Please excuse my misuse of the keyboard until i get use of my left arm/hand back...
On Thursday, august 10, at approx 1030 a.m. I suffered a massive heart attack while talking to my mom on the phone about a puppy. Imagine that...Absolutely no real explanaton... lifetime NON-smoker. Social drinker only. My only obvious mistake was to ignore hypertension for 10 years.
I'm told I made it to the operating table by 10 minutes. Had I been in front of students at any of our venues I would have died on the firing line. Cute quips aside, I am pleased that did not happen.
My aorta exploded as soon as they had my sternum open. Another LUCKY break as there was a beautiful O.R Nurse Practitioner there to pinch it off .Thank you, Cami...Heart Surgeon took over from there...
"Reached over the cliff and grabbed my hand as I was falling away." His words not mine...
Next day--- Massive stroke to my right brain. Believe it or not, THAT is lucky as well...Affected my WEAK side, but ALL of it -- Left big toe to left ear all useless and no feeling. Left arm and leg just slabs of meat.
That was August 12.
Today I am walking, although a little ugly, without a cane.
Impossible without the WORLD-CLASS PHYSICIANS, NURSES, AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS of Alaska Regional Hospital. THANKS ALSO TO THE VETERANS' ADMINISTRATION for the immediate support.
A Neurosurgeon I met last week says I need to search deep for the reason I am alive. He states that I should not be...
Forever Grateful.
Of Course they all needed a willing participant committed to a full recovery, AND I AM THAT.
Hope to see you on the firing line in 2024
---TAYLOR