Susan's Views

It has been one week since Easter. Last Sunday my two little grandkids came to the hospital all dressed up in their Easter outfits that Cori had made. We all had a wonderful day. They looked for eggs hidden around the room, we played games and they even brought in a crock-pot to heat up a casserole so we could all stay and eat together in the room. I’m sure it was the best Easter I have ever had.

Then on Monday afternoon my great doctor came in and had a long talk with me and then let me go home. It was 5 p.m. and the sun was shining brightly. As Richard and I drove along the freeway all the trees were beginning to bud, all the flowering trees were in beautiful white or pink blooms, and the daffodils that grow by the thousands along the side of the roads were all nodding their little heads. I realized again, what a beautiful world we live in and I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father has seen fit to let me stay here a little longer.

I came home to a wonderfully clean house with many beautiful, fragrant bouquets of flowers sent from friends, plus lots of delicious food brought in by our loving friends in the Catoctin Ward.

I am so thankful for a wonderful medical staff and all their combined knowledge. I received excellent care while I was ill and I can assure you it is not easy to be in the bed instead of standing at the side of the bed.

And then there was the BLOG!!! I don’t think that I will ever understand the magnitude of the things that have happened to me over the last two weeks. In fact, I can’t remember even going to the hospital in the first place. But as I have read the BLOG during this week here at home, I have had a small glimpse of heaven on earth. Thanks so much to Mindy for setting this up and posting my experiences each day. I have now been able to read what I was doing and my progress. I am so grateful to each and every one of you who posted a note or a fun story, but most of all I appreciate the prayers that were said for me and the fasting that was done to help me wake up. If the Lord had something else in mind for me He couldn’t ignore all those speaking in my behalf. I have been so touched by everyone’s concerns and out pouring of love. I thank all of you from the bottom of my broken and then miraculously healed heart.

I have had an enjoyable week with all the kids here and the grandkids. Just watching those two little things interact with each other takes my mind off problems and aches and pains. My kids, Cori Jo and Jayson, Mindy, Jeremy and Amanda, and Jami have been wonderful. Richard has been a wonderful husband. I am so blessed.

I am thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who had me in the right places at the right times, the medical people where they were, and now the opportunity to stay and enjoy this earth life a little longer.

So I think we should have a big party: my front lawn, this summer. We’ll barbeque, everyone can help bring food, we’ll set up the bocce and Wally ball, and we’ll just celebrate life.

From Richard

Family and Friends,

It’s very difficult to find the words that can adequately express my deep and sincere gratitude to all of you for the kind words and prayers you offered on Susan’s and my behalf over this past week. Your encouragement and faith were much appreciated. Susan is home now and doing well. She has really enjoyed reading the well wishes on the blog and the many notes and cards she’s received. Many have also sent beautiful arrangements of flowers and greenery that have truly brightened our home.

Susan’s a wonderful example of never underestimating the power of prayer and fasting. She woke up at 3:20 PM, Thursday afternoon, 20 minutes after we ended our fast. Thanks to a loving, Heavenly Father listening to the flood of prayers on her behalf. I am so thankful to have my companion, best friend, and sweetheart with me again!

Sincerely,
Richard

She's Home!

Susan arrived home last night around 5:30. We are so glad to have her home. The grandkids were elated that Grandma had returned to "the farm." We all had a nice dinner and enjoyed each other's company. Today it was back to "normal." It was back to work and trying our best to survive the day. We are all tired and worn out, both physically and emotionally. We are so happy to not have to divide our time between hospital and home. Mom is doing well. She's tired and still moving slowly. We are doing our best to keep her laying low. She walked to the end of our driveway, which for those of you that have seen our driveway, know that is quite a feat. She said she felt better than she did 2 weeks ago! She can really tell a difference. And that is only with one artery repaired. She will need to have the left artery repaired in the near future. She has a doctor's appointment on Friday and so I will probably have more to report at that time. Until then...

An Easter to Remember

We spent the day with Mom in the hospital. It was a wonderful, wonderful day! Ayden and Emelia even got visited by the Easter Bunny at the hospital so Grandma could be a part of the festivities. We are so grateful that she has come so far in such a short time. And the best news of all is that she can come home tomorrow evening. No rehab, no hospice, nothing. She can come straight home. She is the talk of all of the doctors. They are just baffled. But it's no wonder...we all know what an amazing woman Susan Coon is and are so thankful that Heavenly Father allowed her to stay with us.

