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December 26, 2017 - 1:36 a.m.
"jerry's heart attack" or "pampas day: the wheeled barrow"

Hey Journal!

What a crazy day we've had today. It really was one of those days where you don't imagine where you're going to be when you wake up in the morning.

When we got up, Dan and I decided to watch a few TV shows before we got to work on the pampas grass! The culling of the pampas is an annual tradition that we never look forward to! It's such a grueling task. This year, however, we had a little help -- and that help made this year's project the fastest ever! Last weekend when we went to breakfast with Kristen and Guy, we were telling them about the upcoming work. He offered to lend us his wheelbarrow to help the process! We accepted his gracious offer and he dropped the barrow off last night under the cover of darkness!

When we headed outside, it was waiting for us in the driveway. I knew that the wheelbarrow would make it easier to cart the pampas to the curb but I never imagined it would be as great of a help as it was. The three things that it did for us were 1) it allowed us to make much bigger piles of pampas. Since we made them directly on the wheelbarrow, we didn't have to worry about making them too heavy of unmanageable, 2) We were able to tie them up once around instead of many times because we didn't have to worry about keeping everything held tightly while moving it to the curb, and 3) it made it much quicker to transport the bundles!! We will never cull pampas without a wheeled barrow ever again!

It was still a grueling task but it took way less time than in year's past, so we were super happy!

We built up quite an appetite from all that outdoor work so we went to Wendy's to get some lunch. Next, we picked up my mom because she wanted to browse cars at Toyota. She isn't sure if she even needs a new car yet but, because it broke down and because the oil was milky, my cousin Dan thinks that the car is done.

We headed over to the house to pick her up and as we arrived, Jerry was running down the driveway. He stopped to tell us that he was going to the gym and that he would be back later when we got back from the car stuff.

So, we went to Toyota and it was quite and ordeal. As usual. We just wanted to browse and take a quick look at the cars on the lot. Not interested in talking price because we don't even know yet if we are even buying one at all!

We got there and started looking around and Dan said he wanted to ask they guy about the financing options. We were hoping for 0% for 3 years. (The same deal I got on my car.) Before he went to ask, we said we would NOT sit down at a desk, we would NOT get into a whole thing and we all agreed. So, Dan went to ask the guy and he said 'Let's go sit down at my desk..." I told Dan no, we said no desk, but he started walking with the guy anyway so I just yelled out "WE ARE NOT SITTING DOWN. WE HAVE TO GO!" and everyone in the showroom looked at me. It was amazing. So my mom and I left and the guy finally told Dan what he was asking for. Before we left, we perused more cars on the lot and, wouldn't you know it, nobody came over to bother us!

On the way home, my Grandma asked us to stop to pick up some pizzas. We decided to go to Matt's in St. James. I haven't had their pizza in a long time.

When we got home, my Uncle and Alexis had returned home and Alexis had invited the triplets over, too. We didn't know they were coming so we didn't have a lot of pizza! In the end, it turned out to be okay because Ryan didn't eat any and Dan and I only had one slice each because we were not super hungry having just had Wendy's.

After we ate the pizza we were all talking and then it was time for some cake. We sang Happy Birthday to my mom and to my Uncle. It was a surprise for both of them. We were eating cake and all standing in the kitchen when the phone started to ring.

I went over to see the Caller ID and it was a name I didn't recognize. I read the name to my Grandma and she didn't know who it was, either. She said to ignore it. So, it was loud in the kitchen and I couldn't hear the message, but I could hear that a message was being left. I got a little closer to see what it was and I heard the words LA Fitness, Jerry, and Ambulance! I picked up right away and I handed the phone to my mom. She was on the phone and listening very intently. They said that he had chest pains and they had called the ambulance.

As soon as she got off the phone, Dan, me, and my mom got into the car and headed to the gym. As we pulled up to the light by the library, we saw the ambulance pulling into the gym parking lot. The fire department SUV was there already. As we parked the car, we ran in and went right into the men's locker room. Jerry was laying out on the bench and the EMTs were around him along with a police officer and two random gym goers.

They already had him hooked up to a portable EKG and they had an IV in his arm. They quickly got him onto the stretcher and he was off to the ambulance. My mom went with them and Dan and I collected his belongings from the floor and then went out to the car to head to Stony Brook.

Dan and I arrived about 10 minutes behind the ambulance and parked far away because it was the only non-paying spot we could find. We walked into the hospital and as we were in the lobby area, they came RUNNING by at top speed with Jerry's bed. They went into the "Heart Institute" area. My mom was a little behind and we met here there. They told us to wait in the "Heart Institute" waiting area.

My mom said that when they got to the ER, they said he was having a heart attack and they had to get him to the operating room right away!

We went into the Heart area and we were LITERALLY the only people there. The waiting room was empty. There was a sign on the reception desk telling us to go to the next room if we needed assistance. We went there just to make sure we were in the right place. We got there and there was NOBODY at all around. It was like an abandoned hospital. It was weird, yet amazing.

We waited about 50 minutes or so and in that time my mom called a few of Jerry's friends, we walked around the hospital a little, I sat at the reception desk, AND an ultra rare Pokemon appeared! Dan and I hurried outside and down the street to catch on of the first Farfetch'd to appear in North America! Insane! I feel really excited to have caught such an elusive Pokemon but I also feel like I would be sooo pissed off if I had traveled to Japan and caught it there and then everyone had one! I think the region locked ones shouldn't be tampered with. And this is coming from someone who hasn't really caught any of the region locked ones.

So, back at the waiting room, Jerry's ex-wife arrived. Awkward! She was... interesting. She had a little bit of a bitchy demeanor but overall I think she tried her best to be normal and to not make things even more awkward than they already were. She didn't seem too concerned about him, anyway.

When the doctor came out to give us an update she was very nice and very thorough. She explained everything in detail, told us that he had had a MASSIVE heart attack, and that the main artery of the heart, the LAD had been 100% blocked. There was also an additional 70% blockage a little further down the line and a third blockage in another artery. They put two stents in the major one and are planning to do the second one later in the week.

She brought us into a little room and drew us a diagram of the heart. She also showed us his scans on a computer screen. You could see the before pictures of the blockages and then the during pictures when they were inserting the stent, and then the after pictures with the blood flowing again! it was really wild.

We had to wait about another 45 minutes or so and they they started letting people visit with him. The ex wife went first because she said she would be quick and then leave. It was a little weird since we had been sitting there the entire time but it made more sense and it all worked out well. She was up there for about 10 minutes and then she left.

We went back, said hello, and hung out for a while. Dan made some phone calls to people Jerry wanted to contact and we set up our base over in the conference room across the hall! Later, Jerry had to go to the bathroom so Dan and I went with my mom to the cafeteria. They had closed the cafeteria from 8-Midnight so we went to the Starbucks instead. I got a hot chocolate and there was a big deal about our request for 1% milk. First I asked, then my mom asked without knowing I did, so the girl asked Dan if he wanted it too after he placed his order!

When we got back to the room, they were still tending to things with the curtain closed so we all sat in the conference room and waited while we drank our drinks.

After they drew the curtain, we went back in. We stayed until about 11:00 and then headed out. My mom is spending the night so the nurse brought her a reclining chair and some sheets for it. Dan and I went to the gym parking lot and collected Jerry's car. We drove it back to the house and then went inside to talk to my Grandma. We told her the whole story.

We just got home and showered up and we're going to get ready for bed soon! I'm exhausted! I didn't expect to spend my Saturday evening doing THIS... that's for sure!

In the morning we are planning to take my Grandma up to visit and then bring my mom back home for a while!

Until tomorrow...

Goodnight. :)