~In the Words of Louis Grizzard~

"They Ripped My Heart Out and Stomped That Sucker Flat", Yeap, that is what happened to Larry on Saturday, May 23, his sister's 61st Birthday and the office manager's 51 st Birthday.... What an eye opening learning experience. How it all began.... Went to the Doc on Friday morning 9 AM to get a new script for his Blood Pressure Medication.. I went to see what he said about the cold Larry had about a month ago and why he gets so short of breath, (I knew he would not say anything about it unless I was there, because he knew I would if he did not). The doc did an EKG (electrocardiogram), then another, then another, a total of 4.. He did not like the looks of it, so we also did a chest x-ray, his heart was enlarged.. He showed us on the EKG where the T-waves were inverted and that was a sign of a heartattack .. He left the room and when he came back about 15 minutes later, we were told that Dr. Greer (cardiologist) was waiting for us at Baptist Hospital.. So we drove straight there, with copies of the EKG in our hand.. Mom called me while we were inroute to the Hospital and wanted to know what I had decided about dinner and Graduation, was I going to meet them there or ride with them. I told her, I was not sure at that moment, I had somethings to wrap up and then I would let her know. Did not tell her what was going on.. When we arrived, they did he initial intake info, then they triage, then they took Larry back and I finished the paperwork, because Dr. Greer was literally waiting for us. He looked at the EKG and listened to Larry and we were told he was scheduled for a Heart Cath in 30 minutes. Larry asked about a stress test and was told, "you are beyond that"... So we go for the Heart cath, which we were told would take no more than an hour, either they would find nothing, and then they would be out in 30 minutes, or they would do balloons/stints and be out in an hour.. At that point I called mom and let them know what was going on. While I was waiting, my boss called with a work question. I was crying, scared to death... she asked what was going on, so I told her where I was and what we were doing. She asked who was with me and of course no one was, By the time mom and dad could have gotten there the heart cath was supposed to be over. I told her I was OK, just in shock.. The next thing I knew, she walked in the door ( my office is only 5 minutes from the Hospital). I was glad not to be alone. After an hour, they came out and told me everything was going well and they were about half way through, now I had been told it would take no more than an hour to begin with and now I am being told after the hour, they are halfway finished. I really got upset, Marilyn tried to justify it, they got a late start, so I was kinda OK, but had this gut feeling that something was really wrong... An hour later, they came and got us and took us to a conference room, Marilyn said she would step out when the doc came in and I asked her to stay.. The first thing he asked me is "Are you the one that got him to the Doc", I said I strongly suggested he go, then I was told I had just "Saved His Life", Still not letting myself think about surgery. I asked how many stints did we have and again I heard those words, "You are beyond that", we have to do "SURGERY" I was shocked and terrified.... He began to describe and draw pics of the blockages, His LAD (Widow Maker, main artery) was 99% Blocked.... Had he moved the wrong way, that would have shifted and he would have instantly been gone and there would have been nothing anyone could do to save him. Now remember Larry travels all the time with his work, he had come in from Sioux City, IA on Wednesday evening.. We are so very BLESSED that this happened like it did... He could have been away somewhere and it happened.. But, let's don't go there, that did not happen. The Good Lord saw fit for him to be at home. So we discuss Surgery, when, They were already trying to schedule it with the Surgeon and it would be Sat or Sun at the latest, Now remember this is a Holiday weekend... All of this has happened in 5 hours... I am a basket case by now. I have to pull myself together, because they will be bringing him out shortly..
Now I have phone calls to make, My parents, his sisters, my sons,, his boss... etc.... They are not letting us go home, so I have to ask mom to go to the house and bring me some clothes and stuff, because I may be here awhile..
Mom and dad get there around 4:30 because they are meeting for the Graduation/Birthday (Maranda on Sunday) dinner at PF Changs..
The Surgeon comes in at 5 and explains to us what is happening and what is about to happen. We talk to him for over an hour.. We will have surgery at 7:30 Sat. AM.. So within 22 hours we have gone through all this and will be in surgery...
