2 weeks ago, my Mom passed out while she was getting dressed. She lives in a Senior Living Apartment, and help was immediately available. They sent her to the hospital "just in case" it was something major. I got the call from the hospital, letting me know she was there AND that I could come see her. You know things are bad when you are still in the midst of a global pandemic and the hospital invites you to come inside to be with a patient.
By the time I got to Mom, she had passed out again. It turns out her heart was "pausing" for several seconds and then restarting again. When I walked in, they had just put in a temporary pacemaker and were waiting for her vitals to stabilize enough that they could put her under a light anesthesia to install the permanent pacemaker.
Mom has her permanent pacemaker now. For the first time in a couple of months, she is strong enough to sit up for periods of time. She is currently in a rehab hospital. (Where we are NOT allowed to visit, so you know she's okay.) She hopes to be back in her apartment by the end of the month.
The doctor mentioned that if this had been normal times, they most likely would have caught the heart issue at a regularly scheduled check up. But since they've only been doing tele-health visits for the last year they missed it.
As our doctors offices open back up, it's time to go see our doctors. Get our screenings and get our wellness checks. And if something doesn't feel right to you - call your doctor and insist on seeing them in person. You need to take care of you.
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