"Alabama, Arkansas, I Do Love My Ma and Pa..."

They're home! After 5 hours travelling, Dad and Mom arrived in Omaha at 10:40pm. Lana, Dan, Grandpa and Grandma, Brandon and myself all went to meet them at the airport. It was an emotional reunion!

Brandon and Mom

Grandma, Mom, Lana, Dad

Dad and Dan 

The Fam! 

Grandpa: "I tell you what, I never thought I'd be so happy to see your dad!"

Thumbs Up! 

Things back to normal... Grandpa is already losing interest.

We are all very grateful for the love, support and prayers that everyone has provided over the last nine days. And of course, we are VERY grateful to have Dad and Mom home!

Dad is very weak and exhausted from the trip, but he's in good health. He'll have at least 1-2 more weeks of recovery before he can resume normal activities.

I think the song below is appropriate for the celebratory occasion and is one of my current favorites. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for everything!

Dana

Fly Away Home!

I booked Mom and Dad a flight for TODAY from San Diego, departing at 3:22pm PST and arriving in Omaha at 10:41pm CST.

They are spending their last few hours in San Diego taking it easy and catching some of the "local" sights near their hotel.

I will update when they've arrived home safely.

Dana

Discharged!

Dad and Mom are working on being discharged from the hospital right now! I don't have any details, but when I talked to Mom this morning, she said it was looking like discharge today, then revisits to the hospital for lab, etc tomorrow and maybe Wednesday. Still hoping for a Wednesday return flight!

At least they'll be able to sleep in an actual bed tonight at a hotel!

More information as I receive it. Thanks for reading...

Dana

He's Come A Long Way!

Monday update:

Dad is doing well, overall. He's been able to go for a walk every day, (he's walking without the walker, now!) and he's been able to return to a somewhat normal hygiene routine. I know he was very happy to shower for the first time this weekend! He's also using minimal pain meds, just to be able to sleep at night. He seems to be getting stronger every day, but he has said, "It's amazing how your body can go down-hill in just a week!" It will likely take him several weeks to get back to normal.

His white blood count was reading high yesterday, which could be an indication of an infection. This caused the doctors to move his return date from tomorrow, to possibly Wednesday of this week. They'll find out more about the issue today, and hope that he can be discharged from the hospital by this afternoon and released to a hotel.

Mom and Dad are bummed about the idea of possibly staying an extra day, but considering all of the negative outcomes that they've managed to avoid, they realize an extra day is a small price to pay. That being said, I know they are eager to get home.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers. I think when he finally gets released from the hospital it could be a long trip home. I know they appreicate everyone continuing to pray for them.

Thanks for reading.

Dana

Nearly a Week Later

Well, this is Dana again. Apparently blogging isn't Mom's thing, so she asked that I continue when I could. I'm back in Omaha and glad to be here. At the same time, I'm not sure what to do with myself. It's a strange feeling.

Just spoke with Mom and Dad on the phone and things are still really good. Mom said it was a quiet evening when I left, but that they had been to "dinner, dancing, sight-seeing and even caught a movie." For those of who don't understand sarcasm, the last statement was entirely a joke. ;) Dad has been walking the halls of the hospital, however, and even made it to the lobby with the beautiful view and was able to sit and enjoy the outdoor sights for awhile.

Mom says things are quiet and boring at the hospital, but also stated that quiet and boring is better than anxious and scary. They're looking forward to when they can come home in the next few days.

I will be handling their flight arrangements for them when they are able to come back. I told them I'd try to get them a connection in Las Vegas so they could at least play some slots in the airport on their vacation. :)

More later. Thanks for reading!

Dana

Peace Out, San Diego!

Well, the time has come for me to adjourn my posts from San Diego. Dad's health still improves and each time he takes a walk down the hall, he gets a little bit farther every time!

