Off Topic: 2nd Update on my Dad

[Guest guest]

Hi Gang,

Dad had his heart test this morning and since his heart attack was mild we

fully expected to take him home today. But the test showed severe blockage

and he was transferred to another hospital via ambulance for a quad bypass.

This hospital is about 20 miles from us and is the best in this area for

heart procedures.

To all of you who have been thru something like this I don't have to tell you

how frightening this was. My Mom got in touch with my brother at work and

we were off to the hospital. Since Dad's stroke he cannot write and Mom had

to sign papers to allow the operation so we needed to get their posthaste.

We did alright, got there about 15 minutes after he did.

We had a chance to see and talk with him before surgery. He was groggy from

some meds and we're not sure how much of what was about to happen he

understood. He was frightened and we all knew he didn't expect this either

and he wanted none of it, he just wanted to go home.

The surgery took 3 instead of the 4 hours they originally told us and they

performed a triple bypass instead of the quad. They took a vein graft from

each leg and one from his chest. All went very well with the operation.

We were allowed to see him in ICU for a short time. He's on a ventilator and

has a naso tube both of which should be removed sometime this evening. There

are a lot of 'bells & whistles' coming in and going out of him, but details

aren't important.

They try to wake him up a little at a time but want him to remain calm untill

he's fully awake. He started to wake up while we were with him and he became

combative. They already had his arms tied down. This is to prevent patients

pulling out any tubes in a panic or from fear. Understandable since they

haven't realized what they've just gone thru and are still so groggy.

Well...leave it to my Dad to try and sit up! With legs kicking, he strained

and pulled at his arm restraints and nearly made it to a sitting position.

They gave him some morphine to quiet him down and in case he was having pain,

and then kicked us out of there.

So, I got my answer to an earlier question....which was 'can you tell if he

had another stroke?' The nurse Sue(who was wonderful) said the way he was

moving his arms and legs, that she doubted he'd had another stroke. Sue

allowed us back about 30 minutes later but we didn't talk to him and spoke in

whispers so as not to upset him now that he was so calm.

Sue said, 'he sure is a strong man, he nearly made it to a full sitting

position'. Guess they had to practically wrestle him back down till the meds

took effect. That's my Dad!!! Strong and determined and too stubborn to

leave his family. I'm so proud of him.... =O)

Of course I am not discounting all your prayers and good thoughts and

positive energy. I'm positive God heard all of you and He has seen fit to let

us have him for a while longer yet, and we couldn't be happier about it. So

if I could, I'd like to impose upon you once again for a prayer and good

thoughts. If all goes well, and I'm certain it will, we should be bringing

him home 5 days from now.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and for supporting me thru all this.

My surgery will pale in comparision to these last few days. I am not afraid

and my odds of having a successful surgery are much higher than my Dad's

were.

A little venting here. Couldn't believe the doctor who gave Dad the heart

test this morning. He showed Mom the clogged arteries and said because of

his previous stroke and this heart attack that he thought Dad wouldn't make

it thru surgery. What happened to compassion and hope that every patient has

the right to have? Why do that to my Mom when she was so afraid to begin

with? I wish I had been there when he said that, he would've heard a few

choice words from me about his crappy attitude.

Sorry about this long post...I'm just so relieved and so emotionally

drained...I tend to ramble.

Hugs to all,

Rose