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Dad's surgery went well. I'm wiped out and home for a couple of hours sleep.

FaithManor

By FaithManor,
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FaithManor

FaithManor

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I tried to post on my kindle from the hospital. Stupid kindle. I normally love kindle, but today it failed me!

 

He went in at 7:00 a.m., came out at 12:00 p.m. and we were able to see him briefly at 2:00 p.m. - he was still sedated and completely out. He ended up with a fourth artery graft which was a surprise to us but when the surgeon opened him up, an artery that had only shown 20% clogged on his heart cath was actually 50% which makes me wonder, how accurate these tests really are. I doubt it clogged another 30% in seven weeks on a vegetarian diet that did not include hydrogenated oils or HFCS.

 

The surgeon and I got a long much better because he sent his assistant out to talk to us. She is a younger cardio-thoracic surgeon...not sure if she's fully qualified or a resident, but a wonderful human being with the ability to relate to other humans and communicate effectively as well as exhibits listening skills. I REALLY like her! She and dd had about an hour conversation and since dd is a medic who knows a number of the ER personnel and therefore is no stranger to the hospital staff, she was allowed to stay upstairs in the cardiac surgical recovery unit much, much longer than the rest of us. She has a shift tomorrow night after visiting hours are over and the county medical director gave med-com permission to declare her rig out of service for an hour mid-way through shift or thereabouts (when not with a patient) so she can go to the hospital and check on him for us. They'll let her right up and give her the full report. I didn't understand everything she and the surgeon discussed about his heart grafts, something about bradycardia and atrial fib and his family history, and blah blah. But, when we found out that they didn't get to take care of the node that's misfiring because of the bradycardia, mom was upset. However, dd said told mom that they made the right call (so funny that a medic is the one reassuring her and not the surgeon) and mom immediately calmed down. She told us some other stuff and tried to explain what she was seeing on the monitor. I was beginning to "get it". My mom, sister, and brother did not. Then my sister got queasy - tooo much medical talk, dried blood on dad's neck, still on the ventilator, etc. - and we had to take her out and put her in a chair since she started to pass out.

 

My brother, very uplifting, and compassionate, is otherwise NOT good with the medical stuff. I always thought that I would be the worst since I do not have a lot of patience for our medical system in the US nor some of the egos that tend to go with the industry. However, it is obvious that I will be the go to gal. Mom isn't asking the right questions, sis is too emotional to handle it apparently, and my brother is a much too happy goof ball that also won't ask the right questions.

 

I am happy with the floor he is on. One cardiac ICU nurse per patient, period. He has a nurse literally at his side staring at a computer screen and monitoring him non-stop. She personally fed him ice chips after his intubation tube was pulled, she has fussed over him like a mother hen, and if she isn't attending to him personally, she is GLUED to his monitor. I also like the fact that dd's conversation with her made it very clear that while she may not be a cardiologist or cardio thoracic surgeon, she may as well just about be one. I think that if the world came unhinged and emergencies abounded, she could probably crack someone's chest open and save their life. She could at least most assuredly run a code and prescribe the right meds even if Michigan state guidelines do not give that right to nurses...and believe me...dd talked "codes" with her, going over previous cases she had as a medic, and it was abundantly apparent that she was very capable of taking care of dad if he arrested and the doc wasn't there. They also have an extra cardio nurse on the floor and all he does is go between the other nurses, spell them when they need to stretch or use the bathroom, etc. He's never unattended and won't be off that floor for another 12 hours or so and then he'll still be in the cardio ICU with one level of monitoring less than that and from the descriptions, it is still intense monitoring with a very low patient to nurse ratio to insure nothing is overlooked.

