Cecil Dickson

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Two days ago this is not what we had planned to be creating.......a website to keep you updated on Cecil's health.  Cecil is a very private person and I will respect that.  However I have had to reach out to all of you to pray and  I know you are as concerned as I am.  This will help me to keep you updated and helps me in gathering my thoughts as I sit here watching the love of my life fight through this latest battle.  


As most of you know Cecil had open heart surgery (six bypasses) 11 years ago this August.  Wow this is 11 years God has given us that could have been an entirely different story.  Thanks to two amazing doctors Dr. Karin Rock and Dr. Munish Goyal he has had the opportunity to see both children marry and the birth of our four amazing grandchildren.  Thank you Lord for sending them to us!  
Fast forward to this week.
Sunday night , June 4, 2017 Cecil had a hard time getting comfortable to sleep.  He would lay in the bed a few minutes then sit in recliner.  I asked what was going on and he said he was hurting across top of his stomach.  I took his temp and it was around 100. I asked if he thought I might should call his  doctor or go to ER and he said no of course.  Up and down all night; carried on with little to no pain and vomiting.  We talked about what we had eaten and we both had eaten the same and I was not sick in any way.  Monday morning went through our normal routine of taking blood sugar and giving medicines.  His blood sugar was higher than had been in a while and he was warm.  Took his temp and it was 103.4. I said I'm calling Dr Walters and she saw him right after lunch.  Dr  Cynthia Walters was very aggressive in determing what was going on even though he had no pain or temp while there.  She checked all the normal and ordered an ultrasound and CTscan.  A 2cm gallstone!  Found the culprit and scheduled to see surgeon 8:30 Tuesday morning.  During the night Monday no apparent pain and very low temp.  At 1:30 am Tuesday morning Cecil woke me shivering and ask if I would put another blanket on the bed.  He was freezing.   I took blood pressure and it was very high.  Told him I was calling 911 and of course he said let's wait and see if he could get warm.  After about 30 minutes he did.  About an hour later the bed was soak and wet with sweat.  He was sweating profusely.  Proceeded to surgeons office.  Knowing he had the gallstone and symptoms he was having it was evident he would need to have it removed.  Due to his heart history Cecil is on Coumadin (blood thinner).  So to have any surgery he has to be weened off Coumadin before proceeding.  Again I cannot say enough about the doctors Cecil has ...Dr Cynthia Walters and Dr. Rex Sherrer.  Dr Sherrer discussed a couple ways to handle this going home, weening off coumadine and scheduling surgeryThursday or Friday or being admitted in hospital, weening off coumadine and be prepared to do Coumadine reversal and going ahead and removing gallstone.  This is where I think God had a hand in making our decisive.  Due to Cecil not eating or drinking since Sunday night he was slightly dehydrated so Dr Sherrer felt better about admitting him and getting his body ready for surgery.  Went over to hospital and got admitted, in room,  getting settled in and fluids administered.  All seemed to be going as planned.  I decided to run home, feed cat and dog and gather a few items.  After about 30 minutes I received a call that his heart rate was 170 and they had called Dr Walters.  I headed back and once there was informed Dr Walters was sending him to Cardiac Intensive Care.  Ok .....what about surgery.  Well surgery was going to happen but Cecil's vital sign were showing all kinds of issues.  Blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate,  temp.....he would go to CICU to be monitored while being weened off Coumadin. Things starting going downhill and his body was indicating along with blood work Dr Walters had ordered Monday that he had a serious infection and Dr Walters was suspecting sepsis.  Uh oh.  Busy afternoon and night.  His nurses in CICU got a workout.  His night nurse Gregg is an angel.  Never left him and was most attentive to every change.  Cecil was very anxious.  Yes he is a very smart man and is well read and he knows what exactly is going on.  Gregg had the insight to order something to help calm him down.  Lots of things were happening due to his changing heart rate, infection,  and gall bladder.  Around 3.00 am they came in to put a PIC line in and I went to the waiting room while they did this.  About 45 minutes later a nurse came to get me and told me Cecil had coded but they had him back and he was intubated.    No!  What!  The emotions you feel at this moment are unbelievable.  You literally feel your heart breaking thinking such a thing happened to your soul mate.  This was harder than  when I was told he would have open heart surgery; I guess because I was not  expecting this.  This was how Wednesday morning started.