One Week Later

What progress we have seen in just one week! This morning Mom was sitting up in a chair. She is doing so well. She got the go-ahead to have liquids. She ate some soup for lunch and really enjoyed it. She keeps asking for a Coke, but we think it's a bit early for that. She is telling funny stories and joking around. She even called me this morning to make sure I remembered to call everyone about the music for Sunday. She talked to Emelia and Ayden on the phone today, too. We are so pleased with her progress. By the end of today she should be moved out of the CCU and over to the Progressive Care Unit. We can't believe it's been a week. She doesn't either. She keeps asking if the heart attack happened yesterday.

Feeling Your Love

For the first time this evening Susan had a glimpse of the love that has been outpouring on her behalf. We started reading some of the stories that you have posted under "Favorite Susan Stories." She has enjoyed each one. She has laughed, smiled, cried, and even fallen asleep to the words of her friends. Thank you for that comfort in this time of need. Keep the stories coming. They will be so helpful in her long road to recovery and for a long time after as we read and reread your entries.

Pretty Good Day

Mom's had a pretty good day. Amanda and I(Mindy) have been at the hospital most of the day. She seems to come in and out of sleep. Talk about tired! When she wakes she wants to talk. It is a whisper talk, and hard to understand at times, but a talk nonetheless! She is trying to piece together what has happened. And what's to come. She's asking all of the right questions. Thank goodness the nurse is right outside the door because we don't always know the answers! She's being a very good patient, despite her nursing impulses. The neurologist stopped by this afternoon and was amazed with the difference since two days ago. He told her she was 100% better than where she was 2 days ago. That is great news. The speech therapist came in to assess her swallowing. She is not quite ready for anything but ice chips. But she is grateful for that moisture in her mouth. She does have a rash on her upper torso and down her arms. It is agitating and itchy. But that's good...because she's responding to pain. So we press on forward. It has been a long week, but full of blessings!

Baby Steps

Mom had a restless night last night. The only thing that seemed to calm her was when dad was sitting right next to her bed holding her hand. The big miracles were that they didn't have to #1 re-sedate her and #2 re-intubate her. This morning the mask that was administering oxygen and other meds was removed. She is just on oxygen through he nose. She has some sort of a rash on her chest, neck, and back. It is some sort of allergic reaction to one of the meds. She is making small progressions. They are enough to make the doctors, her nurses and us happy and content with her prognosis. The doctor informed us last night that upon being discharged from the cardiac unit she will need to spend 1-2 weeks at an in-patient rehab center. She has to remember how to use her limbs, faculties, and other body parts. The lucky part is there is one closer to our house. Only about 15 minutes...much better than the now 1 hour commute to the hospital. More to come...

Miracle of Miracles

She's responding!!!!!!!!!! She recognizes people and can shake her head yes. She can wiggle her toes at command and she squeezed Jayson's hand. They gave her a reverse sedative and it is working. She is showing limited-to-no brain damage. Phew! They want to give the meds another hour to do their job and then they will take the tubes out. The powers of heaven were working hard today in our behalf, most importantly in Mom's behalf. You have all been so amazing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

More Tests

The neurology technician came in this morning and did the EEG. We should have results later today. They have decided to take her down and give her another CT scan of her sinuses as well as an MRI. They still can't pinpoint where the infection is and why her body is not healing with the antibiotic. In addition, her white blood count is low. This is most likely due to the infection. She is responding the same as yesterday. She will open her eyes and move her limbs around but is still not following direct commands.

Family Fast

Due to the lack of response from Mom we are calling a fast for all those who wish to participate. We are going to fast tomorrow and will break our fast at 3pm Eastern time. If you feel like you can participate in this endeavor, please do so. It would be greatly appreciated. If nothing else we would ask that all of you that can take a moment around the 3:00 hour and say a prayer for her. Tomorrow is an important day. She really needs to wake up. Let's flood heaven once again with our prayers. Thank you.

Keep the Prayers Coming

There has not really been any change today. Susan is stirring occasionally. She is fighting the tubing that is still down her throat. She moves her arms and legs around. They had to add a bite guard to the tube so that she can't break it. For that they had to sedate her slightly thus causing a setback to her waking up. Please pray for her that she will continue to gain consciousness. The doctors are not worried that she is not awake yet. They are happy that she shows signs of movement. The have ordered an EEG for tomorrow to check brain activity. Jeremy gave her a nice blessing before he had to head back to Utah. His wife, Amanda, will stay until next week when Jeremy will return and stay a few more days. We just really want her to start showing signs of coherentness. Thank you for the many many prayers that have already been offered in her behalf. Please continue to pray for her recovery.

