I'll keep this one fairly short...
Just an appreciation, really, for those who practice modern medicine, from the paramedics to the surgeons, etc.
I had a nice, happy day today until I went to go to bed. Then I saw that I had messages on my cell.
Turns out my dad had a serious heart attack.
However, thanks to modern medicine and a few right choices, he should end up being fine.
First, he recognized the signs quickly and called 911 within a few minutes off the onset of symptoms. Only after that did he call my mother (a nurse, as it turns out), who was on her way to work.
The paramedics came, got him, and apparently either in the ambulance or at the first hospital, they needed to shock him to revive him. (modern medicine number one: good paramedics and defib)
After he was stabilized (and awake), he was medflighted to a larger hospital, better suited to handle his case (modern medicine number two). (Side note: he ended up at the hospital my mother works at).
At the hospital, he had all sorts of things put in / done, and he'll have to have surgery soon. He also ended up getting revived again(!), so modern medicine numbers 3 and 4.
So, to all the paramedics, nurses, docs, surgeons, etc - an appreciation from me to you.
I am flying in about 2 hours to go see him (I'm the prodigal son, who's moved 2000 miles away in pursuit of academic dreams), so I won't see too many responses. But I appreciate them all.
My only moral to the story: it's very likely that knowing the signs that he was having a heart attack helped his care / prognosis considerably. After I've calmed down a bit (I haven't slept all night and I won't be able to sleep before the plane, at the least, though I'm exhausted), I'll likely educate myself on that a bit more.