George’s Story

Site created on September 10, 2023

On Wednesday morning September 6th George had a pain in his upper chest and woke me to go tothe ER at 12:30am. They checked his blood work and EKG when he entered and again at 4am and both times the results came back normal. So they sent us home about 5am. But the nurse kept saying to him if your pain doesn’t go away or it gets worse get right back here.  We went home and I went back to bed. At 8 he woke me and said we need to go back to ER. This time the blood work show a change and they did a CT scan which showed an aortic dissection!! Yes we all had to look it up too!! From there everyone began to rush around the nurse changing his meds so he’d be ready for surgery. The doctor finding a vascular surgeon to operate and another team called the helicopter air ambulance. And within the hour he was on the helicopter headed to Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis where Doctor Beckman awaited his arrival. Our daughter Anne was also there to meet him. Thankfully my dear friend Lynn McCarthy drove me down which is about a 2 and half hour trip. The operation took nearly 8 hours and they were able to repair his aorta and also found that his aortic valve had calcified so they replaced it with a tissue valve.  The surgery went well.
This is now day five.  He remains sedated, on a ventilator and in ICU with a dedicated nurse trained in all these heart medications. He has been stable. At the times he is alert he knows us and follows the commands of the staff. On Saturday they added CRRT Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (temporary dialysis) because he was not passing fluids fast enough to keep up with the input of all those IV bagd. So it is a real balancing act to keep the fluids coming off and keep his blood pressure at the level they need to be. 
Adam and Anne have been with us and we have wonderful friends who have been helping us navigate this journey in so many ways. We truly appreciate all the prayers and love being shared. It all means so much and in every text, call or visit we are strengthen by God’s Love and peace. Thank you Thank you 

Newest Update

Journal entry by Pat Toschak

In early November the goal was set for George to be home for Thanksgiving!! Everyone thought that would be wonderful! What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving!! 

Well you were all so very right yesterday it was indeed wonderful — to be together, at home, with family and friends, sitting around our dining table, bowed in prayer saying thank you Gracious God for your Love snd then digging in to our dinner.

But the very best part was to see George preparing the turkey even though at times he had to sit on his walker. I just had to stand back at times and marvel and shed a tear of thankfulness remembering that in three months time he from fighting for his life to fighting with the turkey legs and once again sending me out to the garage to “find that big spool of  butcher twine to subdue these blinkity-blank turkeys legs!!”

We hope all of you had a very blessed day gathered with folks you love and remembering with thankful hearts those who have passed on — sharing memories and making new memories ones. 

We continue to be grateful for your presence in our lives.  We believe things are in a good place so from now on we’ll only post occasional updates on his progress.  

With Deeply Grateful Hearts 
Pat and George 

“Give thanks to the Beloved, bless Love’s holy Name!  For Love is of God, and lives in your heart forever, With faith, truth, and joy, now and in all that is to come. Alleluia! Amen!”                  
— from Psalm 100

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