We just got home from the hospital. THANK YOU ALL for your prayers!
Dutch is VERY tired, as am I (sleeping on a pull-out chair in his room last night- or shall we say: resting- not sleeping)
I'm trying to keep it quiet so he can sleep. I made him sleep downstairs on a couch-bed I fixed up for him for that purpose, so he doesn't have to walk the stairs.
Dutch had 3 stents put in and the doctor was VERY excited/ proud of how well that went. Dutch will have to follow up with another angiogram because there is a danger of scarring because they had to use the stent without the medication attached. He has been placed on blood thinners, which causes quite a threat in him, because he already bleeds easily. It's walking that fine line between all the considerable dangers. We were told again that he could not survive surgery.
Now he also has a hole in his heart between the upper chambers (I think- I'm pretty tired and am not looking at my notes)
The hole is 7mm big. They consider that a small hole. But because it allows blood to mingle which can contribute to fluid build-up (in his condition NOT a good thing) they think it worth fixing. As it turns out, the doc that did the angioplasty is THE expert on fixing holes. In fact, Dutch will be a guinny pig (without lipstick) of sorts, because they have 400 doctors at Scripps next week and Dutch's procedure will be on a live feed to their gathering at a hotel nearby. There will also be an international panel of experts who are looking on and in instant communication with Dutch's doc. So, they say, it will be like having that panel consult at the same time.
We have gone over the risk factors/ vs. benefits and it sounds necessary/ acceptable. Yesterday they went in through an artery and for that they go in through a vein, so it is really less dangerous.
We again ask please for prayer for guidance and wisdom. We do not yet know the time but it sounds like Friday of next week. Dutch will again have to spend the night.
There is more to tell, I'm sure, but this should do for now. Because of the additional meds he has to take now, he is at increased risk for bleeding, so we ask for protection from that.
Thanks you again for all of your love and prayers. We'll keep you posted.
Dutch is VERY tired, as am I (sleeping on a pull-out chair in his room last night- or shall we say: resting- not sleeping)
I'm trying to keep it quiet so he can sleep. I made him sleep downstairs on a couch-bed I fixed up for him for that purpose, so he doesn't have to walk the stairs.
Dutch had 3 stents put in and the doctor was VERY excited/ proud of how well that went. Dutch will have to follow up with another angiogram because there is a danger of scarring because they had to use the stent without the medication attached. He has been placed on blood thinners, which causes quite a threat in him, because he already bleeds easily. It's walking that fine line between all the considerable dangers. We were told again that he could not survive surgery.
Now he also has a hole in his heart between the upper chambers (I think- I'm pretty tired and am not looking at my notes)
The hole is 7mm big. They consider that a small hole. But because it allows blood to mingle which can contribute to fluid build-up (in his condition NOT a good thing) they think it worth fixing. As it turns out, the doc that did the angioplasty is THE expert on fixing holes. In fact, Dutch will be a guinny pig (without lipstick) of sorts, because they have 400 doctors at Scripps next week and Dutch's procedure will be on a live feed to their gathering at a hotel nearby. There will also be an international panel of experts who are looking on and in instant communication with Dutch's doc. So, they say, it will be like having that panel consult at the same time.
We have gone over the risk factors/ vs. benefits and it sounds necessary/ acceptable. Yesterday they went in through an artery and for that they go in through a vein, so it is really less dangerous.
We again ask please for prayer for guidance and wisdom. We do not yet know the time but it sounds like Friday of next week. Dutch will again have to spend the night.
There is more to tell, I'm sure, but this should do for now. Because of the additional meds he has to take now, he is at increased risk for bleeding, so we ask for protection from that.
Thanks you again for all of your love and prayers. We'll keep you posted.
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