A Close Call
Aug 4, 2024 | by Nancy Newbrough
On July 5th, I bought an airline ticket to Syracuse, New York, to participate in my 50th high school reunion in August. I had been planning on going for about a year and would be gone for five days while my husband stayed here to watch our dog. While purchasing the ticket, a message asked if I wanted to buy flight insurance. I have never bought it in the past, but something told me to do it this time. A few days later, I found out why.
July 10th started as usual. I was in my den office and my husband was just finishing a shower before we had to go to a dental appointment. After dressing, he was not feeling well. We thought it might be a drop in his blood sugar, so he tested, and it was okay. Then I heard him being sick in the bathroom. I asked if he was okay and learned of chest pains that started in the shower. He wanted to go back to bed. I gave him two choices -- calling 911 or driving him to the ER.
We got to the ER around 9:30am. The ER waiting room was already full, but they checked him right in due to the symptoms. The nurse did an EKG and asked his level of pain which was a 9. She said to sit in the waiting room and a doctor would come to get him. At that point, I reached out to all of my prayer groups and LIFE Group. An hour and a half later, a doctor came and took him back to begin blood work and other tests.
Another hour passed. I asked the desk clerk when I might hear something. She said probably not for 3-4 hours. Because of Hurricane Beryl two days earlier, some of their systems were still slow and on manual processing. I decided to go home and check on our dog and have lunch since we live only ten minutes away. I returned about 2:30pm. There still was no word on my husband's condition. The security guard came and asked any family members waiting in the ER to move to the hospital waiting room because of overcrowding.
About 3:30pm my husband called me and said he was being admitted but not sure why – to talk to the nurse. She informed me that the bloodwork showed he had a heart attack. She asked me to come back to ER to talk to the doctor. When I got there, my husband was in the hallway on a stretcher hooked up to monitors and an IV with a blood thinner. Several other patients were also in the hallway as there were no empty rooms. The doctor confirmed it was a heart attack and said a cardiologist was coming to talk to me.
The cardiologist planned to admit my husband when a room was available, and a heart catheterization was scheduled for the next day. A blockage was likely, but the severity would not be known until the catheterization. My husband did not appear to be at all nervous or scared. We both had a peace knowing God got us to the ER and so many were praying for us!
The hospital was completely full, and a nurse said hopefully a room would become available sometime that evening. I returned home to get some dinner and when I got back about 9:00pm was told he would be admitted in a few hours at 11:30pm. Praise God!
The heart procedure was done the next day at 12:30pm. While talking with his doctor afterwards, I was shocked to learn of the severity of the heart attack. Two stents had to be put in and one of his arteries in the front of the heart was 90% blocked. This artery is called the Widow Maker because a blockage there can be fatal. I am pretty sure if my husband had just gone back to bed as desired, he might not be here today. He did so well with the procedure that his discharge was the next day!
In a visit with our primary care doctor the next week, we were tested for COVID because of just being in the ER and hospital. Both of us tested positive! I prayed hard for my husband since his heart attack was so recent. Our doctor prescribed Paxlovid. I went to two pharmacies and was told at both places that they were out of stock and would have none available for a few days. I began fervently praying for God to provide as my husband especially needed that medication. The next day, both pharmacies called, each to tell us they had found one left on the shelf. What an awesome and timely answer to prayer!
I know now that on July 5th God was preparing me for the possibility of not going on my trip. He always knows what is coming around the bend! Every time I think about how close I came to losing my husband, I cannot stop thanking God. Each time I think about how this could have happened when I was on the trip, I cannot stop crying. On July 23rd, we celebrated 41 years of marriage. By God's grace, we will be able to celebrate many more years together!
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1