Events timeline
Here is the essential timeline of how things developed.
Tuesday, March 24
Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast releases.
Aaron takes an early flight out of Austin to Kentucky for the opening stop of his signing tour for Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast
Aaron calls me around 3pm to let me know he's there.
Wednesday, March 25
Aaron takes another early flight, this time to Chicago for the second stop. This day he has a radio interview in addition to his signing schedule. He called me a bit before his interview to let me know things were going well and that his evening was going to be pretty full and fun. He anticipated being pretty tired the next morning when he would have to get up to get to the airport.
Thursday, March 26
Aaron is scheduled to fly to Kansas City Missouri. Aaron's flight is early enough that he has to be up by 6am to get to the airport through Chicago traffic to catch it. He calls me in the morning while he's waiting to board and tells me that he had a wonderful time and things are going great but he's "running on fumes" he's so tired. I asked him if he would be able to get some rest after he landed. Aaron chuckled a bit and said that he might be able to get a couple of hours there and he would try to get a bit on the plane but that he would be going to stores to sign stock when he got in.
Friday, March 27
The schedule has Aaron flying to Seattle, Washington. I don't hear from Aaron.
Later I find out that he started feeling poorly Thursday and pretty much chalked it up to exhaustion. He cancels his flight to Seattle hoping a days rest will get him feeling better.
Saturday, March 28
The schedule has Aaron flying to Sacramento, California. I don't hear from Aaron.
Later he tells me that he was still feeling poorly and decided to take another day of rest.
Sunday, March 29
The schedule has Aaron flying to Phoenix, Arizona. Around 1:30 I get out of a movie and see that I have missed 3 calls while I was in the movie. (I don't even recall which movie it was at the moment.) One of the missed calls was Aaron. I figure that he's calling to let us know what his flight back home schedule will be and arrange to get picked up from the airport. I call him back...
"Hello O traveller to galaxies far far away! How goes the tour?"
"Not so good at the moment. I'm guessing you didn't get my voice mail." (Aaron sounds strange, quiet and tired.)
I check and there is no voice mail showing. "Nope, it hasn't come through yet. What's up?"
"I don't want you to freak out or panic or anything but I'm in the hospital. I seem to have had a heart attack."
Now you know that anytime you get a call or message that starts out "I don't want you to freak out or panic" your life has just become interesting in the Chinese proverbial sense.
By Sunday evening Aaron was in ICU with tests scheduled for Monday morning to determine how things would need to proceed.
Monday, March 30
Aaron goes through a whole battery of tests to determine what exactly is going on and what needs to be done. But the results will have to wait for the next day.
Tuesday, March 31
Aaron is told he will need bypass surgery. Aaron asks if he can be brought home for it. The doctors say they will check but aren't inclined to delay anything. They schedule his surgery for Thursday.
Wednesday, April 1
We go see Aaron during the late visitation period. He's cheerful but his color isn't good and he looks very tired. We finally learn when he started feeling poorly. I asked him if he ever had any of the classic heart attack symptoms and he tells us he didn't. He said he thought it was all just exhaustion and digestive upset due to the hectic travel. I ask the nurse if there is a way we can give blood in Aaron's name and get him some credit for the blood that he may need during his surgery.
Thursday, April 2nd
Aaron is taken in early for what he thought would likely be a single or perhaps double bypass. It turns out to be a quadruple bypass and there are some complications. The doctors and nurses are very concerned as he puts them through a real rollercoaster of a day. We spend a lot of time in the waiting room holding hands and hugging each other.
Fairly late in the day we get by the blood center and give blood for Aaron.
When we call and speak to Rose after we've given blood things are still touch and go.
Friday, April 3rd
Aaron has had a good night. He is beginning to show a little color on his nose and forehead. The doctors and nurses are finding encouraging smiles and thumbs up to give us. But the timeline is still extended for his release.
Saturday, April 4th
Another good night. Aaron is getting color back in his arms and legs. He's showing response to questions.
Sunday, April 5th
It's been a week. Aaron is still in ICU. His mom reports that she was talking to him about his whiney cat Loki missing him and he smiled.