by Raquael Jones on Monday, September 5, 2011 at 11:30am
Well I figure this is going to take a few parts but here it is, the first. So every summer my work at CHEO has a week mandatory summer shut down. I had booked Anna Holmes and Aysha Ali-Robinson in for this vacation and we had been planning I for months.
The 'plan' was to, by train, go from Ottawa to Montreal, stay for 4 days then go to Quebec City for 2 days before coming home. When Steve heard of the plan and realized the Osheaga music festival would be in Montreal at the same time he decided to tag along for the first 2 days.
Everything started great. On Saturday 30th July we had a lovely train ride, found our hotel and met up with Steve. We went shopping in the plateau and coordinated a meeting with Brandon Shantz. The day was topped off with a delicious dinner and margaritas.
Sunday 31st July Steve headed off to Osheaga for the day and the girls and I went to La Ronde theme park. We met up with some of the young adults from church and had a great, be it hot, day in the sun. Vanessa and I even waited 2 hours to go on an awesome over the water roller coaster. We left a little dehydrated and very tired and ate butter chicken on the floor of our hotel room.
Monday 1st August started with us saying goodbye to Steve who left on a bus for home in the early AM. Then we checked out of the hotel and headed to our hostel where we where planning on spending the remainder of our time in Montreal. It was in a beautiful part of Old Montreal which we promised to explore the next day. Monday was for shopping! We walked to St Catherines and made our way west down the street stopping at H&M, Aldo, and other shops.
At around 1 pm we decided to stop for lunch. We were all feeling a little tired from our busy day before and I was getting the beginning symptoms of a migraine. I took my usual medication and we had a long leisurely lunch complete with cokes and cheesecake. By the end of lunch I was feeling much better and we decided to venture out to the 4 storey Forever21. Aysh was tired and was going to wait for us at Chapters, but at the last minute changed her mind and came with us. After a very successful shop we headed to MAC just a few blocks further west, planning on meeting up with Vanessa there, then heading to dinner with a friend of Anna's.
There was random fierce down pours of rain all afternoon and we had tried our best to dash in between them. After making some purchases at MAC we waited outside under the covering for Vanessa, trying to stay dry. At this point I was feeling a little migrainy again, similar symptoms to what I ha experienced before. Headache, vision with aura, numb arm and fingers. As we waited though I felt worse and worse. I paced to try feel better. After I started getting slight chest pain I told the girls I was heading back inside to sit down. I remember telling the MAC girls I didn't feel well and asking if I could sit in one of the makeup chairs. The pain got worse and I started to feel dizzy so I sat on the floor. A good friend had once told me "you can't fall off the floor". At this point I started to come in and out of consciousness.
The following is pieces I remember and things I have put together from my friends who were there. Security was called when I passed out and they made the decision to call 911. While we waited a very nice security guard sat with me and tried to keep me conscious. Firemen where the first Responders and arrived soon after the emergency call. I remember them asking me questions and telling me to stay awake. They prompted me to listen for the sirens I could faintly hear in the distance.
I remember nothing after this point. My next lucid memory is 3 days later on Thursday 4th August.
More to come soon.....
The 'plan' was to, by train, go from Ottawa to Montreal, stay for 4 days then go to Quebec City for 2 days before coming home. When Steve heard of the plan and realized the Osheaga music festival would be in Montreal at the same time he decided to tag along for the first 2 days.
Everything started great. On Saturday 30th July we had a lovely train ride, found our hotel and met up with Steve. We went shopping in the plateau and coordinated a meeting with Brandon Shantz. The day was topped off with a delicious dinner and margaritas.
Sunday 31st July Steve headed off to Osheaga for the day and the girls and I went to La Ronde theme park. We met up with some of the young adults from church and had a great, be it hot, day in the sun. Vanessa and I even waited 2 hours to go on an awesome over the water roller coaster. We left a little dehydrated and very tired and ate butter chicken on the floor of our hotel room.
Monday 1st August started with us saying goodbye to Steve who left on a bus for home in the early AM. Then we checked out of the hotel and headed to our hostel where we where planning on spending the remainder of our time in Montreal. It was in a beautiful part of Old Montreal which we promised to explore the next day. Monday was for shopping! We walked to St Catherines and made our way west down the street stopping at H&M, Aldo, and other shops.
