A Very Fun-filled Weekend
Last Friday I got home early in time to hear a message on my answering machine. My mother asked me to come by as she wasn't feeling well (dizzy, lightheaded). She doesn't live very far away.
So I went on over and she told me that a new symptom had been added - a knot of pain "like a charley horse" under her sternum. A tiny red flag went up and waved in the back of my head, and after another few minutes she declared that it wasn't going away and asked me to take her to the hospital.
Needless to say the car sprouted wings.
Yes, it was a heart attack, but a certain kind of heart attack - an angiogram showed that the coronary arteries (the usual culprits in such things) were not blocked. What she had was a little something called by various names, two of which are neurogenic cardiomyopathy or Tako-Tsubo Syndrome. Basically her central nervous system kicked her heart in the slats and now it's bruised and hurting.
My Dad died less than three years ago, so I freaked a bit and called the immediate family in the area (easier than it sounds; my sister-in-law's mother was in the same hospital). By the time they showed up I was a bit more stable. Mom had been given her angiogram and moved to the intensive care unit.
Luckily the syndrome that she has is treatable with meds and rest, and I was able to take her home Tuesday. In addition to myself, a gaggle of neighbors have agreed to look in on her or rally around in case anything untoward happens.
But it's been a rather wearing time, and I apologize for not posting as often as I should.
So I went on over and she told me that a new symptom had been added - a knot of pain "like a charley horse" under her sternum. A tiny red flag went up and waved in the back of my head, and after another few minutes she declared that it wasn't going away and asked me to take her to the hospital.
Needless to say the car sprouted wings.
Yes, it was a heart attack, but a certain kind of heart attack - an angiogram showed that the coronary arteries (the usual culprits in such things) were not blocked. What she had was a little something called by various names, two of which are neurogenic cardiomyopathy or Tako-Tsubo Syndrome. Basically her central nervous system kicked her heart in the slats and now it's bruised and hurting.
My Dad died less than three years ago, so I freaked a bit and called the immediate family in the area (easier than it sounds; my sister-in-law's mother was in the same hospital). By the time they showed up I was a bit more stable. Mom had been given her angiogram and moved to the intensive care unit.
Luckily the syndrome that she has is treatable with meds and rest, and I was able to take her home Tuesday. In addition to myself, a gaggle of neighbors have agreed to look in on her or rally around in case anything untoward happens.
But it's been a rather wearing time, and I apologize for not posting as often as I should.
posted by Walt at 11:44 AM
1 Comments:
Walt OMG that's got to be one of the scariest moments to go through. I haven't experienced anything with my parents yet. Dad's 78 and mom 75. If ever faced with a similar situation, I hope I can respond as efficiently as you did with your mom. Thank goodness she called you. I was JUST reading an artical the other day about "broken heart syndrome" in a magazine. Very informative link. Your mom must count her blessings every day that you are her son.
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