GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 16

ask dr. gramma karen
What to tell your family about
your medical challenges
BY KAREN L. RANCOURT
" I think I'm having a heart attack, " said my 78-year-old husband Gary, one evening after dinner.
I knew to take Gary's pronouncement seriously because, as a retired amateur elite triathlete,
still very active, he is always attuned to his physicality. Also, he is an avid reader of sports medicine
books and magazines.
After reminding myself to breathe and stay calm, I asked Gary to describe his symptoms and
how long they had been going on - what he described aligned with research-based symptoms.
We agreed he needed to go to the Emergency Department (ED). We figured I could drive him
there faster than waiting for an ambulance, so that is what we did.
If you ever want to see people move at the speed of lightning, say the words " suspected heart
attack " in an ED! People appeared out of nowhere, whisking Gary away in a wheelchair, hooking
him up to this and that while on the fly. After he was admitted and settled into a patient room, I
sat with him as tests were being conducted and planned.
I asked him, " What should we tell Heather and Jordan? " (Heather is our adult daughter, married
to Jordan; they are the parents of our two grandsons, 18 and 21 years old.)
CONSIDERATIONS FOR INFORMING THE FAMILY
This issue of what to share about Gary's medical situation was of paramount concern to us
because just a few months earlier, Jordan's beloved dad died unexpectedly, and the extended
family was still deeply grief-stricken. We didn't want to add to the family's fragile state, especially
to that of all five grandchildren, who were close to and adored their " Papa " . In addition, we didn't
have a diagnosis, so we decided not to share anything about Gary's medical situation.
Happily, Gary did not suffer a heart attack, but rather, he was diagnosed with a mitral heart
valve flutter, a condition that usually self-corrects, as it did in Gary's case.
16 GRAND SPRING 2024
Continued on next page
https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106

GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024

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GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - Cover1
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 2
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GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - Contents
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