Open Heart

Last Thursday night (Feb. 24th) got a call my daddy was in the emergency room.
He is admitted that night.
Friday morning they do a heart catherization on him.
Dr. comes into the room and says: "Open heart surgery"
Daddy is transferred on Monday to Redmond for open heart surgery on Tuesday.


Monday evening the education nurse comes in and nearly scares us all to death.  I actually thought after hearing her my daddy may get up and leave the hospital.
She explained that the family does not really get any updates during surgery except at the point where he is 'off the pump.'  This is the definition of 'the pump.'


~Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a heart–lung machine or "the pump". Cardiopulmonary bypass pumps are operated by perfusionists in association with surgeons who connect the pump to the patient's body. CPB is a form of extracorporealcirculation. Cardiopulmonary bypass is commonly used in heart surgery because of the difficulty of operating on the beating heart. Operations requiring the opening of the chambers of the heart require the use of CPB to support the circulation during that period. 


~ If this is not enough to scare a person to death, I don't know what is.  Imagine how God made our bodies to function on their own.  We shouldn't need "the pump." 




After the education nurse leaves, we all  get ourselves together and prepare for Tuesday.  Two of my daddy's friends come by to pray for him.  It was one of the best prayers I've ever heard.  His friend David prayed that my daddy would see himself in the future doing the things the loves, like playing golf, taking care of those kids at AHS.  He prayed my daddy would not worry about the immediate couple of days that would be hard.  Then they annointed him with oil referring to James 5:14-15.  I will forever be grateful to those men.  


Tuesday morning at 10:45am my daddy leaves for surgery.  After a tearful 'goodbye' the wait begins to hear: "He's off the pump."  I knew so much more could go wrong but I was basically just waiting to hear those words.


4:55 Tuesday afternoon a nurse comes into the room that we were waiting in, closes the door and says: "He's off the pump."  Now, I know it sounds a little funny I keep referring to 'the pump.'  Make no mistake that I know and understood the seriousness of all this. I had four stress cold sores to prove it.  A flood of tears came when I heard those four little words; "He's off the pump."  What a relief to know a machine was no longer doing the work that my daddy's heart should be doing.  His blood was now circulating back through his heart and it was beating on it's own.  


At 6:25 we talked with the Dr.  They had to place four grafts. (Quadruple Bypass)  The Dr. said he had good 'flow.'


At 7:10pm we get to go back into ICU to see my daddy.  Keli, Kaci, my mother and I all make our way back into the room.  Kaci gets quite upset seeing her "paw paw" on a ventilator.  But daddy looks better than I expect.  I am relieved.


At 9pm we get to go back again.  Daddy at this time opens his eyes and nods his head when we ask him questions.  He's still on the ventilator.  He now says he doesn't remember that but we know he understood us.  When we asked if he was cold he barely nodded yes.  


I am thankful that Chloe and Kaci still have their "paw paw" and Keli and I still have our "daddy."


He is doing good now, recovery is slow for this type of surgery.  We are grateful that so many people prayed.  


"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ~ Hebrews 4:16