Not-so-fun BVG Demographics

Within four days of each other, 50% of the BVG's were told at separate hospitals, "Your husband is having a heart attack." This is not a demographic we like to hear about. As it turned out, my husband and I were the fortunate ones. Cool and her husband would say, "We're fortunate too," and that would be true, but he now has two stents and we continue to be concerned for his health. The past two weeks have been exhausting, both physically and emotionally, but in the end, thanks be to God for answered prayer. And thanks, too, for the love and support of the BVG's who are here for each other in the bad times as well as the good times.

A week ago yesterday I was taken by the hospital's Heart Attack Coordinator to the front waiting room while my husband was rushed from the ER to the surgery room where his angiogram was performed. I had remained calm as my husband, who was experiencing a tightening in his chest and chest pain that was radiating up in to his throat and neck, was sent from his doctor's office to the emergency room at the hospital. Now, sitting alone in this waiting room, the reality of what was going on started to set in. I knew I needed to text my three children, all of whom live far away. Besides them, the only other people I considered contacting were the BVG's.

I have thought a lot about this during the past week. I have many friends and other family members I could have called, but the ones I trusted to pray for my husband were the BVG's. Their quick responses to my texts and their expressions of support meant the world to me.

How must this have affected Cool when she read my text? Four days before she was at work when she received word that her husband had a heart attack and was in the hospital. She had to leave work and drive to the hospital alone. The thing is, her husband had done the same thing! Yes, he drove himself to the hospital when he was having a heart attack. He walked in the ER and said he was having chest pains, and he got immediate attention. I know in my husband's case, I was amazed how quickly there were eight additional people in the ER working around my husband when his EKG indicated he was having a heart attack.

To make my long story short, it wasn't a heart attack at all. In fact, the cardiologist found that he has no heart disease and no blockages whatsoever. Did I say he was 'fortunate'? He is extremely blessed!! More tests were done on him that evening, and the following morning they had the diagnosis: Pericarditis, or inflammation of the sac around the heart. Pericarditis mimics a heart attack. He apparently got this from taking antibiotics for a sinus infection two months before. All he needed were some anti-inflammatory drugs to fix him up good as new. His relief came immediately after even just one tiny pill.

I wish that was all Cool's husband needed. He's at home, she's at work, they are both exhausted. My husband is at work, I'm at home, and we're recovering from our exhaustion. Cool's oldest child come from Oregon to be with her at the hospital and then again this past weekend to help celebrate Father's Day with his dad. My oldest came with her husband and eight-month-old son from California the day my husband got out of the hospital and stayed through Father's Day as well. We live just ten minutes apart and wished we could have gotten the two of them together for another BVGO (Bethel Valley Girl Offspring) Reunion, but that wasn't possible.

Now here's a happy thing: Elletu's daughter loaned me her high chair to use while my grandson was here, and now she says she is willing to sell it to me as long as I'll make her some garlic chicken salad. You better believe I'm going to make it for her! Now my grandchildren will use the same high chair used by Elletu's grandchildren!

So I shall end this post on a high note, with a FUN BVG demographic:

50% of the BVG's have grandchildren who used the same high chair.