Thank You All Very Much...

Hi and Good Morning/Evening, Scouters!!

I'm at home, having been released yesterday at around noon. I'll go
back to work on Tuesday evening.

Thanks very much for you very kind well-wishes and prayers and
thoughts for me and Jessica....it has been NOT the kind of weekend
I envisioned on Friday, when I left work.

Everything was fine....we enjoyed our monthly "honies date" with
friends of ours from Dixon (and a friend of theirs), and ate dinner at
the new Steak and Shake in east Evansville. We've been trying to
get them to eat there with us, and we were afraid that we've "scared
them off" as friends, as we could never get our schedules matched
up...but the "evening" was planned by them on Tuesday to Jessi's
surprise.

When we came back home, I readied myself for my monthly visit
with my Reserve unit in Indianapolis, and then layed down for a
short nap. When I woke up later that Saturday morning, my ears
were still ringing, and as I returned from the laundry nook to put
on my uniform shirt and to shave, I was experiencing some rather
weird dizzyness.

So, I got Jessica to take me to the hospital for what I thought was
just a *rather nasty set of ear infections*. It turned out to be more
than that. Getting out of the car, all of a sudden the center part
of my chest felt like two people were sitting right on top of it!!

I went in, told the attending nurse and the staff physician about
those pains, and they immediately went into third gear. For two
hours, I was poked and prodded, x-rayed and subjected to stuff
that they had to attach to a chestful of hair, only to have them
to *tear* them off my chest not soon afterwards.

Then, the news. My heart was doing something rather unusual
for them, and they were admitting me for observation for 24 hours.
So much for going to Indianapolis for the day!

While Jessica was a real trooper during the time of them taking me
upstairs and into the CCU (Cardiac Care Unit), I was really rather
upset about it all. I'm only 37, and had just taken a military physical
exam three weeks back which found nothing unusual. I was told
that these things *suddendly happen*. I asked Jessica to please
bring my laptop and to download my mail and place it on a diskette
so that I could answer it all....there was no way that I was just going
to sit there in that room and NOT get anything accomphished.

I also asked for some computer magazines and something from
the "coffee food group" and the "chocolate food group". As she
kissed me, I could tell that she was really afraid of losing her best
friend and constant combatant.

When she returned two or so hours later, they had already connected
me to a heart monitor and have given me the second of three IVs.
I HATE those IV needles....this one was placed in my right hand,
in the center of my hand. This made it difficult to type with on the
keyboard, so I asked them to tape it some more.

Since living here in Henderson, we've talked with many people
that are rather new to computing and electronic mail. I had many
of the staff, my roommate's wife, sister and mother, and others
that were interested in what I was typing and how this "email
stuff" worked. I couldn't connect to my host mail system, so the
replies were saved to file and then brought home by Jessica to
upload here. Thank you again, honies...you did fine!!

My mother, both brothers and my Godsister called me and asked
how I was feeling....my Godsis found out from my middle brother,
whom called her mother, whom then called her. It was good to
hear from my entire family, which in normal times, I rarely hear
from.

The doctor that admitted me came by and told me that both of
my ears were so bad, that I had severe infection in both the
inner ear as well as the outer ear area, which *could* explain my
rather dizzy spells and the sensation of the room moving. He
wanted me to stay for the cardiologist, however, because they
have been monitoring my heart waves and those "valleys" still
exist. He asked me all of the standard "risk assessment" questions:
do I smoke? (no), take drugs (only coffee), have a history of
hypertension, strokes, or heart conditions (no, but I was told that
I have a heart murmor earlier on in life). Has anything like this
ever happened before? (no, which is why I'm so concerned at
this stage in my life).

He had me started on antibiotics for my ears and asked me to
"please don't let the computer get the best of you....take a break,
walk around, don't sit here all evening." (which was what I was
doing anyway, but I did stop replying to watch "Second Noah"
and "One West Wakiki" as well as to walk up the hallway and
back a bit).

I answered about 40 email postings, including some sent to me
personally asking about the recent uniform discussions.
I've also sent two postings to Jessica, letting her know that no
everyone that enters a hospital stays there. She has had rather
alful experiences with hospitals, as those close to her have been
placed there, and have eventually died there....the most recent
being her grandmother two years back.

So she doesn't like hospitals at all.

It was initally hard for me to type, but I rearranged everything and
moved the keyboard so that it wouldn't be so hard to type.
I enjoyed being able to "catch up" and I'm almost there.

Jessica and her mother (who's staying with us) came by with the
coffee and pudding (the other two "food groups" are the "grains
and breads group" and "everything else"), the day's mail, (still no
patches) and some news from her postings on the mail lists. She
told me "I didn't want to give out the phone number here, or you
would NEVER get any rest!!", and then added, "you have a LOT
of mail to read when you get back home!"

Finally, the cardiologist came by, and asked me if I have been
working. I explained that I've been "playing", and this is what
I do as a hobby. After he examined me and explained what he
found on the various strips of paper that they've been printing on
me, he told me that its nothing to be bothered with, but its also
a sign that something I'm doing is NOT working with my body.
He was more concerned that my heart walls were tearing down,
which is the reason why he wanted all of the blood tubes.
He told us to have me to slow down a bit, stop with all of the
sweets, watch my weight and to exercise more than I've been doing.
Also, he gave me his email address and talked with us about
being online and travelling to St. Louis with his family.

I didn't sleep well that evening....I was too afraid that they would
keep me in there past Sunday morning and my new roommate
was having constant problems breathing throughout the night.
Plus, the needle in my right hand was beginning to REALLY
irratate me.

In the morning, Jessica was waiting for me to wake up and
we talked for a few minutes before I ate breakfast. Afterwards,
the rounds of examinations, blood-letting, and more antibiotics
continued, while I watched the "David Brinkley show".
Finally, the doctor authorized my release, I got dressed and
gathered my things, and asked if I could keep the blue coffee
mugs (hey....I love coffeemugs!). No, I couldn't. They took the
IV needle out of my hand and applied a bandage.

I came home, took a shower, and took a nap in our bed until
later Sunday evening. Jessi and her mother took me on a
car ride through southern Indiana and back to Owensboro.
We ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday's in Owensboro. I was
wearing a teeshirt sent to me by Chris Haggerty, and it caught
the eye of the manager. He asked me if I knew Carroll Hale from
Richmond, and of course I did. The manager explained that
he's the son-in-law of Carroll, and wanted to know how I knew
him. When I explained that I had just heard from him via email
on Monday or Tuesday of this week, he was really thrilled!!

(Carroll is the SM of one of the best-run Troops in the Bluegrass
Council and also served as volunteer advisor of the Explorer Post
where I served previously as volunteer and earlier as professional
advisor of at EKU. Pat says "Hi!", Carroll!!)

So, two things I want to pass onward to especially the younger
members of our list:

* you're never too young to experience an episode involving your
heart, and that if you are at risk for heart problems, you need to
consider altering your environment

* that friends and family are strongest in times of peril, but it should
not be that way...

Again, thank you very much for all of your well wishes, good
thoughts, and personal and family prayers for me and my family.

Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Services of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
174 Chapelwood Drive, Henderson, Kentucky 42420-5036 | ** |]
(H) 502.827.9201 (F) 502.826.7046 (W) 888.284.4848 (yea!) coffee?
anytime!
(Email) blackeagle@hcc-uky.campus.mci.net/kyblkeagle@AOL.COM
(WWW) http://scout.net/~cardinal/index.htm
"Geoworks & Leaders' Online--because EVERY PC can open doors!!!"

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