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Wednesday evening finally arrived. Tonya and I were almost back to our comfort level with each other. I was to have the next four nights off and I was determined not to waste them all sleeping.

I start off well by doing all the dishes when I go home (except for the pots and pans). The metal work can wait for the am when the plates dry and I can put them away.

I start to think about the trash. Ten minutes tops when the first real sign of trouble begins.

Our Labrador/chow mix Onyx wants to play and I oblige him for a minute. He's in his twirl around in a circle and body slam mode and nails me twice and I am very out of breath. The kind where I go to the long suffering spouse's sanctum sanctorium (where it's the warmest room in the house) and sit on the couch and begin the search for missing breath--a continuing saga of 26 novels--collect them all.

Accomplishing two objectives one being getting sympathy for old age and declining stamina and two a hint it's my turn on the computer now you selfish thing. I eventually end up in bed around 3:30 or so.

I spend the rest of the time chilly and uncomfortable. The arm is an ever present ache mostly in the joint and forearm and top of shoulder. Sleep comes and goes but I am used to that.

Ruth is up early per usual for her and back on the computer and around 11:20 the drama begins in earnest. I'm debating getting up or trying to sleep more when I'm hit by a wave of dizziness and a loss of breath both at the same time. I mange to stagger out of bed then turn to a prayer position trying to breath and wait for this to pass (as it did Tuesday night--without the dizziness). It's not letting up. I waltz in the bedtime making whiny noises and confusing the Mrs. Years of being a Drama Queen have left her in a skeptical frame of mind as I delight in life lessons which evil comes of being a Kung Fu TV fan (yeh yeh Christian who likes Kung Fu when will the contradictions cease?!).

I inform her this is worse then usual but still sticking to the idea it's this miseerable sinus problem running the gamut of high and low effects.

Ruth to her credit thinks we should go to the Base Emergency Room. So far so good. Then she makes the mistake of waiting for my blessing. By this time I'm on the floor by the couch in the living room coughing up flem and blood (the blood is from gum troubles). The blood does it for me.

"I think you are right." For some reason I'm still resisting the "H" word. Onyx scoots around me and licks my blood up which gets him a quick rebuke and an insistance from me that I clean the rug first before we leave. By the time Ruth gets her shoes on a towel has taken care of that. I'm anal enough to have fussed big time about the rug the whole time otherwise. I throw shoes (no socks) and a jacket on over a t-shirt with blue jeans on and we are off.

The Base Hospital is a five minute drive from Casa Mtpspur but since 9/11 the hospital gate has been closed and traffic diverted to another one which makes the trip about seven minutes.
I'm feeling groggy but mobile and we park in the rear. In hindsight I should have been dropped at the ER entrance but I wanted Ruth by me to back up my story. The walk to the other side of the building is taking a huge toll. A lady stops to see if I need help but backs off as Ruth catches up to me. I am secretly pleased that even at less then full capacity I can outwalk the Mrs. Insufferable ego mocking his poor wife because of her injured leg--sigh.

We arrive at the ER station where I immediately announce I am a Drama Queen and this is probably nothing serious. The lady corrects me by saying I'm a Drama King. For some reason I insist on the queen and thankfully Ruth takes over as I fish out my retired identification assuring the clerk I am for real. Since I do not participate in the Air Force Tricare program (a story I had to repeat several times in the next hour or so) there was some confusion as to WHAT I was as far as billing went. If I had simply said Retired AF would have gone slightly smoother.

I'm sent to the waiting room. I call Brandy and have Ruth fill her in. I'm barely into eye contact with patients that I notice are giving me stranger looks then usual when I am called back and put on a gurney and hooked up to meds very rapidly and receiving the first of many lectures on how stupid it is to ignore meds no matter how many bills need paying. I trot out the Wife/Car issue and absolutely nobody cares but a look or two is sent Ruth's way with the silent I feel your pain Madam and shake of the head as in it takes all kinds.

I'm there for about an hour while the medical miracle of why I have not had a stroke yet is animately discussed. One figure I heard on blood pressure was 230 over 80 I believe. I attest to the 230 for certain. It looks like I am starting to stablize when it hits hard. The nurse had literally just left the room when I could feel it coming on. The dizziness that comes from going from high to low blood pressure. Ruth later told me she thought THEN was when I suffered a stroke. I remembered going dizzy, being held and asked to hold a bag. I thought they were telling me that to give me something to think about so I would not be panicking. Most thoughtful. Nope. They wanted me to throw up in it. Didn't want a mess to clean up I imagine. I annoy them by NOT throwing up feeling very smug at this point. Can too hold my vomit down so there. Suddenly my eyes snap open, there is sweat across my forehead and eyes and I am very lucid. I say simply two words.

"I'm back." They seem relieved. I start thinking about a Quantum Leap reunion movie that better get made before Dean Stockwell passes away on us.

Ruth has been quiet for quite some time. I ask Ruth to update AAA and she leaves the room.

While she is gone the Captain working on me approaches and informs me that "You have had a heart attack."

For the rest of my life I would to relive that moment over to say something other then what came out instead.

"Cool. Bout time this happened. I'll show them at work." Big stupid grin. THAT was my big momentous comment--sigh.

The captain is not at all ready for this reaction. She asks me a question which hints at a future requisition for a strait jacket. I do not quite remember it. I take pity on her.

"Would you rather I freak out over it?" So noble, so looking out for the feelings of others.
With this remark I feel a little better about my response to a life changing event.

She seems a little better also then I'm informed I'm being transferred to the Dayton Heart Hospital as the Base ER not have the equipment to treat me properly here. Nice way of saying my benefits won't let me in the primary care clinics on the base. Or maybe I'm cynical.

Ruth comes back and I let her have the news. I can see her face now in my mind and it was funny watching her face very minutely change. I thought she was surprised my mortaility was finally catching up to me. Later she told me it was the transfer news that got her. She decides to go home, get cleaned up and grab the paycheck and see me down there.

I know what I MUST do. Tell her I love her? Have her tell the kids I love them? Say I wish I had been a better man? A better Christian?

I don't know whose blog you think you are reading but it can't be mine.

I asked her bring me comicbooks especially the latest Avengers plus an $18 book that arrived on back order. It was now or never for this hopefully once in a lifetime opportunity for free mags.

Little tired now--we'll pick this up later with the Ambulance ride and 3 days stayover.