The Story of the Angiogram

Hard to believe it was 6 months ago already when I still so vividly remember the events. But I guess traumatic times have a habit of being ingrained in your memory. Now don't fret, because it has all ended well, but that's said with the ability of retrospection.

But on the day that I got the phone-call at work telling me my Dad was being flown by air-Ambulance down to Melbourne (they live 4 hours away by car) with a heart attack I didn't know then what would happen. My colleagues were wonderful and they let me leave work early while they covered for me.

I saw my Dad soon after he'd come out of the angiogram where they diagnosed not one but two blocked coronary arteries which they needed to stent. Seeing your previously fit and strong farming Dad lying in a hospital bed looking shaken and tired is pretty confronting even when you know he's already been treated. And even when you see people lying in hospital beds every single working day of your career!

Now obviously I chose not to take a photo of that sight, but rather I've filled my page with related (but less shocking) images. Yes, that's his actual angiogram picture, that's the card I made him, and a photo of his monitor overlooking the great views of Melbourne. The background features the paper bag which my sister's store-bought (!) card came in. It was strikingly relevant as the store was called 'Cardiology' so I snaffled it up as memorabilia of the day and added my journaling to it later.

If you ask my Dad about these events now he'll tell you about how they changed his life. I guess there's nothing like a mortality scare to make you reassess your life and choices. He's got a new perspective, he's changed some bad habits and he says he's never felt better. 60 years ago it's possible not to have survived something like that. These days it was almost merely a day-case! Amazing what modern medicine can do isn't it?!