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Ken Fitzgerald
11-24-2005, 8:57 AM
Tuesday morning I drove 30 miles through fog that would have done London proud! I repaired the table on an x-ray machine and headed back to Lewiston. I arrived home, had a quick lunch and brushed my teeth. I'd been up to since 3:00 am and decided I'd take a quick 15 minute nap. I'd just settled on to my recliner when my cell phone rang.

It was an ER nurse at one medical center, my wife for the 2nd day in a row, had been experiencing chest pain and a "weight" in the middle of her chest and finally went to a local "quick care clinic". They were transferring my wife via ambulance to a regional medical center. The previous evening after my wife came home from school complaining of chest pains I got dressed and said "let's go to the ER". She refused because she didn't want anyone thinking she was a hypochondriac.

The ER physcian explained that it was probably a heart problem, they were giving her IV nitroglycerin, and that she might get a ride in a helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Wa.

In short, by Wednesday morning, after echo-cardiograms, x-rays, they decided to perform a cardiac stress test. There are only 2 manufacturers of thallium, one of which just recalled all of their isotopes. As a result there is a nationwide shortage of thallium. At this particular hospital they normally perform the 2 part stress test on 2 different days. At around 7:00 am the doctor told my wife he'd ordered the stress test but due to the upcoming holiday she'd probably have part of it done Wednesday and have to come back on Friday for the 2nd half OR she might have to stay in the hospital and have the exam next week IF they could find the isotope. The guy who runs the nuclear medicine department pulled me aside.....told me of the very recent shortage .......told me he'd ordered enough and they were going to do both halves of the exam yesterday and they did! (Though the gamma cameras they use at this hospital are not made by the company I work for, I have on occassion repaired them when the manufacturer said their service people couldn't be there for over a week!) I installed the first CT scanner in the regional medical center 23 years ago. I currently maintain everything in the radiology department including 2 MR scanners, a new 64-slice CT scanner and all of the x-ray equipment. It was convenient, I'd work on a piece of equipment, run up stairs visit the wife.......set up the software on a new workstation...run up stairs and visit the wife....I was taking my tool bag to the van.....the NM tech told me they'd taken my wife to her room....I walked into the radiologist reading room.........he smiled...and in a soft spoken voice...said "Normal.....No damage! You and your wife have a Happy Thanksgiving!" I replied "Thanks Doc! You and your's have a Happy Thanksgiving!.....Believe me my wife and I'll be giving Thanks!" I passed a teacher co-worker of my wife's in the hall and she said "Sharon's been released!"..........As I put my tools and test equipment in the van, tears of joy formed in the corner of my eyes!

She has to see her personal physcian next week. I suspect she'll be treated for angina............probably nitro pills............As I write this the LOML of 37 years is sleeping in our bed upstairs and I'm down stairs in my office.

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving! Believe me when I say I'll be giving Thanks today!:)

John Hart
11-24-2005, 9:12 AM
A wonderful Thanksgiving indeed Ken....Whew!! Our family wishes your family all the best. Sounds like you'll be giving extra thanks this year!:)

Tim Morton
11-24-2005, 10:14 AM
excellent...glad everything turned out so well!!!

Tyler Howell
11-24-2005, 10:28 AM
Nothing like good news!;)

Tony Falotico
11-24-2005, 10:41 AM
Great News Ken....... Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day !!

One of the best sermons I've ever heard was several years back just before Thanksgiving..... The Line that has stuck with me was ' Instead of wasting your life grumbling about what you don't have, look around you and take stock of what you DO HAVE ' Well, I started thinking, and every time I came up with a blessing I had, it reminded me of two more, that reminded me of two more, that reminded me of two more .......... and the funny thing is, that very few of them were inanimate worldly items. By Monday afternoon my brain went into information overload and crashed. I never realized till that day how truly blessed I really am.

God Bless, wishing all my SMC friends the happiest of Thanksgiving Days

Tony.

John Miliunas
11-24-2005, 11:16 AM
FANTASTIC, Ken!!!:D You're right...I believe you and yours will indeed have a very, very Happy Thanksgiving! :) Thanks for sharing...Kinda' helps remind many of us for what we actually do have to be thankful for!:) :cool:

Dennis Peacock
11-24-2005, 11:21 AM
Ken,

That's GREAT News!!!!!!! Take good care of her as I know you will. Too bad that I learned so late in life that it's not the newest car, saw, tool, or gadget that matters.....It's our family, and people. Life is all about "people".

I'm so glad to hear that there's no damage. May you BOTH see and experience a whole new outlook on life on this Thanksgiving Day in 2005.

Mark Singer
11-24-2005, 11:23 AM
Happy turkey day to all! Even Donna "the turkey" Summer

http://www.msn.americangreetings.com/view.pd?i=382219626&m=1652&rr=y&sou

Jim O'Dell
11-24-2005, 11:39 AM
A great thanksgiving for sure, Ken, and an early Christmas present as well. Give her a cyber hug from all of us, and tell her she will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers! Jim.

Jerry Olexa
11-24-2005, 11:41 AM
Ken, wonderful news!! Very happy for you and your wife...This will be a special Thanksgiving in your home....

Rob Russell
11-24-2005, 10:36 PM
Good news Ken! It's times like that which make us realize that the health of our loved ones is so much more important than anything material, something that's easy to forget sometimes in our crazy lives.