Not Much Change

There is not much to update you all on tonight. Mom did not wake up as we thought she would today. For once her healthy lifestyle is working against her. Because she has no dependencies on any chemicals, she is having a hard time coming off of the sedatives. She responded a couple of times with furrowed brows. She was pursing her lips around her tubing trying to figure out what's going on. She was moving her legs around and her arms a bit. The doctors have reassured us that the fact that she has not woken up yet is not alarming. Some people can take 3-4 days to come off of heavy sedatives. The rest of us are all doing pretty well. We are hanging in there. Thank you for your fun, caring thoughts. We love them! Keep them coming.

Waking Up

They have completely taken Susan off of the sedatives. Yea!!!! She is slowly coming around. They have also stopped the oxygen flow. She is totally breathing on her own. Another yea!!!! Now we wait...she must be fully conscious and give a signal that she is aware that they will be taking the tubing out before they can actually take it out. By the end of today she should be whisper talking and communicating with us. Oh my word, we never imagined she would recover this quickly. We know this is because she is being watched over, prayed over, blessed, and loved. If all goes well, she can be moved out of the CCU as early as tomorrow. Her blood pressure is still a little low. They may give her some more blood. She has also not broken the fever. They are slightly concerned by this. They have taken some saliva to test and then we will know more.

Looking Hopeful

We met with the doctor this evening and he had a good report on Susan's condition. We finally got the results of the CT scan this evening. It did not show any fractures or broken bones in her face. That is a miracle!!! We were all sure there was some extensive damage there. Her kidneys and liver are both working well. That is a good sign. The doctor also informed us that he estimates she was without blood flow for 12-14 minutes. The organs they look at for damage are the kidneys, liver, and brain. Seeing as the first two have responded well, there is a lot of hope that her brain function was not affected. We found out the fever is due to a spot of pneumonia in her right lung. The doctor said that is common in people who are on a ventilator. She is being given a round of antibiotics. They lowered her dosage of sedatives and she was somewhat responsive to our voices. She usually responds with a furrowed brow. She was trying to open her eyes a bit. They are keeping the tube down her throat until morning. Then they will slowly take her off of the oxygen before they remove the tubing completely. It looks as though the internal bleeding has stopped. They think that due to the massive amount of blood thinners they gave her, the injury looked worse than it actually was. We printed off some of the wonderful stories and thoughts and will begin reading them to her tomorrow. We have all enjoyed reading the memories and are reminded again and again of what an amazing woman our mother is. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you are doing to help us through this. We love you!

Monday Morning

Susan is doing very well this morning. She was trying to open her eyes. She went in for a CT scan last night. Her doctors were not pleased with the images and so unfortunately she had to have another one today. We don't have any results from either tests. She is very swollen and puffy due to lack of movement of her limbs. Her hands look like they did 30 years ago. No wrinkles!!! She is still pretty heavily sedated. Because of the repeat CT scan they were not able to take her off of the ventillator and feeding tube. Hopefully this evening they will be able to do that. The swelling and bruising in her face is going down. She looks much better than she did even yesterday. This hospital is taking such good care of her. It is rated as one of the top 25 for cardio care. She is in great hands!

Favorite Susan Stories

Cori had an idea...We know how much all of you love Susan and how much she means to you and us. We would like to start a collection of favorite Susan stories here. Whether it be your first memory, your favorite memory, a funny story, or just a short thought this would make a wonderful way to "be here" with her as she goes through this. We can read these to her and she will feel how much she is loved. We know that your thoughts and prayers are helping to carry her through this.

Another Issue

When Susan fell down as she was having the heart attack she actually fell quite hard. I haven't mentioned this because it was secondary to taking care of her heart initially. Now that things are looking better with her heart the doctors are concerned with the impact to her face upon falling. They are not sure the extent of the damage because of swelling. It looks as if she has broken her nose and done some damage to her jaw. She may have dislocated it. She will have a full x-ray tonight that will show what the extent of the damage is. Her face is extremely swollen and will need attention once her heart is stabilized.

A New Day

Sunday morning brought good news. Susan had a good night. She opened her eyes this morning and was concious for a few minutes. She was very confused and trying to talk. Jami was in the room when she woke up. Richard came in shortly after. They were able to communicate with her briefly. They sedated her again so as to eliminate any disruption of the catheter and the pump. She has remained in and out of consciousness throughout the day. The doctor came in around noon and gave a very good report. He was encouraged by her progress. They were able to wean her entirely off of the blood pressure medicine. He ordered that the pump be lessened to every other beat. Tests showed that she was low on blood so they administered 3 bags of blood to her. She has had a low-grade fever all day. This evening the doctor came back and ordered that she have the pump completely taken out. So her heart is beating all on its own!!! She is scheduled to have a CT scan tonight that will show if there is any internal bleeding. They are slightly worried that she is bleeding into her stomach. Slowly but surely she is pulling through.

