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My World: Hurricane Michael

Chris Calohan

Well-known member
So, on Sept 29 my wife rushed me to the hospital because I awoke with a serious DVT in my right leg...I was fortunate enough to have enough of a medical BG to know I had a limited time before whatever was clotted was going to break loose and send me to the other side.

I had two things going for me that day: one, the ER was empty and two, the vascular surgeon on call was very good. In moments they had me on a Heparin drip and within 24 hours the vascular surgeon put in what he called a "soaker hose" to deliver a TPA clot busting medicine. Even though I'd thrown multiple PE's in both lungs, and had a clot that was started at the medial side of my right knee and went 4 inches above my belly button, whatever they did worked.

To add insult to injury, the day I was released from the hospital, I was told I also had Shingles and they started me on Valtrex immediately. Unfortunately, because of my condition, I was not allowed to travel any significant distance in a car so had to go home and face "Michael."

At the time I went home, Michael was only a Cat 3 storm with no expectancy that it would get any worse...but it did, at landfall it was the third worst hurricane to hit the mainland USA with winds that exceeded 188 mph at times. I was on the western eye wall for over 2 and a 1/2 hours and in the last half hour watched the back of my house dissolve...and then heard a tree break through the back of my house..it was not a fun afternoon and an even less fun night.

However, we lived to tell about it and with insurance will be able to rebuild. I am currently living in a beach cottage about 35 miles away from my property. The house has been tarped and closed up but is not livable even though I have power and water. Just tons of insulation all over the house and a lot of damage to the flooring. It is what it is and though I lament the loss as it had been recently remodeled from back to front, I know in a reasonable amount of time it will be back to where it was and I can get back to my photographic life.

Please forgive the quality of the images but cell phones aren't real cameras...LOL

Back of house looking out to what was an attached screen porch:

30774062347_a1a301052a_b.jpg


Back of house looking in from outside:

30774054327_d4685e8493_b.jpg


Tree through roof:

43896779790_36b945f4e4_b.jpg


Street the morning after:

45663753432_599fc86abc_b_d.jpg
 

Peter Dexter

Well-known member
What horrendous calamities both! So glad you have lived to tell about it. Your poor house. Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you.
 
OMG, Chris! Such terrible events to happen to you and in such a short amount of time. I'm very pleased you and your wife are both alive but I bet you do not mind having 2018 go buy and start a new year. I'm so sorry this happened to you. In my thoughts,
Maggie
 

Chris Calohan

Well-known member
Thanks, Peter and Maggie...it is what it is and while unfortunate, that we lived to see another day in face of such a catastrophic event gives hope to the future.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
So, on Sept 29 my wife rushed me to the hospital because I awoke with a serious DVT in my right leg...I was fortunate enough to have enough of a medical BG to know I had a limited time before whatever was clotted was going to break loose and send me to the other side.

I had two things going for me that day: one, the ER was empty and two, the vascular surgeon on call was very good. In moments they had me on a Heparin drip and within 24 hours the vascular surgeon put in what he called a "soaker hose" to deliver a TPA clot busting medicine. Even though I'd thrown multiple PE's in both lungs, and had a clot that was started at the medial side of my right knee and went 4 inches above my belly button, whatever they did worked.

Chris,

I marked this to be certain look at, (as I was diverted by work, a lame excuse yet the truth), but am shocked at how you were stricken! This is one of the most severe personal injuries that can suddenly strike anyone. Your feelings, experience, education and intuition and about 30 minutes saved your life! As a physician I have seen folk struck down in 3-4 minutes! You wrestled with the grim reaper and won!

The hurricane is an impressive side of Mother Nature. A PE m, however is a Thunderbolt from Zeus!

Both can wreak tragedy and destruction but to get both is so bad and what is a terrible tragedy could have been a far greater unrecoverable personal disaster to to, your friends and family and those who are uplifted by your talented work,

I wish you a full and speedy recovery.

I am stunned by the news but delighted and reassured by the outcome.

Rebuilding your home is a hard task but it will be now much stroner and Hurricane-proof. Add steel shutters. You will get a great sense of satisfaction, saying come on, “Just try me”.

Before rebuilding have a scan of your house internally and outside. I will guide you to build a model. Then have the structure, in its repair form subjected to Finite Element Analysis with double the wind power of your area in past 100 years. Let me know if you need help with that.

Asher
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Chris Calohan, I hope you get better and everything will be running smoothly in the future.

You are a fighter and you will get over these difficulties as you have done so far !

Cheers ! :)
 

Nigel Allan

Member
I am speechless, Chris. I don't know what I would have done in your situation. Life is so fleeting and precious and we don't realise it until we nearly lose everything
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
The important part is that you had vascular surgery on time. While I feel sorry for your house, it is comparatively minor... Take care of your health!
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
For those who might not already know, a P.E. Is a pulmonary embolism. This is when a giant blood clot from a calf or thigh grows and breaks off and gets carried through the heart to lodge in the lungs and essentially threaten death within minutes unless the progressive blood clotting is stopped and a sieve is placed to prevent existing blood clots to break off and worsen the precarious situation.

To survive one needs to be alert to what is actually happening and get to hospital fast enough!

Chris, you have things that need to be done on this earth or you would be gone!

How are you doing?

Asher
 

Chris Calohan

Well-known member
Surprisingly, I am doing quite well considering everything I've gone through in the last month or so. I knew the DVT was a most dangerous situation and from the time I first made the discovery until I was on a Heparin drip was less than 45 minutes thanks to an empty ER and a quick thinking ER staff. From that time to the TPA procedure was only 24 hours for the soaker hose and another 24 hours until it was removed. After that, it was more Heparin, and lots of ultrasounds, MRI's, X-rays, and echo cardiograms. By all accounts I should have been dead hours before.

To add insult to injury, after the storm, all the local hospitals were so badly damaged that they had to be evacuated then closed until further notice, One just opened yesterday with limited OBGYN and cardiology services as well as a ER/Trauma unit. A week later I had to go 100 miles to the west to find a Vascular surgeon for a follow up. Just last week did all my doctors find places to set up their offices again...it's been interesting.

I'm still in the early stages of negotiating an insurance settlement but so far, so good. As to what I was given a second chance to do, I do not know but it gives one serious reflection as to how one can serve his fellow people in a manner that is beneficial to all. My thoughts are going back to an idea I had some time ago for allowing quadriplegics serious photographic endeavors using eye guided composition, focus and exposure control. Lots of robotics that I either have to have someone else design or learn myself. It's a start.

Thanks to all for your kind comments and concerns. I know I am lucky and I am doing everything the docs have instructed me to do to avoid a repeat event which includes rather painful exercises as I have a rather large hematoma on the back of the calf where the TPA procedure was introduced up the occluded vein. A small price to pay for a second chance. Eliquis and follow-ups should do the rest.

Be well, all!
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Chris,

Keep is informed. do you have a home to stay in or are you in some rehab center? what about your family.

I met a fellow with no hands who had a frame for taking photographs. I will try to find it as I go through my last 20 years of images. It will eventually come up.

Yes, a major brush with death can refocus us on what is valid and worth our efforts.

For me, I had to fight to get an angiogram and eventually my wife used her influence to get the head if the University to order a cardiologist to kick off the person on the table and look after me as an emergency. When they got in I had, he said 20 seconds to live!

We are at the mercy of young doctors who decide who is worth bothering with! mostly we are safe. but there is no guarantee and we need to be alert!

Asher
 
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