Morton has the best heart

My 60th birthday was on May 11 and that's the day I finally talked Morton into going into the emergency room.  It was a Thursday and we had been to urgent care on Monday, just a few days before where he was told he had bronchitis and was put on medicine to stop him throwing up. It turns out he was having a heart attack.

Now here we sit, Monday, May 15th and he's getting ready to head into surgery for a quadruple by-pass. I want to share what his warning signs were and encourage everyone to get medical help when you need it or if someone is begging you to get help.

Morton's Warning Signs:
1. Shoulder blade pain, extreme, both sides - he thought it was from bronchitis, though he wasn't really coughing.
2. Pain in his arms, both of them.
3. Throwing up after he ate anything. He did this for almost a week before I got him to go to the ER.
4. Feeling really weak and tired.
5. Sore when he would breathe.

Now if you've ever watched a television show or a movie where someone has a heart attack, Hollywood has taught us, incorrectly I would like to add, that you clutch your chest, outstretch an arm and collapse. That might happen sometimes, but not all the time. 

Things Morton Did While HAVING A HEART ATTACK!
1. Made bread.
2. Tried the new vacuum cleaner.
3. Put in a stained glass window, IRONICALLY, the window has several hearts in it, two of them are fused glass with his mother's ashes and one with my mother's ashes.
4. Would NOT go to the doctor.
5. Would not just rest.
6. Tried to help me do anything I was doing to prove he wasn't sick enough to go to the doctor.
7. GOOGLED HIS SYMPTOMS! 

The most frustrating thing is, Morton is a great husband who would do almost anything I asked of him. Before he finally agreed to go to the doctor, actually on the way there, he confessed he was terrified of the bill. Coming from Scotland, Morton isn't familiar with things like co-pays, annual caps and getting presented with staggering high bills.

After he went to the urgent care, we were both in hopes that the medicine would start working. From Monday to Thursday I asked him at least 100 times, I'm not exaggerating, if he wanted to go to the emergency room. I even called urgent care and said he wasn't improving, they said the next thing to do was to go to the ER. Again, Morton was putting it off for fear of a bill that would cause us to lose our home and everything we've worked for.

As I'm writing this I'm sitting in the beautiful dining room in the hospital where a surgeon is going to get into his chest at any moment to save his life. I have no idea what the outcome of the bill will be and frankly I don't care. Whatever the price, Morton's life is worth it. There's not enough money on this planet to replace him. If they take our home, I'd live in a tent with this man. He's my only concern and care. 

I also have full faith in the process. This is what needs to happen. Saving him from having the big heart attack where he'd clutch his chest and be gone in a second, like my father died from, is what we've just avoided.

Morton gave me the best birthday present of my life by coming into the hospital. He's here and getting help. PLEASE, I implore you, don't play Dr. Google with your health. Don't put a price on it, you can't. Please look after yourself, get help and don't think about the costs. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Hugs, happiness and thanks so much for being here,
Priscilla