Thank you for visiting Dad’s site. This will help us update everyone at once.
A little background on how we got here.
Dad complained of tightness in his chest on Tuesday (Oct 16) and his dialysis nurse recommended a trip to the ER to check it out. In the ER, they ran a few tests and admitted him, scheduling a cardiac catheterization for Wednesday. The cath revealed blood vessels that were significantly narrowed and hardened. We were shocked. After what seemed like a hundred hospital stays and at least a million tests, there’d never been any discussion of heart issues. (And by the way, wasn’t blindness, diabetes and kidney failure enough for one guy?)
The options were three. Open heart surgery, another catheterization to place a stent, or decline to treat it and enjoy the time we all have together. It was an emotional decision. There was no way to know how much additional time any of the options might offer. On Thursday morning, he announced his decision. He’d have the bypass.
Once decided, things moved quickly. Surgery was initially scheduled for Friday, then bumped to Monday when emergencies took priority. Then Saturday night, Mom and Dad got word of a Sunday morning opening in the schedule.
The surgery took about 4 hours. Dr. D’Oliveira was able to bypass three vessels, just as he’d hoped. The surgery went well, and he is optimistic for a good outcome. This is good, as Dad says he will never do this again.
His biggest fear going into surgery was the breathing tube. He knew they’d place it while he was out, but he worried about waking with it in, and what the removal might be like. Mom suggested that we let the nurse know that he was nervous about this. “Oh, they’ll know,” was his reply. “The doctors will know, the nurses will know, the parking valet will know...”
He’s home! Feel free to call Mom if you’re looking for a good time to visit. He’s a little spent right now but will be back in fighting form this week. Thanks again for all your support. ❤️
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