Where's the Silver Lining?

The nightmare

Robert has congestive heart failure, Parkinson's, rhumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. His heart is also very weak as the result of a viral infection that settled in his heart years ago; therefore, the heart muscle itself is too weak for him to undergo bypass surgery. He has buildup in one blood vessel that blocks over 95% of one artery in the heart.

Yesterday, he was in his power chair and tried to call to me. I did hear him say he was in trouble. I took his blood pressure and his gluclose levels, normal. He couldn't move, could barely breathe, and kept fading out, going into a stupor or unconsciousness. He was wringing wet, sweat pouring off him. I called hospice for help, but no one could get there for three hours. I called the doctor and was told to cool Robert off and leave him in the chair until help got there. With my physical problems, I couldn't move him myself.

I finally got him undressed except for his sweat pants. I used small towels dipped in cold water to cool him. I worked with him for over an hour before he no longer felt hot to touch.

He couldn't use his arms, hands, nothing. I was afraid he was going to fall out of the chair. Finally he could move a little, on the right side. I manuevered his chair parallel to the sofa, raised the arm of the chair, and rolled him over to the sofa. Then he went into an extremely deep sleep, and he wasn't responsive. I put him under oxygen and began a vigil of trying to rouse him very so often. Sometimes he would mumble a bit; sometimes he wouldn't respond at all.

By the time the nurse arrived (over four hours after I called), he was at least responsive. He was able to sit up after she had been here about a half hour.

The nurse says that these spells are from his heart and that they will come more often and last longer until his heart finally quits. (Discovered later that he had a stroke.)

He and I were both very frightened. He almost didn't live through last night, and we know it. God was gracious, though, and has given us more time.

Now, I pray that all our children will be home to see him at least one more time. It's not likely that all our grandchildren will make it, but I do believe in miracles.