At around 1 pm we decided to stop for lunch. We were all feeling a little tired from our busy day before and I was getting the beginning symptoms of a migraine. I took my usual medication and we had a long leisurely lunch complete with cokes and cheesecake. By the end of lunch I was feeling much better and we decided to venture out to the 4 storey Forever21. Aysh was tired and was going to wait for us at Chapters, but at the last minute changed her mind and came with us. After a very successful shop we headed to MAC just a few blocks further west, planning on meeting up with Vanessa there, then heading to dinner with a friend of Anna's.
There was random fierce down pours of rain all afternoon and we had tried our best to dash in between them. After making some purchases at MAC we waited outside under the covering for Vanessa, trying to stay dry. At this point I was feeling a little migrainy again, similar symptoms to what I ha experienced before. Headache, vision with aura, numb arm and fingers. As we waited though I felt worse and worse. I paced to try feel better. After I started getting slight chest pain I told the girls I was heading back inside to sit down. I remember telling the MAC girls I didn't feel well and asking if I could sit in one of the makeup chairs. The pain got worse and I started to feel dizzy so I sat on the floor. A good friend had once told me "you can't fall off the floor". At this point I started to come in and out of consciousness.
The following is pieces I remember and things I have put together from my friends who were there. Security was called when I passed out and they made the decision to call 911. While we waited a very nice security guard sat with me and tried to keep me conscious. Firemen where the first Responders and arrived soon after the emergency call. I remember them asking me questions and telling me to stay awake. They prompted me to listen for the sirens I could faintly hear in the distance.
I remember nothing after this point. My next lucid memory is 3 days later on Thursday 4th August.
More to come soon.....
The Incident (part b, because i hate when people do that)
by Raquael Jones on Monday, September 12, 2011 at 9:51am
Alrighty so there I am in the ambulance (remember everything from here is here-say, I have no memory of anything else from here till Thursday) apparently I wasn't too happy to be strapped down and kept trying to take off the clips. I had Aysha and Anna with me and they patiently tried to keep me buckled up while the ambulance staff checked my vitals.
When we got to The Royal Victoria Hospital (a teaching hospital that is part of McGill University)We headed to Emerg. Anna came with me while Aysha stayed back and made phone calls to let people know I was at the hospital. As my vitals were normal there was no big rush of doctors to see me. In fact the first questions they repeatedly asked Anna was how much I had had to drink. I was finally assigned a nurse who rechecked the vitals, still normal, and proceeded to grill Anna about the alcohol or drugs I had 'so clearly' consumed. To re-cap for the past 2 days the strongest drink I had consumed was coke and the only 'drugs' I had taken was my doctor prescribed migraine medication. Finally the nurse decides to perform an EKG (test on the heart). Oh, he says, this doesnt look good, but makes no move to do anything. At this point super-Anna jumps into gear. It has been too long since I originally collapsed, I am clearly in pain, have yet to be seen by a doctor and now this nurse is making comments like that! She went to the main part of the Emerg and started yelling "we need a Doctor here now". Within seconds Dr Johnston arrived. She took one look at the EKG and went into action. It showed that something serious was going on with my heart. Anna was allowed to stay as she kicked out the original nurse after realizing he hadn't even hooked me up to vitals machines. In under 5 minutes she had me hooked up, on pain medication and had called for emergency surgery.
She took Anna aside and explained that they would have to take me to surgery, something was wrong with my Aorta and there was a very high chance I may not maKe it alive.
While Anna went to get Aysha so they could see me before I went in I went into cardiac arrest and had to be shocked. This would not be the only time this would happen.
More soon.
So I go into 7 hours of surgery, Steve arrives and the rest you can pretty much read about with his notes. They found I had a torn Aorta which they had to replace with a mechanical valve. They also did a single bypass, which is when they take a vein from your leg and put it into your heart. Needless to say when I woke up I had a sore chest and leg. I spent a week in Intensive care and a week on the Cardio Recovery Wing then I was sent home with Steve and my Mom.
Being home was great (no middle of the night nurse wakeup checks) and difficult (no fancy comfortable reclining bed), but we made it work. My Mom stayed for 2 weeks and I couldn't have done it without her and Steve. I re-learned to do simple things like shower, walk, lean over. All things I had to adjust with my healing body. Anne Thombs came and took me to appointments, drove me around and even cleaned my microwave. Anna and Aysha bought me food and visited me almost every day.
