August 14, 2011:
I was awoken by news that my dad was at the emergency room and was fighting for his life while waiting to be airlifted to Lubbock. I remember thinking it was dream, because my dad and I had stayed up till almost 1am the night before talking, watching TV and joking. I remember thinking :"What could possibly have happened between then and now?" Then I was informed he had suffered several severe heart attacks. Again, I questioned if this was real...he seemed to be fine other than a sore shoulder muscle from work. Unfortunately, it was reality. I got Zach up and we were waiting for mom to pull up to the house so we could all ride to Lubbock together. As I was getting in the car AeroCare flew above our house. My heart sank, my dad was on board. Zach tapped me on the shoulder and whispered "Dad will be okay he is flying up by God". My brother is pretty awesome, in stressful times he always manages to see good in the situation and comfort others. I nodded and then we began our journey to Lubbock.
As we pulled up to the hospital I realized I was afraid to ask what room my dad was in. I was afraid the answer may be "he never made it" or "we have no patient by that name", but I found the courage that only God can give and asked. "Room 855" the sweet lady responded. As I made my way to his room I mentally prepared myself to see a man covered in wires and machines that was unresponsive. I was surprised to find my dad sitting up in bed, watching TV with a few wires and machines attached. I was much more surprised to see him laughing and joking.
The doctor came in and examined him and informed us the tests had indicated he was doing good and that they would check for further or partial blockages the next day. He explained that the amount of blood thinners he had taken would almost certainly cause him to bleed out if he were to preform surgery now. We all agreed that waiting as long a possible was the best option, and the doctor left. The nurse came in to check in and get vitals. My dad got really quiet and as she was finishing up he sat straight up holding his shoulder. It was evident something was not right. Then the machines began beeping simultaneously and before I knew it I was pushed into the hall and 10-12 nurses were in his room accompanied by the doctor. The vision I had earlier of the numerous wires and barely responsive dad was unfolding before my eyes. I heard so many codes and numbers shouted followed by "CALL OR NOW TELL THEM WE ARE COMING IN NOW" and with that the nurses sprinted to the OR. I caught up with my dad right before the OR doors shut. I found courage again, and said "I need you! Your grandson needs you! He nodded and semi did a thumbs up. I shouted " I LOVE YOU" and he still nodded The doors slammed shut behind them.
Then came the wait. It was the longest time of my life. Minutes seemed to creep by. I kept thinking about the doctor saying he would almost certainly bleed out. The doctor came out and said "Mccartie Family" my heart sank again. The doctor informed us my dad was doing ok and that he had a 100 percent blockage that they resolved by inserting a stent. He looked down at the floor for a minute. What he said next still sends chills down my spine. He looked back up and said "I don't know if you all believe in God, but there is absolutely no medical reason why Mr. McCartie is still alive. He should have bled out with the high doses of thinners, but he didn't even need a blood transfusion. In the medical practice we call the type of heart attack Mr. McCartie had a "widow maker". Mr. McCartie should have died hours ago, he should have dropped dead according to the severity and blockage. Mr. McCarties test results should indicate that he has severe heart damage with less than 15 percent of his heart working (insert long pause) but Mr. McCartie has ZERO heart damage." We informed the doctor that we did indeed believe in God and that we had no doubt we had witnessed his power that day. He agreed and said he would see us later in the evening.
As we sat in the hospital we had nothing do but reflect and praise God. So we did. Slowly the pieces began to fit together. While dad thought he had pulled a muscle in his shoulder, it was actually a warning side that his heart was in trouble. We all knew shoulder pain was a sign, but somehow still wrote it off as something small. It is crucial that everyone become familiar with the warning signs so that you can get the proper care immediately. Dad has experienced the shoulder pain for almost three days! For almost three days his body was trying to say HELP! To learn the warning signs of heart attacks consult with your doctor and/or go to http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/in-depth/heart-attack-symptoms/art-20047744
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