Date: 2004-09-29
To: same
Miles today: 0.0

Pete is scheduled for his catheterization later today; apparently being worked into the schedule there. Once that's done, the docs and presumably Pete will know more about what corrective steps were necessary.He had a sleepful night with the aid of some good drugs. When I talked with him this morning, he had been up to get cleaned up a bit, as best he could with a few lines attached at various places. He's also been sitting in a chair rather than lying down. He sounds fine in his usual measured speech. He is not looking forward to the 4 hours of lying perfectly still during this procedure. (He knows what's comimg.) Nor to the however many days of laying around the hospital until his release. At the current time, it sounds like somewhere between 3 and 7 days total in the hospital; Pete is thinking more towards the lower numbers. The docs do seem to be saying that he had a mild heart attack. (They quote numbers that seem to have little significance to the patient.) However, it was an attack in a spot that was a "bad place", thereby causing the passing out.Pete did relay more info about what happened on the trail - until we were once again interrupted by medical personnel. (They are getting in the way of this story being recounted!) Here's what new I learned:On Monday, Pete was about 3.5 miles south from the shelter. He had seen a notice earlier at the shelter about a nest of yellowjackets being about 2 miles out and thought himself to be well past them. He had removed his pack and was putting on the pack cover when he was swarmed by the yellowjackets. Because he had taken his pack off and had his back to the nest, he was first stung on his back. Realizing what was happening, he grabbed his pack holding it by a shoulder strap and ran down the trail to get away from the bees. He says it took about a quarter mile to do so. Unfortunately, he had left his hiking poles behind. He made his way back carefully to pick them up, enduring a few more stings. (He thinks somewhere around 30 - 50 in all.) He returned to his pack down trail again and that is when he collapsed.We suspect that the major rush of adrenaline that he experienced was a trigger to the heart attack. That's what seems most likely.Well, it'll likely be quite late tonight when we learn anything of his day and that would be from someone other than him, as he's likely to be sedated and sleepy. I am trying to get hold of the patient advocate there to ask for a report to be made to some family member. After I hear anything, I'll make another posting, but it will likely be Thursday morning.Pete's daughter Jennifer is currently making arrangements to get to Johnson City, TN from Austin, TX. Pete is thinking to go back to Erwin to Miss Janet's hostel once released for a few days of R&R. (He had reported high recommendations about the care and feeding at Miss Janet's and had enjoyed his zero day there, even with access to a computer while there.) Then, he expects to make his way back to Texas. But this is all sketchy now until he knows better what recommendations the docs might make.That's all I have to report for now - proabably more than you'd get from him! But hopefully, nothing he minds being shared.Hospital Trails! (Trials..?)