October has arrived and with it our first snowfall of the season.  Thursday, October 26th began with rain in the early morning which thanks to the Alberta Clipper passing through led to snow and blowing snow by the afternoon.   Sections of the Trans Canada Highway were closed due to icy road conditions.

The Canadian Thanksgiving holiday always falls on the second Monday in October.  We had planned to spend Thanksgiving Monday in Winnipeg with our daughter, her partner, and our grandson.  The saying “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”, is adapted from a line in “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns.  To say that our Thanksgiving plans went awry is an understatement.  Peter usually walked 3 – 4 miles every day with any problems.  The Monday before Thanksgiving he walked 3 1/2 miles.  On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week he was only able to walk 2 -3 blocks.  On Friday I suggested that he go to the Walk-in Clinic or Emergency.  He did try the Walk-in Clinic only to be told that they were booked up until closing time at midnight.  He woke up Saturday morning and the shortness of breath, pain in the middle of his chest and pain in his forearms made it difficult for him to walk as far as the bedroom door.  A short time later he began to perspire with sweat running down his face.  Needless to say, we headed out to Emergency at the local hospital which happens to be five blocks from our home.  Peter was seen to as soon as we arrived; had the appropriate tests done and was given medication to help ease the symptoms.   I had to go home to get Peter’s medications.  When I returned to the hospital I was told that the results from blood work showed that my husband had experienced a heart attack.  He would have to remain in hospital to prepare for an angiogram and possible stent placement.

Our Thanksgiving plans changed.  On Monday, Natasha, her partner, and our grandson brought the Thanksgiving meal to our house.  She was able to bring her dad a piece of her amazing pumpkin pie.  We sure missed him at our dinner but were so very very thankful that he was going to be okay.  Life can literally change in an instant.

Peter stayed in the local hospital until Friday at which time he was transferred to the Ste. Boniface hospital in Winnipeg for his angiogram.  The angiogram showed that one of his arteries was 90% occluded.  He received two stents.  Apparently, the medical staff calls the artery that was occluded the “widow maker”.  Peter was transferred back to the local hospital on Saturday morning after spending one night at Ste. Boniface.  Saturday evening he was discharged home from the local hospital.

Peter celebrated his 71st birthday on October 24th.  We spent a quiet evening at home sharing a Boston Pizza spaghetti and meatball dinner and watching “Britain has Talent” and “America has Talent”.

This Thanksgiving holiday we as a family had much to be thankful for.  Peter survived his heart attack with minimal damage and is looking forward to a future of continued good health.  My family doctor gave up her practice here in Steinbach and I am thankful that before she left she made sure that I had a new family doctor.  Finding a family doctor in our community is about as common as pulling chickens’ teeth.

My dad celebrated his birthday on October 10th and he would have been 98 years old this October.  He passed away in June 2010 and I miss him every day.