My father's in the hospital.

[rivka]

I just got this e-mail from my mother:

Your Dad had some chest pain around 3:30 PM, so I took him to the hospital after dinner. The pain is completely gone now. They took blood, EKG, (EKG is probably fine, they will get another one in a few hours), and he will be in the hospital for 12 hours, in the ER not intensive care. Then he will have a stress test in the AM and come home. I think everything is just fine and I will send another email. I'm home to get his CD player, his regular medicines, but I will be coming home again for the night, probably around 10 or 11. Do not worry. Last time the docs were worried, this time they are not. His Blood Pressure was 190/84 initially, down to 164/82 at this time. Elevated BP could be from the stress of the pain and going to the hospital.

Love, Mom

Objectively, okay, it sounds like she's right and we shouldn't worry. But who can not worry when her father is in the hospital with chest pain?

I am fretting.

Comments

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Of course you worry, but he's in the best possible place right now. Hope that all the tests come back with positive news.

[eeyorerin]

But who can not worry when her father is in the hospital with chest pain?

Indeed. Allan's mom has a minor heart condition which occasionally flares up. The last time it flared up was when she and Allan's dad were staying with us. They woke us up at 5 am to tell us that it was just a little chest pain and they were just going to pop out to the emergency room, but not to worry.

Yeah. We didn't worry about as much as you're not worrying.

[adriang.livejournal.com]

I think I'd fret, too. I hope it works out well for you.

Adrian

[geminigirl]

We're thinking of you. It sounds like your Dad is in the best place that he can be right now and is being well cared for, but I can't imagine not worrying.

Keep us posted.

[ckd]

What everyone else has said; it's completely unsurprising that you would worry, even if objectively you "shouldn't". May he be well and may your mind be eased by good test results soon.

[windsea.livejournal.com]

{{{hugs}}}

They know that you'll be worrying, but can't help saying it anywayt. It's an older parent thing. Mine do the same.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

I was in the ER last friday night with similar symptoms (they wrote off the weirdness in my EKG to being in the ER). It could be a lot of things, and if it is his heart, he's in the best possible place.

*hugs*

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

Prayers and good thoughts on the way.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Try to stay calm. Thinking of you.

[glinda-w.livejournal.com]

GoodThoughts on the way.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

you totally get to worry, but the things your mom is saying that the doctors are saying/doing seem not bad, just watchful.

*hug*

[lcohen]

i will worry so that you don't have to.

*hug*

[claire.livejournal.com]

*crosses fingers*
*sends good thoughts*

Completely understood

[tendyl.livejournal.com]

I very much understand. Don't know if you remember that my father's been in/out of the hospital pretty regularly for the last 3 years. I've stopped actively worrying by now and stopped rushing home every time it happens. That said, I still get very concerned and am in constant contact with my mom. I don't like it - in fact I hate it. There's just not much I can do about it. Good thoughts to you and your folks.

Re: Completely understood

[faxpaladin.livejournal.com]

GoodThoughts away...

[whumpdotcom.livejournal.com]

Good on him for not blowing off the chest pain, that's important!

But no matter how old we are, parents seem to always want to minimize our worries about them.

My Dad got a pacemaker last May, he sprang it on me right before I was leaving for WisCon: "don't worry, doctor does it all the time." It did go well, but I was antsy about flying off to Wisconsin until he got back from the hospital.

[bibliotrope.livejournal.com]

Good thoughts for your dad.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

I'd worry, too, but I'm glad it sounds like he's going to be okay.

[beaq.livejournal.com]

Yagh!

Er I mean, um. Yes, don't worry.

sympathy! fret!

[rickvs.livejournal.com]

*comfort*. I hope for a good outcome.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

Good thoughts.

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

Of course you're worried but it does sound like he's okay. *hug* I'm hoping that you get the information you need to stop fretting as soon as possible.

At least they tell you things. This is from my conversation with my dad last weekend *after* he'd given me "all the news" and was about to say good-bye:

Me: What's my sister's address? I have a postcard to send her.

Dad: I don't know. We could call her for you. But, oh, wait! She's at the hospital. Maybe the kids know?

Me: She's in the hospital?!?

Dad: Not *in* the hospital, *at* the hospital. For the IV antibiotics and steroids. She goes up every twelve hours.

Me: What's wrong?

Dad: Her bronchial pneumonia thing that she gets all the time. She just had a cold but while she was down in Grande Prairie taking the baby to get his CAT scan...

Me: WHY IS THE BABY GETTING A CAT SCAN?!?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Yow! That's truly... well, unsurprising, actually, given what I know about your parents.

Why did the baby need a CAT scan?

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

Because he's waking up in the middle of the night to play. I thought that was within the bounds of normal kid behaviour but whatever.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Argh. Remember to breathe and stay hydrated; it's hard not to worry, but try to manage it sanely.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Oh, how scary. I'm glad he's all right, but I can't blame you for worrying.

-J

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Eek. Yeah, I'd say fretting sounds like a perfectly reasonable response (as opposed to, say, panicking or having hysterics).

Good Thoughts offered for it to be nothing serious.