'

My cab comes to pick me up in a little bit and I should be back in Omaha before midnight, CST. I will leave this blog in the capable hands of my mother, who will remain in San Diego with Dad until he can return home, likely Monday or Tuesday. If I find that Mom has been slacking off with the blog updates, I'll be sure to pick up where I left off when I return home. :)

Love to all. 

Dana

Things Are Looking Up!

Everything went well through the night. Dad was up and walking (slowly, and with assistance) down the hall before I had even gotten out of bed. He said it felt great to walk for the first time since Sunday.

The nurses warned my Mom it will be a "slow day" today because he's doing so well and there will not be as many lab draws, visits from nurses, etc. She recommended they rent a movie. I have a feeling they'll try to sleep. :)

I have a flight back to Omaha, late this afternoon. I'm getting a number of things coordinated for Mom before I leave so she has less to do when I'm gone.

More information later today.

Dana

The Fam

Many of you have been grateful to hear good news about Dad but have also been wondering about how Mom and I are doing. I told a couple of you I'd write an update about us, so here it is!

First of all, Dad is back in his room recovering from his anesthesia. Things are going well. He's sleeping right now.

Mom has been doing very well, in spite of everything. She has spent a lot of time talking with friends and family on the phone and making a point to call every family member at least once. It's amazing how much time and energy it takes to stay in touch with people, but I think it's been great outlet for her to make the days go faster and get the support and comfort she needs. Outside of that she spends whatever time is left reading magazines, browsing the library books available in the lobby, taking short naps when possible, and of course tending to anything Dad might need at any time.

Mom and I have been taking walks to the cafeteria for each meal, (where many people know us by now) we stop at the gift shop every now and then, and have taken one outdoor walk on Tuesday. The area around the hospital isn't really conducive to walking traffic otherwise we probably would have been walking outside more. Also, it poured rain yesterday (which apparently is uncommon for this area?) so we weren't able to get out at all yesterday. We just walked over to a Quizno's across the street for a little outing. It's a nice day out, today so we can actually see the ocean for the first time in our ocean-view room. It's very pretty!

Exterior of the hospital. The second set of windows from 

the top is where we have been spending our time in the lobby.

No, we didn't spend 15 minutes outside taking 20 different photos until we could 

agree on one that we were both willing to post on this blog. Why do you ask?

As for me, my work has been VERY gracious in letting me work from San Diego, rather than use all of my vacation time. I'm very fortunate to have such wonderful support from my work family. (I love you guys! You know who you are!) Since Dad's condition has progressively gotten better, and there hasn't really been any bad news, I've been able to concentrate on work and get a lot done from here. It was imperative that I work from here as much as possible because 1) there's only one of me to do the work I do and 2) I couldn't afford to use my vacation time since Brandon and I are leaving for Italy on October 19th! Working has also really helped to pass the time for me and keep me occupied. When I'm not working I'm walking the halls with Mom, or talking with friends and family on the phone.

Me, doing my thing.

The sleeping arrangements have been interesting, to say the least. We have one couch that pulls out to a very firm twin bed. The first night we were here, Mom and I managed to find a way to both use the twin bed. (I don't have any pictures of that, you'll just have to trust me on this one.) The second night one of the nurses found us a recliner so one of us has been sleeping in that, while the other is on the pull-out twin bed. It's not been ideal, but it's comfortable enough... and it's free. :)

Josh is back at home, holding down the fort while Mom and Dad are in San Diego. He has been making phone calls to cancel Dad's work appointments, helping Mom and Dad make financial arrangements, taking care of the pets, and whatever other tasks or bills need to be taken care of while they're away. We really appreciate him doing all of those things while also keeping up with his full-time work schedule. I know he's been tired and I'm sure that juggling the arrangements has been stressful for him, but he's been a real trooper and has done whatever is needed to keep things in line at home. We love you and miss you VERY much, Josh! Thank you!

That's all for tonight. I'm going to look at plane tickets and plan on flying home tomorrow, if all continues to go well. I'll be sure to update everyone if/when I go home.

Love you all and thanks for reading.

Dana

The Result!