 

I'm a little concerned about pain management. He's not on a patient controlled pain pump. I know they are right there with him, but his throat is sore and talking is hard. Other than possibly elevated blood pressure or heart rate, I'm not certain how they will know if he's suffering. I know dad. He's Mr. Stiff Upper Lip, A Real Man is Tough! He does not like to take pain meds and he will push himself to the outer limit of what he can barely handle before asking. That's not good for him. Not one little bit! They don't know him. I can tell them this, but how am I supposed to help them understand the subtle clues that I know from having this man as my father for 45 years. I know the expression on his face...the way he pulls his lips to one side and looks up to the right when he's fighting pain...the clench of his left hand...the dull expression his eyes take on, the change in his speech pattern, etc. They can't know. I know and I want to be there observing him. But, they won't let me. I have definite negative feelings about that!

 

He had another pathology report come back on his cancer. It's totally non invasive at this time. So, they told him before surgery, which made him very happy, that his lung surgery could wait until the week after dd's wedding. I am sure this improved his mood greatly prior to being sedated!!

 

So, all in all, one of those bad days that is also a good day all in one bag. I'm bone tired and going to bed. I'll try, if at all possible, to make my kindle behave tomorrow and post another update.

 

Thank you too all for your encouragement and support! You are very much appreciated.

Faith

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Catwoman

Catwoman

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I'm so glad things went well for your dad, and that he's getting good care. It's so much easier to leave the hospital for a little while when you know the staff is top-notch and that they are concerned about their patients.

 

Praying for him! :grouphug:

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FaithManor

FaithManor

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Thanks everyone!

 

Bill, I don't think I was the one to do it. I tried to move the mountain and didn't get anywhere so I don't think it can be attributed to me. However, having resorted to nothing more than humble groveling at the surgeon and the patient advocate, it seemed that all it took was the doctor agreeing that his heart absolutely, positively had to be fixed and making ONE phone call to someone in medicare and that was it. Five minutes...that's it! Five minutes and his surgery was approved. Another five minutes and an OR was booked. Within an hour, he had picked his team for the surgery. I did not do it and Representative Mike Green in Lansing didn't get anywhere for us either. I was ready to head to Debbie Stabenow's Michigan offices and harrass interns and aides until they became so sick of me that I got an audience with her or a promise that she would crack some heads at medicare. But, it never came to that.

 

Bill, I also saw the update on your dad and want you to know that in the midst of all of this, I haven't forgotten you. :grouphug:

 

Well, I'm going to go cut some celery sticks, chop broccoli buds, and grab carrots and dip plus make some boiled eggs and then leave for the hospital. The cafeteria has not improved since our last experience. Everything is simple carb heavy and deep fried. My diabetic mother goes in there and eats because that is what is handy and there is nothing but a McDonald's close to the hospital. BLECH! She had a very low blood sugar in the morning and got shaky, followed by tooo high in the afternoon from the crud she ate a lunch. So I'm packing up a small cooler of healthy options for all of us, plus v-8 juice, sparkling lemon water, some pecan/rice flour crackers for a crunchy snack and some extra sharp cheddar cheese, as well as cashews and pecans. I hope to completely avoid the place today while we wait.

 

Oh, and the chaplain system is WONDERFUL! They have a chaplain for every floor and two for cardio, two for oncology. They are all put through some sort of hospital training program so even they are well versed in the procedures that your loved one will go through. They deliver hourly reports from downstairs as well as coordinate a cell phone system that allows us to call and talk to a nurse as many times per day as we want. They also take care of getting family accomodations at two guests houses across the street from the hospital (I chose to come home, but mom and sis stayed) as well as a valet parking system. No prosyletizing, just love...lots of kindness, compassion, and love. I'm very impressed by this. The chaplain assigned to us was "worth her weight in gold" as the saying goes.

 

So, anyway...I better go get myself going and out of this house.

 

Thank you everyone,

Faith

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Spy Car

Spy Car

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Thanks everyone!