I am forever thankful for all the support and prayers over this time. I do not know if I really deserved them, but I sure am thankful. I know I would not be here today if it was not part of God's plan. There are simply too many 'coincidences' (if you believe in such things), things that came together at the exact right time to keep me alive. I walk in faith and am a living testament everyday to his glory.
When we got to The Royal Victoria Hospital (a teaching hospital that is part of McGill University)We headed to Emerg. Anna came with me while Aysha stayed back and made phone calls to let people know I was at the hospital. As my vitals were normal there was no big rush of doctors to see me. In fact the first questions they repeatedly asked Anna was how much I had had to drink. I was finally assigned a nurse who rechecked the vitals, still normal, and proceeded to grill Anna about the alcohol or drugs I had 'so clearly' consumed. To re-cap for the past 2 days the strongest drink I had consumed was coke and the only 'drugs' I had taken was my doctor prescribed migraine medication. Finally the nurse decides to perform an EKG (test on the heart). Oh, he says, this doesnt look good, but makes no move to do anything. At this point super-Anna jumps into gear. It has been too long since I originally collapsed, I am clearly in pain, have yet to be seen by a doctor and now this nurse is making comments like that! She went to the main part of the Emerg and started yelling "we need a Doctor here now". Within seconds Dr Johnston arrived. She took one look at the EKG and went into action. It showed that something serious was going on with my heart. Anna was allowed to stay as she kicked out the original nurse after realizing he hadn't even hooked me up to vitals machines. In under 5 minutes she had me hooked up, on pain medication and had called for emergency surgery.
She took Anna aside and explained that they would have to take me to surgery, something was wrong with my Aorta and there was a very high chance I may not maKe it alive.
While Anna went to get Aysha so they could see me before I went in I went into cardiac arrest and had to be shocked. This would not be the only time this would happen.
More soon.
The Incident ( Part tres)
by Raquael Jones on Friday, October 14, 2011 at 9:57am
Being home was great (no middle of the night nurse wakeup checks) and difficult (no fancy comfortable reclining bed), but we made it work. My Mom stayed for 2 weeks and I couldn't have done it without her and Steve. I re-learned to do simple things like shower, walk, lean over. All things I had to adjust with my healing body. Anne Thombs came and took me to appointments, drove me around and even cleaned my microwave. Anna and Aysha bought me food and visited me almost every day.
I am forever thankful for all the support and prayers over this time. I do not know if I really deserved them, but I sure am thankful. I know I would not be here today if it was not part of God's plan. There are simply too many 'coincidences' (if you believe in such things), things that came together at the exact right time to keep me alive. I walk in faith and am a living testament everyday to his glory.
The Incident (update)
by Raquael Jones on Friday, October 14, 2011 at 10:09am
So here we are 2 and a half months later. I can now shower in under 20 mins, only take 2 hour naps a day and can walk for half an hour without collapsing. These may sound like little things, but to me they are HUGE! I go to Cardiac Rehab twice a week for hour long sessions. This is more like Cardio Bootcamp then Physio but it is good for me. I still have upcoming appointments for a couple things my Cardiologist wants to double check but I am down to monthly visits with my doctor.
I have had to adjust a couple things in my life for the medication and post-surgery healing but overall things are getting back to normal. I even rode the bus by myself the other day. I have more chocolate and soap then I know what to do with and am still writing thank you letters.
It will be a little longer off work but there seems to be lots to do to fill my days. Steve is back at school but still has time to take me for walks and the occasional cuddle on the couch.
I am looking forward to travelling down to visit Steve's family this Christmas and hope to be physically, almost, sort of, back to normal by then. In the meantime I am here, I am alive and I am thankful.
I have had to adjust a couple things in my life for the medication and post-surgery healing but overall things are getting back to normal. I even rode the bus by myself the other day. I have more chocolate and soap then I know what to do with and am still writing thank you letters.
It will be a little longer off work but there seems to be lots to do to fill my days. Steve is back at school but still has time to take me for walks and the occasional cuddle on the couch.
I am looking forward to travelling down to visit Steve's family this Christmas and hope to be physically, almost, sort of, back to normal by then. In the meantime I am here, I am alive and I am thankful.
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