Home...........Again!

Dad was released this afternoon. They changed some of his medications yesterday and he was already able to get up and walk around the ward by last night. The results of the tests basically just confirmed what we already knew: there are blockages and the major one is located too close to the aorta to warrant doing another heart cath. The hope is for his health to be maintained with meds but he will be going in for frequent follow-ups, the first of which is Thursday.

Thanks for all the prayers, help and offers of help for us again and please continue to pray for the doctors in their decisions on how to continue treating him.

Jessica

Hospital Helper

Nothing New

Well, the news for today is .... there isn't any news. Yesterday Dad had a three hour stress test to see how his heart reacts under stress and how it cools down. No word on when we will get that result. Today they will be doing an ultrasound of his liver and they will do a blood test of his enzyme levels to rule some things out. With all the drugs he's been given I'm glad they are testing his liver! For a guy that doesn't even take an asprin for a headache I can't imagine the shock to his body to suddenly be taking all sorts of medication.

Since the vein in his heart that is 90% blocked is so near the main aorta they won't cathederize it and put in a stint. So far this has meant that he will have to live with the fatigue and lethargy the rest of his life and continue to take medicine to keep things from getting worse - not a very comforting idea.

As you continue to pray for my dad please pray that the doctors will come up with a plan of action that fixes the problem. You could also pray that God would give him the grace to accept whatever situation with peace and an attitude of contenment (even though that's like asking him to eat lemons with a smile).

Even though he's at LAC-USC (which is about 40 miles way and takes about an hour) he's had quite a few visitors and I think that has kept his spirits up.

As always thank you everyone who has continued to pray!!!

Here we go............Again?!?!?!?

This is Jessica:

For those of you checking in, my dad is in the E.R. waiting for info from the doctors. He had an episode about a week and a half ago but has been ok, until now. Yesterday, he finally got to see a cardiologist who quickly determined that he needs an angiogram ASAP. Today, he woke up not feeling well, which we figured was due to the bug that is going around and that Stephanie had yesterday, but, it soon became apparent that it was something more than that. After following the steps the doctors had advised him to take before going to the E.R. , dad told us that it was "time to go" and mom took him down to USC (since they have all the necessary equipment and his medical records). The last update from them is that he is on a gurney in the E.R. on oxygen and they had done an EKG and taken blood. The EKG came back fine (same as the one done while he was having his heart attack) and the were waiting for the results of the blood test to determine whether or not to admit him. As soon as I hear more, I'll let you all know.

In the mean time, please continue to pray, not only for my dad and his health, but also for my mom as she will have to make the long drive home late at night, either by herself or with him.

Jessica