Day Two
Here was my post to my board around 11 am on December 9:
The heart catheterization was non-fatal but not exactly a success -- the blockage was so severe that the catheter couldn't do much. They gave him a choice of surgery or a whole lot of blood thinners to get him through the night, but they said either was risky and surgery was the best option. So he had emergency quadruple bypass surgery. They finished in just under the 4 hours they promised (first surgery I've ever heard of being on schedule) and he was conscious within an hour of that. The surgeon, who had apparently been somewhat grim beforehand, was very optimistic afterwards, and as my father has now made it through the night, the odds are in his favor. He still has a very long haul to go through, and the heart attack caused considerable damage to his heart, so he will be very weak for a long time.
We started getting ready to travel as soon as we talked to my Mom the first time, and DH had the presence of mind to call my sister to get a more honest assessment of Dad's health and of whether we should travel. She said we should, so we were on the road 2 hours later and made the trip in about 4 hours and 15 minutes (it's normally 5 or so -- Someone was watching out for us!), arriving just after the surgery ended. My mother was allowed to see my father when he was awake, and my sisters and I were able to go back shortly thereafter and see him when he was sedated. I have seen post-op heart patients before, so I was somewhat prepared, but it was still alarming -- I would never have recognized him because he was so full of fluids (one of my sisters commented that he should never become overweight -- he looks so much better thin!). But he is alive and the prognosis is good.
My mother has had about 20 minutes' sleep since yesterday but is an insomniac at the best of times. (I had a good four hours before my internal clock overrode my desire for sleep.) She is always a worrier and my dad is the go-to guy in the family, so she's feeling pretty overwhelmed -- DH and I will do what we can to keep the household running while we're here, so she is free to focus on my dad.
We will be at my parents' for about four days (but unfortunately can't be here longer because of DH's work and Mary's heavy December activity schedule -- I may make a return trip by myself later) so I will be more scarce than usual this week. I appreciate your continued prayers -- I can't tell you how much it touched me to see so many responses to my post from last night, and I will pass your thoughts onto my mother as well.
The heart catheterization was non-fatal but not exactly a success -- the blockage was so severe that the catheter couldn't do much. They gave him a choice of surgery or a whole lot of blood thinners to get him through the night, but they said either was risky and surgery was the best option. So he had emergency quadruple bypass surgery. They finished in just under the 4 hours they promised (first surgery I've ever heard of being on schedule) and he was conscious within an hour of that. The surgeon, who had apparently been somewhat grim beforehand, was very optimistic afterwards, and as my father has now made it through the night, the odds are in his favor. He still has a very long haul to go through, and the heart attack caused considerable damage to his heart, so he will be very weak for a long time.
We started getting ready to travel as soon as we talked to my Mom the first time, and DH had the presence of mind to call my sister to get a more honest assessment of Dad's health and of whether we should travel. She said we should, so we were on the road 2 hours later and made the trip in about 4 hours and 15 minutes (it's normally 5 or so -- Someone was watching out for us!), arriving just after the surgery ended. My mother was allowed to see my father when he was awake, and my sisters and I were able to go back shortly thereafter and see him when he was sedated. I have seen post-op heart patients before, so I was somewhat prepared, but it was still alarming -- I would never have recognized him because he was so full of fluids (one of my sisters commented that he should never become overweight -- he looks so much better thin!). But he is alive and the prognosis is good.
My mother has had about 20 minutes' sleep since yesterday but is an insomniac at the best of times. (I had a good four hours before my internal clock overrode my desire for sleep.) She is always a worrier and my dad is the go-to guy in the family, so she's feeling pretty overwhelmed -- DH and I will do what we can to keep the household running while we're here, so she is free to focus on my dad.
We will be at my parents' for about four days (but unfortunately can't be here longer because of DH's work and Mary's heavy December activity schedule -- I may make a return trip by myself later) so I will be more scarce than usual this week. I appreciate your continued prayers -- I can't tell you how much it touched me to see so many responses to my post from last night, and I will pass your thoughts onto my mother as well.
posted by Emily @ 11:32 PM
2 Comments:
At 11:48 PM,
Dad's family said…
Again - Amy's comments...
To say that the surgeon was very optimistic is a GROSS overstatement. He said that Dad made it through the surgery - and had bled a lot (whatever that means... Doesn't everyone bleed a lot when they are cut in half?)The most optimism we got was two subtle smiles and finally a "I think he may do OK." Nothing more. We were encouraged more by the fact that Dad did wake up after the surgery - and they had to resedate him.
Making it through the surgery is the hard part from what I understand - but the healing process is a very long and difficult one, and will probably seem like the hardest part.
At 12:21 AM,
Emily said…
Keep in mind that I wrote this on Thursday morning (after not much sleep) when almost all info I had was second-hand and given to me at 2 am or so, so it's not entirely reliable. I had no idea at the time how NON optimistic the doctors were before or after the surgery -- I only figured that on Friday after the surgeon talked to us again. So "very optimistic" is completely wrong.
Post a Comment
<< Home