"Awesome Morning", 18 x 24, pastel on Mi-Tientes Touch paper.
It's been a while since I've blogged. I've never gone this long without a post. It all began on Saturday, November 17th. I woke up excited with anticipation. I had a busy eventful day ahead doing a demonstration for Yosemite Western Artists, a local art association, in the afternoon and then a reception at Stellar Gallery for a Sierra Art Trails exhibition called "Pathways". I had a painting in the show. The demonstration was going very well when I felt a soreness in my chest. I thought "Oh yuck", I'm coming down with bronchitis. I finished the demonstration, then went home to rest before going back into town for the art reception. The chest pain left me and I was feeling pretty good. The exhibit was wonderful. I entered a painting called "Into The Light". I was delighted to learn that it took a 4th place.
"Into The Light", 19 x 25
I enjoyed myself at the reception. I had a delightful time enjoying the show and mingling with other artists. We left to have a bite to eat and then go home. It was pouring out and I didn't relish the drive home. It's so dark in our mountains at night. During the ride home I started to feel a tightness and heaviness in my chest. Could this be it? I had no idea what it felt like to have a heart attach but I remembered and artist friend who shared with me that when she got a heart attack it was like an elephant sitting on her chest. I didn't think it was quite an elephant, but it was a heaviness none the less. I told my husband not to turn off the highway to our house but to head straight in to the big city which is Fresno to emergency to check it out. He panicked and turned into an open gas station near where we where and pressed the emergency button on the On Star which was the best thing he could have done. They came on the line right away. He screamed "My wife's having a heart attach". I wanted to say no, no it's not a heart attack, but I remained silent. They told me to chew 4 baby aspirin which I did glad I had been carrying a small bottle in my purse for some years. It was no time before the paramedics and ambulance arrived. they put me on a stretcher into the ambulance and off we went. The ambulance attendant had me chew 4 more baby aspirin and worked on me with putting in Iv, monitoring me and taking an EKG. Off and on the sirens blasted. We arrived at St Francis Medical Center in Fresno where a crew was standing by waiting for my arrival. A friend of mine who works there was among the crew. She was not supposed to be on duty that night but was called in earlier. I was so glad to see her. I started crying. She took an EKG and comforted me. I was so grateful. In no time I was on my up to the cardiac room where there was a staff
waiting for me. The cardiologist on call was to arrive shortly. They told me he was attending a wedding. I said, "I hoped he wasn't getting drunk" We all had a good laugh. He arrived shortly and explained I was going to have an angiogram and a stent inserted in the main artery. I want to tell you, I didn't feel a thing. The drugs put me on a high and made me feel wonderful. On the way to my hospital room I asked if they could give me more of this wonderful whatever they gave me and they laughed again. Four days later I got to go home. I was grateful for and got wonderful care at the hospital. I was going home not knowing what to expect next. As each day passed, I felt stronger and stronger. I have since seen my cardiologist who was wonderful and I'm going to and educational class on Monday. One of the wonderful things I experienced after coming home was to walk into my studio and take a look around. When I gazed around and saw my works in progress sitting on the easels, I smiled. I didn't know how I would react to seeing my studio again. Besides being grateful to be alive and back home, I was so grateful that I was looking as if with a new pair of eyes and believe me, they lit up. I had a rekindled desire to paint. I was home.