Saturday Afternoon/Evening

Susan's condition did not change much since the morning. Her blood pressure was slowly increasing. She seemed to be responding to the procedures. She was fighting!!! Nolan and Debbie Barzee, friends from our church, had come to sit with Richard for about 3 hours before the kids got there. Nolan gave Susan a very nice blessing with the help of Richard and Jayson. The next few hours were just touch-and-go. It was a lot of waiting. They began to wean her off of the blood pressure medication. Her heart was responding well without it. Jeremy, Amanda and Mindy arrived at the hospital around 2am. She was still heavily sedated.

Saturday Morning

Saturday morning Richard took Mindy to the airport at 5:00 am for her to fly out to Utah for Spring Break. We hadn't heard anything from the hospital so we assumed that things were the same as the night before. Around 9am Jami talked to Mom and she was having a hard time. She was throwing up and suffering from a bad headache. In the ER she had been given a patch of nitroglycerin and it was the cause of the headache, the throwing up was from the headache. Jami called Richard at home and he was not aware of Mom's condition. The hospital had not yet tried to reach him. Richard was on his way to the hospital when they finally called him. (After she had suffered the heart attack.) Around 9:30 Jami tried to call back and got no answer. It was at that time that Susan was suffering a major heart attack. (Click on the link for more information on what caused the heart attack) http://www.nationalgeographic.com/human-heart/your-heart.html#/blockingTheArtery/ Richard got there just after this had all happened. Susan had gotten up to go to the bathroom and while coming out crashed to the floor. The doctor's were just outside the room and rushed right in. Her heart was not beating and they had to use the defibrillator on her two times. They found a pulse and prepared to transfer her to Inova Fairfax Hospital. Her blood pressure was extremely low. They used a medi-vac to transport her. Richard was driven over to the other hospital by a technician. Upon arrival at the hospital they put a catheter in her right leg and found that the right coronary artery of her heart was 100% blocked and the left coronary artery was 45-60% blocked. (Click on the link for more information on angiograms) http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature1/gallery11.html They placed 2 stents in her right artery through the catheter. (Click on the link for more information on stents) http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature1/gallery12.html At this point things were looking grim. They intubated her and put her on a respirator and a feeding tube. They had her hooked up to a medicine that kept the heart beating. Her blood pressure was extremely low. They also put a pump in through her left leg that would pump the heart every time it beat. So the heart was not doing anything on its own. Susan's condition at this point was guarded, extremely critical. She was in the CCU with 2 nurses assigned just to her. The doctors and nurses all agree that if Susan had not been in the hospital at the time of the attack she would not be with us today. What a blessing that was! At this point Richard called Jami and Cori, Jeremy and Amanda. Jami, Cori, Jayson, Ayden and Emelia all got in the car and drove down from NYC. They arrived around 2pm. Jeremy and Amanda were waiting for Mindy to land in Utah before deciding what to do next. Once Mindy landed, they looked for flights to go back to VA. They were able to get on a direct flight and arrived in VA at around 11pm.

Where It All Began

On Wednesday, March 28, Susan started complaining of some minor chest pain. She took some Maalox and it relieved the pain so she went to bed. Thursday she was not feeling any better, but kept taking the Maalox. She had seen her doctor 6 months ago and is being treated for gastric difficulties. Thursday night she was really not feeling well and did not sleep well. Friday morning she decided to go to the Urgent Care and get checked out. They gave her a GI cocktail and a shot of Toradol. She reacted well to it. They decided as just a precaution to send her over to the ER in Leesburg. In the ER they hooked her up to an EKG and tested her enzymes. There were no signs of a heart attack. They wanted to check her in to the hospital to monitor her overnight. She ended up at Loudoun Hospital. She was checked on by a cardiologist and he was not convinced that it was her heart. There were no major indicators that her heart was suffering. He wanted to keep her overnight just for observation and so they could check her enzymes at regular intervals. When Richard and Mindy left her Friday night she was fine and we anticipated picking her up Saturday morning. She was even talking about heading up to NYC Saturday evening as planned to visit family.

A Huge Thank You

First we just want to say thank you to everyone for your loving thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We know that Susan is doing as well as she is because of your faith and constant prayers. We have told her of all of your calls and prayers. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.