If you are so inclined please send PRAYERS/good thoughts/vibes as my husband (62) is off for an emergency heart catheter today after many episodes of uncontrolled angina. He already has a pacemaker which is now working at 100% capacity. I think my stomach ulcers are back so I have to keep it together now for his sake. We're off to the hospital now.
Thanks in advance & I will keep you updated
EB, thanks for the recommendation about the book & website; I was just thinking how I wish I knew of something to look into while I wait for him to come home!
Cali, thank you. He DOES have some guardian angels looking out for him I think.
Barb, I am thrilled beyond words to be on the other side of this part of the process. I will go visit tomorrow when they notify me he's been moved the lower level care ICU room. DD sent me a photo of the chest incision (yikes) and one of him looking totally goofy with a grin on his face and a shower cap thing on his head.
GA, no kidding about the wake up call. I'm going to follow the heart healthy diet recipes too, even though I don't eat a hi fat diet as it is. I think we can ALL benefit from healthier eating habits, me included.
A 2 month fight which would have been avoided if Kaiser had done the cath test sooner! Unbelievable. Sounds like your DH has a good family team between you & DD so hats off to all of you!!
Congratulations to each of you, for your support, perseverance and of course for your care. I hope the recovery is smooth, and that your DH enjoys his new diet as well as the rewards it will bring. 2021 can start off being a much healthier year for you.
I also want to thank you for the time and investment of sharing your news; I took lessons from your update post and put away the chocolate chips I was nibbling.
The surgeon told DD that the clogged arteries he had are known as The Widow Makers b/c people with those types of occlusions tend to 'drop dead', which is what I've been feeling in my GUT for the past 2 months: that he'd drop dead & I'd find him on the floor.
Bypass is not a 'cure' for heart disease, he said, that it kind of stops things in their tracks; that it's now up to DH to change his lifestyle to extend his life for a long time. He's eaten a very high fat diet for the entire 15 years we've been together, and even brags about it b/c he never had high BP or really bad cholesterol, etc. Yeah, right. So............he's retired officially as of 12/31 (on sick leave till then) and I can see to it that he's eating better and not having junk food 2x a day at work, and eating a healthy dinner. I spent an hour today throwing out ALL THE bacon and sausage in the house! He has 5 dozen EGGS in the fridge. Sheesh. Anyway, I'll help him and we'll exercise together, too.
The next 30 days are crucial for bypass patients to see if complications will arise. With God's help, he'll be ok and we'll get past this, one step and one day at a time.
It took Kaiser 2 months and a lot of carrying on by me and my DD and DH himself to get this catheter done, so this is the first time we've had an infamous issue with Kaiser. When they're good, they're great. When they're bad, you're facing death. We had one doc tell him to just walk 30 minutes a day & increase it to 60 minutes a day, with uncontrolled angina, which is a VERY dangerous thing to tell someone! We have filed an official grievance against the man, which they claim to 'take very seriously'.
Thanks to everyone! And yes EB, it's heartwarming to see everyone reach out and be so supportive here, which is generally how it is.
So glad your hanging tough and you have your DD to keep you up to date with what’s going on.
prayers being sent to you and your family. You are my inspiration lealonnie!!
Anyway, the first graft is complete and there are 2 more to go. He's doing well on the bypass machine, and I'm hanging tough over here at home, hearing from my daughter every 90 minutes.
It's nice to come here & read the messages of love & positivity. Thank you everyone.
Hope the morning is going as planned and was glad to see your DD would be stepping in on your behalf especially having the knowledge/experience in ICU situations as well as with the staff.
I know these procedures are quite lengthy and the waiting is very difficult.
May you sense God's presence with you today!
Liz
Giving you a huge hug for tomorrow!!
Thank you for keeping us updated.
I'll update again tomorrow.
The doctor who gave DH the cath yesterday is seeing if one of the techs can get DD a badge so she can join me. As long as HE can't get fired, that's all I care about.
Funny story..... we bought a bp cuff awhile ago at an estate sale. DH has been using it to monitor his bp for the past 3 weeks and it's been reading VERY high. False reads...... it needs recalibration and we did not know that. So. He did NOT have hi bp in reality but it was that pos cuff that finally got the doctor to agree to order the cath that revealed these life threatening blockages!!!!! This was not a "coincidence" and why I truly believe he'll be fine. It was divine intervention Earlybird!:)
They wouldn’t be postponing it unless they knew they could.
When my husband and I went to visit my mother today, there was a big sign that said no visitors starting tomorrow at the hospital.
I panicked because until now they said it was 12:00-600pm visiting hours but we could visit anytime 2 at a time because she is in end of life care.
we are still allowed to visit anytime. Do what your DD thinks is best. You don’t want to get COVID on top of everything. Our hospital just got more cases that is why they are shutting down visitors.
I will be praying for you and your DH today and tomorrow.
I know this is not easy but you are so very strong. You have helped me so much over these last few months.Hang in there. We all care!!
Well, that was quite an anxiety and stress laden way to start off the day. Like Barb said, it really is better to have it first thing in the mornings.
Sounds like it's for the best all the way around - morning surgery, best surgeon, you getting to rest today from all the stress etc.
I am very surprised they would let you see him especially as COVID is escalating again (I wasn't even allowed in the hospital in April when my mom was near death). Maybe you can do Facetime like I did avoiding the risk to you. Our local hospital had an iPad that they passed around to patients who had families so we were able to see and talk to her on two different days. I guess I'd be concerned not just seeing him in that condition but having other patients with COVID in the same ICU.
Good idea to ask them about his exposure risk especially after a serious surgery like he's having.
Continued prayers in preparation for tomorrow!
My husband had open heart surgery in 2005 and I am a BIG believer in "first thing in the AM"! I recall talking to the surgeon after the 6 hour surgery was done done and at the end of our conversation he said "gotta go; I have to do the next one". Oy!
I saw my husband immediately afterwards and the only problem was that when he saw me, he tried to rip the tube out so he could talk to me. Two nurses kept him from doing that, thankfully.
Get some rest and drink fluids!! I got my hair cut the day before my husband's surgery; I was looking pretty bedraggled because I'd been living at the hospital for the three days prior.
In any event, we'll see about that, I don't know. I'm more worried about sitting alone in the waiting room for upwards of 7 hours or more waiting for him to be finished with the surgery.
Thank you all so much for the support and the prayers, it means a lot.