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Original poster

My Dad Has Had A HeartAttack

25 replies

MrsForgetMeNotFul · 11/09/2005 00:18

know its not SN...but you are my friends

he was taken to hosp today by ambulance...turns out the heart attack was mild and happended when my parents were away on weds.

i believe my dad is AS....and keep thinking how he must feel with all the needles and equiptment... he is phobic about anything medical...has not been off sick once in 45 years at work....and he is now bedridden (attached to moniters etc)...till at least monday.

they are checing him out for all the hereditry problems his parents had- Thyroid,diabetes etc...so he is getting a full MOT

i feel numb as my mum is dependant on me (my brother is very 'disatnt' in how he intereacts...so she depends on me.)

However...i do not feel a natural closeness...this all feels so false.....i had years of a difficult childhood....and though i know i should feel closer at this time- i do not.

She can drive- but only does 8 miles a month (!)...so driving to and from the hospital 10 miles away...big city etc...is out of her capabilities...she could not cope...so we are taking her to and fro.....which at least is a practical way i can help.

I feel she expects me to stay with her...but i have my boys...and yes i know i have my husband...but my boys have their routines which I am part of.

Then on Monday leigh is having 2 teeth out in hospital.
This has been a hard week as every day i have been 'social storying' about the hosptal visit...and thankfully yesterday was the first day he did not start screaming.
(he's also been referred to a SN dentist )

so nothing like what Misdee has /is going thru...but this has been a shock as dad has never been taken ill b4.

OP posts:
QueenOfQuotes · 11/09/2005 00:20

sorry to hear about your dad - hope he's better soon [hugs]

soapbox · 11/09/2005 00:22

Mrs F - I'm sorry to hear about your Dad - it all sounds quite stressful for all of you!

Tortington · 11/09/2005 00:22

xxx thinking of you xxxx

tarantula · 11/09/2005 00:23

cant offer anythign useful but as QoQ says so sorry about all the difficulties you are facing esp trying to help your mum adn wiht the boys too

Original poster
MrsForgetMeNotFul · 11/09/2005 00:25

those who don't know me.. i have 3 boys- 2 are autistic. I also have mental health probs...this is hard.

Thanks to you all for taking time to wish him well.....

OP posts:
marthamoo · 11/09/2005 00:26

MrsF - I'm not a Special Needs poster but heart attacks I do know... My Mum and Dad have both had them and many years on are doing fine (my Mum had her first heart attack completely out of the blue at 48 - so I do know what a shock it can be). It's very scary - and the first few days after a heart attack are the scariest (that's when they will keep your Dad on the Cardiac Ward /Intensive Care - and he will have to be all wired up etc.) but then they will move him to a conventional ward and, all being well, will let him come home. There will be a lot of investigations but some heart conditions can be managed without surgical intervention - he may just need medication.

I wish him all the best (and you too...)

Original poster
MrsForgetMeNotFul · 11/09/2005 00:32

thanks...that helped.

he has a very stressful job and we have all 'joked' that it would lead to this...the reality is awful...

i suppose the way he feels now is the 'aftermath' of the HA...they say his blood is thick- so he is on drugs to thin it...and something about some syndrome or other which has 'angina' in there too.

my dad is 59...so at 48 t=that must have been an even worse shock...i just feel that for years i have 'imagined' this scenario...bvut never imagined how i'd feel.

OP posts:
jayzmummy · 11/09/2005 02:56

Oh Mrs F
Hope that your dear old dad makes a speedy recovery and is soon back home.
I know what a shock it has been for you.Lets hope this was just a warning to your dad to slow down and take things a bit easier.

Good luck for L on Monday.

chonky · 11/09/2005 08:31

Thinking of you, and hope Monday goes OK for your ds too.

eidsvold · 11/09/2005 09:01

that you are having such a tough time.

MeerkatsUnite · 11/09/2005 09:39

Mrs F

I'm also sorry to hear about your Dad. I have an inkling of how you must be feeling as well; I remember well the initial shock afterwards (my Dad drove to the GP's, doctor took one look at my Dad and rushed him straight into hospital!. My Mum came home in tears).

I would fully concur with Marthamoo's comments having gone through the same with my own father when he was a lot younger (my Dad was 54 when he had a heart attack). He also had a stressful job (with long hours) along with a poor diet. These are all what led the heart attack to happen. He was kept on the coronary care unit for a week and then discharged.