 

Bill, I don't think I was the one to do it. I tried to move the mountain and didn't get anywhere so I don't think it can be attributed to me. However, having resorted to nothing more than humble groveling at the surgeon and the patient advocate, it seemed that all it took was the doctor agreeing that his heart absolutely, positively had to be fixed and making ONE phone call to someone in medicare and that was it. Five minutes...that's it! Five minutes and his surgery was approved. Another five minutes and an OR was booked. Within an hour, he had picked his team for the surgery. I did not do it and Representative Mike Green in Lansing didn't get anywhere for us either. I was ready to head to Debbie Stabenow's Michigan offices and harrass interns and aides until they became so sick of me that I got an audience with her or a promise that she would crack some heads at medicare. But, it never came to that.

 

Bill, I also saw the update on your dad and want you to know that in the midst of all of this, I haven't forgotten you. :grouphug:

 

Well, I'm going to go cut some celery sticks, chop broccoli buds, and grab carrots and dip plus make some boiled eggs and then leave for the hospital. The cafeteria has not improved since our last experience. Everything is simple carb heavy and deep fried. My diabetic mother goes in there and eats because that is what is handy and there is nothing but a McDonald's close to the hospital. BLECH! She had a very low blood sugar in the morning and got shaky, followed by tooo high in the afternoon from the crud she ate a lunch. So I'm packing up a small cooler of healthy options for all of us, plus v-8 juice, sparkling lemon water, some pecan/rice flour crackers for a crunchy snack and some extra sharp cheddar cheese, as well as cashews and pecans. I hope to completely avoid the place today while we wait.

 

Oh, and the chaplain system is WONDERFUL! They have a chaplain for every floor and two for cardio, two for oncology. They are all put through some sort of hospital training program so even they are well versed in the procedures that your loved one will go through. They deliver hourly reports from downstairs as well as coordinate a cell phone system that allows us to call and talk to a nurse as many times per day as we want. They also take care of getting family accomodations at two guests houses across the street from the hospital (I chose to come home, but mom and sis stayed) as well as a valet parking system. No prosyletizing, just love...lots of kindness, compassion, and love. I'm very impressed by this. The chaplain assigned to us was "worth her weight in gold" as the saying goes.

 

So, anyway...I better go get myself going and out of this house.

 

Thank you everyone,

Faith

 

You got it done. It doesn't matter if it was via "the big guns" or via humble groveling with a doctor and patient advocate. You got it done. And your father got his heart fixed. Thank goodness, and well done!

 

I'm slamming down a little coffee before I go visit with my dad. A couple very significant old colleague-friends (filmmakers) will joing us later. After seeing him overcome everything time and again, and always believing he would, I'm losing my optimism.

 

Better run.

 

Bill

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Wildcat

Wildcat

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I'm glad that the surgery went well. And I'm very glad that he can be there for your dd's wedding.

 

Faith, I have just caught up on everything, and oh my goodness what a hard time you have been going through!!

 

I am so glad everything went well and that it looks like your dad will be at your dd's wedding. Since the nurse is right there all the time, she will be watching for signs of pain... eleveated heartrate, labored/altered breathing, sweating, clenched fists, etc. I'm sure it won't be as bad as what you are thinking, so try to let that worry go a little bit, OK?

 

I'll be keeping you and your dad in my thoughts.

 

Go rest. :grouphug: :grouphug:

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Wildcat

Wildcat

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You got it done. It doesn't matter if it was via "the big guns" or via humble groveling with a doctor and patient advocate. You got it done. And your father got his heart fixed. Thank goodness, and well done!

 

 

:iagree: Faith, don't for one second think your actions didn't play a part in the outcome.

 

I'm slamming down a little coffee before I go visit with my dad. A couple very significant old colleague-friends (filmmakers) will joing us later. After seeing him overcome everything time and again, and always believing he would, I'm losing my optimism.

 

Better run.

 

Bill

 

:grouphug: Bill :grouphug:

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Susan C.

Susan C.

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Faithe, I'm so glad the surgery went well, I bet you will breathe easier in a few days after he is more recovered.

 

 

 

After seeing him overcome everything time and again, and always believing he would, I'm losing my optimism.

 

 

 

Bill :grouphug:

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