So the rest of the night, we are in x-ray, ultrasound, echo, blood draws, Now keep in mind, Larry has not been in the hospital or had ANY type procedure done since he was 7 and cut his wrist.. So he is not liking this at ALL... At 4 AM they come in and wake him up to draw ABG (Arterial Blood Gasses), this is drawn out of an artery and hurts like all get out... REALLY BAD.. He is squeezing my hand so hard I about go to the floor, but I stand there and talk him through it. Then at 6 they come get us and take us to Surgery waiting, I am trying really hard to be strong, but the longer we sit there the more the tears roll.. His sisters called and said they were in the waiting room, So I asked one of the nurses if they could come back and so they got them. Then off to SURGERY!!!!!! I told them I wanted some of his drugs, he would be asleep and not know anything, so I was the one that needed the don't care stuff, but I did not get it. I was told they had about an hour prep and then surgery would begin. That would take about 4 hours. So we wait, Mom, Dad, Mary, Linda, Roger, Patti and I.... and we wait, and we wait, etc. at 11 we were told they were closing up... and we waited, and waited... I walk to the doorway and stand, tears just rolling,,, and I see the surgeon (Dr. Martino it is 12:30) and he is SMILING.. So I know things went well. So he explained what he did and that we should be able to see him shortly, he would be in CVICU for the next 48 hours or so and that would be the critical time.
So at 1 were allowed to see him.. Words cannot describe what I saw, tubes, wires, monitors,, machines,, everywhere.... And my husband, laying there with a machine breathing for him, motionless... A man that is NEVER still, we had planned to finish the trailer and start on the Wheel Horses this weekend... and here he lies not moving at all, not even breathing on his own.. I am terrified, all I can do is cry.. But he is alive and the docs say he is doing great... I am thinking what do they know, they do not know this man and how active he is..
Mom and dad leave to take care of some things, but Mary, Linda and Roger are staying for awhile. Linda will not go see him, She cannot stand all the machines and tubes, and that is OK. Mary and I go back in at 5 and we have to wait, because they are pulling the vent tube.. Finally he will be breathing on his own.. We are asked to not let him talk, just talk to him..
Mary, Linda and Roger leave, I would be fine, he is doing really good, and I just needed some alone time to think about all this and try to absorb it and get some of my crying out so I can be strong for him when he knows I am there. I go back to see him and get to stay for an hour at 8... He told me it sure was good to open his eyes and see me standing there... Then I told his nurse I will be in the waiting room if he needs me in the night.. I am assigned a couch to sleep on... I have my phone on vibrate in my pocket.. Just in case... About 4 AM, I sat straight up on that couch and just had a warm feeling, did not know what that was, but I went back to sleep. At 6 my phone vibrates, scared the bageebees out of me.. It was Larry's nurse, He had been asking for me since, you got it, "4". He did not remember me being there the night before, She told him, I had had a rough day and let's wait till 6 and let her get some rest and then she would call me back there. So he was content with that, but kept asking how much longer till 6.. I got to stay back there for another hour till shift change... Then I went and found me a shower and changed my clothes, I had been wearing mine for 2 days now... He was doing well and I needed to feel better and felt that would help. I got to go back in at 8, they had him eating breakfast, scrambled eggs and all.. Then after that visit, I went and got breakfast.. I was called around 11:30 to come to the desk, My heart sank,, but it was to tell me they were moving him upstairs to a room, HALLELUJAH God is SO GOOD!!!!! It was less than 24 hours in CVICU and we are going upstairs, in a WHEELCHAIR no less, not a bed... Things progressed from there, drain tubes began to be pulled and replaced with just bandages,, They keep telling us how well he is doing and I can see him getting stronger each day... The nurses and the staff are just great.. He is a model patient.. Day 5 after Surgery, Thursday, We get to go home. Boy, am I SCARED.. now it is up to me to take care of him. I have no one watching this little heart monitor, I have to watch him.. But I can do this... Does he mind me and rest when we get home, NO... He ends up getting TOO TIRED and does not rest last night. Today we will do better.. I am going to give him a shower in a little bit.. that should make him feel alot better,, In fact he is wanting to do that now. So I will update more later.. I have to go play nurse....

Thanks to EVERYONE FOR ALL THE PRAYERS, that is what got us where we are right now..