My Dad went on to change his job, his dietary habits (no more eating large wads of cheddar cheese!)and lose weight; this all helped longer term too.

He is now in his early 70s and has had no further heart trouble since that time.

I wish you well with your son also on Monday.

Meerkats x

macwoozy · 11/09/2005 10:11

Sorry to hear this Mrs F, I hope your dad makes a speedy recovery. Hope all goes smoothly tommorrow with leigh.

Jimjams · 11/09/2005 10:23

Thinking of you Mrs F- it sounds like a tough time...

Thomcat · 11/09/2005 10:27

Oh darling I'm so, so sorry. God what an awful shock for you all, and what an awful week.
I'm really sorry and hope the week passes without any more stress for anyone and goes as smoothly as it can, dad recovers quickly and is back home soon and the dentist appt goes surprising well. Lots of love to you and yours, TC x

KarenThirl · 11/09/2005 10:32

Sorry to hear this Mrs F. I can sympthise with your mixed feelings about your dad - when mine had a stroke years ago and spent two weeks in hospital I found it very hard to feel sorry for him because of our history. Years later, when he died, I didn't even cry because the emotion just wasn't there.

It's tough that this has happened at such a difficult time for you too, but then there's never an ideal time I don't think. Hope all goes well with Leigh on Monday. Keep your pecker up as you always do and I know we'll all be cheering you on.

tallulah · 11/09/2005 10:40

So sorry to hear this. I understand what you mean about your mum. My dad died of a heart attack at 62 and at that point I realised I hadn't actually spoken to my mum for several years. Suddenly it was down to me to look after her- it was weird. (I also have a brother who does as he pleases). I did actually drop everything and go to her, but at that point my ds hadn't been dx with ADHD. Not quite the same situation as you. Obviously you don't want to disrupt your boys' routine because it will upset them too much. Perhaps you should get on to your brother and tell him he should deal with her?

Original poster
MrsForgetMeNotFul · 11/09/2005 21:14

thanks to all of you.

I feel better today as i actually visited him today (yesterday my husband taxi'd mum around- and i stayed here for the boys)

He looked better than he has done for at least 6 months...so that was an absolute shock!

He is wired up- and having stomach injections (which he says is the worst bit)..apparently to thin his blood???

Tomorrw he is having an angiogram- and if ok- will be home by friday- otherwise will be kept in to have a procedure done where they inflate his arteries. (the wait is approx 4 weeks if he stays in the coronary unit...or months if he is discharged....ridiculous NHS red tape....as someone else could need his bed- whilst it's jsut 'red tape' keeping him there in order to get his treatement quickly! (trust my dad to think of that!!!)

mum was brighter today (bit too hyper for my liking- so i expect her to 'crash' if the angiogram detects problems..or they don't discharge him as planned.)

Leigh is ok- we are now talking about the likely events of tomorrow...which now has to include a detour to take mum to the hospital...shame not at the same hospital...have told leigh he can play his game boy when he is being given the gas etc...

OP posts:
misdee · 11/09/2005 21:22

injections may be heparin or similar. Peter has to take blood thinners (usually takes warfarin daily) and lately the hospital have been injecting him. they have to keep his blood thinner due to risk of clots and heart attacks.

Hope your dad is back on the road to recovery soon.

angio if no probs, should be over in a bout an hour or so. he will feel a bit tender for a day or two.

all the best.

Original poster
MrsForgetMeNotFul · 11/09/2005 21:47

thankQ misdee...i only got into your threads recentl- so have no real idea abot all that peter has gone thru- but honestly when i heard of my dad's HA- i rememberd u straight away- thanks

OP posts:
Fio2 · 11/09/2005 21:49

Mrs F you poor thing, i have only just seen this. i am thinking oif you all and hope your father gets better soon xx

Saker · 11/09/2005 22:10

Sorry to hear this. I hope your Dad gets better very soon.

Davros · 11/09/2005 22:56

Oh dear MrsF, sorry to read this. Keep talking to us. Hope he gets better soon. xxx

RnB · 12/09/2005 08:04

Message withdrawn

potty1 · 12/09/2005 08:27

Thinking of you MrsF.

Hope the angiogram shows nothing major and he can be home soon.

InternationalGirl · 12/09/2005 18:25

Hope things are better soon. Thinking of you.

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