not kiss it.

  The female nurse that originally was supposed to bathe me, ended up
(from what I understand) having to deal with a "Code Brown"...the
patient defecated in the bed...you can imagine what a mess that was!!
At least I was able to make it to the toilet in the room...and at
least I didn't have to worry about a catheter or an enema. Basically,
in the hospital, they ask you about "The Three P's" -- peeing, pooping,
and procreation. The bottom line is that "if you don't take care of
your health, you are sure to be sorry...and may not live to tell about
it".

  They did do a COVID-19 nasal swab...thankfully, I was negative, but
many central Arkansas area hospitals are filling up with folks with
the Delta Variant of COVID-19...and many of those aren't vaccinated.
For the record, I got both my shots this past April. But, even the
hospital elevators were segregated, whether you had COVID-19 or not.
My heart goes out to the first responders, who have to deal with this
risk every day.

  I was not on Lasix...at least not to my knowledge. However, my bladder
and kidneys were in overdrive, as if I was!! I will say that the portable
male bedside urinal is a JOKE!! You end up getting more urine on the bed
than in the bottle. But, at least I didn't need a catheter (they told me
that since those are also a risk for infection, they don't use those
unless absolutely necessary). And, at least my colon didn't shut down,
either. The main food at lunch and dinner was grilled chicken...so, I
wasn't cannibalistic (eating ham (hi hi)). Hopefully, just some medicine
and dietary modifications will be all that's necessary.

  I'm reminded of the joke that Tom Mullica, who did a show in tribute
to the late Red Skelton, up in Branson a few years ago...you thought
that Red had come back from the dead!! Anyway, he found out that there
was a group of nurses in the audience, and he was overjoyed!! He said
"I'm so glad all of you are here today!! I've been dying to ask this
question!!". The hall gets silent, and he looks at the nurses...and
inquires "Have we had our bowel movement today??!!" The nurses were as
red as tomatoes, and the entire room was roaring in raucous laughter!!
(hi hi).

  I am hoping that if I have to get a pacemaker, that it will not affect
my being around computers, ham radio, or the microwave oven (which is
the only way I cook things)...let alone my ability to drive. But, if
those occur, it will basically cut me off from the outside world, as
all my hobbies would go by the boards...the BBS, ham radio, and square
dancing...even though most of what I do in the latter is behind the
scenes, and off the dance floor.

  A friend of mine (he and his lady friend/significant other, have a
spoiled rotten dachshund)...has one of the newer pacemakers, that
apparently aren't affected by things like computers, ham radio,
microwave ovens, etc. -- and that one can use the Wi-Fi to transmit
data to the heart clinic. 

  My late Mom died of congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation
three weeks shy of her 93rd birthday nearly 2 years ago. To my knowledge,
I don't have congestive heart failure, but I hope to more after I see
the cardiologist on Wednesday.

  I talked to several hams who have the same thing that I do, and also
take similar medicines, so their feedback was greatly appreciated. For
those of you who pray, I covet any thoughts and prayers. I'd like to
stay on this side of the grass for awhile yet.

Daryl, WX4QZ
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

.