Since this blog is primarily intended as a life update for our friends and family, I thought I would send a quick message on the events of the last few days.   Over the past 11 days, I’ve been fighting a nasty stomach bug, which appeared to travel to my lower intestines over the weekend.  After some tests and a diagnosis, we thought we had it covered and I went on antibiotics.  But on Tuesday afternoon, I ended up in the ER due to chest/arm pain and shortness of breath.  I was put through several tests, but the pain went away and I was kept overnight for observation.  At 2am on Wednesday, the nurse came into my room because my pulse had dropped and she wanted to make sure I was okay.  At that point, I experienced what must feel like a powerful heart attack.  My chest felt like it was being crushed, I had trouble breathing, my left arm ached and then went completely numb, and I began to shiver and shake all over.  The nurse gave me nitroglycerin and morphine which didn’t seem to change anything.  After 30 more minutes, she gave me a drug called dilaudid, which brought me very quickly out of the shock and pain.   From there, things went from scary to confusing, as I was put through a series of tests ranging from a CT scan to a cardiac catheterization. The theory of my cardiovascular surgeon was that I was being rocked by a nasty virus and suffering from something called myocarditis (inflamation of the heart muscle).  As the day and tests went on, everything seemed to confirm this theory.  And at 1:30pm on Thursday, 48 hours after being brought to the hospital, I was headed home with Rachel.  Even now, we don’t know exactly what caused the myocarditis.  Over the evolution of this condition, I’ve tested positive for two known bacteria and one assumed virus.  Since you can’t cure the virus, I’m now at home with antibiotics to fight the bacteria, and a supply of ibuprofen to keep the pain and swelling down.  Overall, I feel tired, a little sore, but relatively normal.

Thanks to everyone for the calls, the well wishes and the visits, and thanks to the staff at Cayuga Medical Center.  It was indeed a scare, but also a healthy pause and reflection on what matters most.  And if this experience was a test on recognizing the important things in life, the answers walked through the door when Rachel came home with Eli yesterday evening…

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