The surgery lasted longer than expected, but everything went as planned. The endograft is complete and blood flow is excellent!

He is in recovery and should be back in his hospital room within 30 minutes. The doctor says they'll keep him here at the hospital for a few days to keep an eye on him. Then after being released (probably this weekend) he'll need to wait a couple of days before flying back home. It's looking like Monday or Tuesday for them to get back in the air.

More later. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support! The outcome is looking wonderful and we are elated, to say the least.

Dana

Big Day -2

For those of you waiting on the edge of your seat, he's still in surgery. That's neither a good, nor bad sign, so were just continuing to wait! More to come...

Big Day!

After Dad's catheter was removed last night, he was able to walk around his hospital room a bit, sit in the chair for awhile, and even eat a small meal.

Dad standing in the room with two of his nurses, Perse and Laura.

Laxative cocktail, preparing for surgery the next day.

All he's missing is an umbrella in that drink!

He's just been taken to pre-op for his endograft procedure... three hours earlier than they told us yesterday! He's in good spirits, we all got a good night's sleep and we're optimistic for the outcomes today. They are telling us he should be through the procedure and back with us within a few hours. (Around noon PST)

We'll be waiting in the surgery waiting room until then. I'll post as soon as we hear something!

Status Update

Dad had the catheter removed this afternoon and the doctors are saying that the clots appear to be mostly dissolved. *This is good news*, as they are now planning to go with "Option #1" (see last post) which is the best and least invasive option. He's on a heparin drip right now to keep his blood thin until his endograft procedure tomorrow morning. If all goes well, they will still keep him at the hospital here in San Diego for a couple of days. He would likely be released from the hospital by the weekend, but would need to wait a few days before flying back home. We're all hoping he can be back in the air on Monday.


As I mentioned before, the staff here are great. It seems that everyone who walks in the door, from lab, to nutrition services, has heard our story. The room we were in was small and had one couch that pulled out to a bed. Last night one of the nurses worked hard to get us a room "upgrade" and so now we have a LARGE hospital room, with couch/bed, recliner, and even an ocean view. We are being very well cared for.

Dana

Dad's Health

Dad has three blood clots, one in his aorta and two in his iliac arteries (noted by green arrows, below).

They ran a catheter up through the groin area and over the iliac arteries, forming an arch. (see below)

Initially, throughout the evening on Monday, the catheter had medication being released from it so it could "dissolve"   the blood clots in the iliac arteries, and also"hopefully" extend upward and dissolve the clot in the aorta as well. 

Monday night was extremely painful for him, as the blood returned to his legs. We were told "pain is good" since that meant the blood was moving through. His legs went from white and pulse-less on Monday night to a health pink color with a strong pulse by Tuesday morning. It was a very long night, and he says it is by far the worst pain he has ever had. 

After a check-in yesterday, the medication to dissolve the clots was definitely successful, but had not completely dissolved the clots. They left the same catheter in place and continued the release of "dissolving" medication, but they also included a sonar pulse in the catheter to hopefully force the breaking of the blood clots to get them moving through.

He's been seen by several physicians today and the prognosis is looking excellent. The options, as they stand right now, are as follows:

1. We will find the blood clots have dissolved tomorrow morning and they can do a minimal laproscopic procedure to reinforce all three locations so they will not clot again. This is called an "endograft." This method would hopefully get him in recovery before Friday and have him flying home by Monday.

2. The clots have not dissolved by morning and they would need to perform invasive surgery (open him up) and remove the clot(s) surgically. This method would be very painful, dangerous, and require 2-3 weeks of recovery time before he could come home.

10-5-11, 11am PST

Thumbs up!

All of the physicians who have seen him think option #1 (the best option) is the most likely. They have all been impressed with the progress he has made. We will not know anything for sure until he has another test tomorrow to see if the clots have dissolved. This is what we're praying for!!

Now that the blog is set-up, we will keep it updated with the most recent information on his status. In the mean time, thanks again to everyone for your prayers, thoughts and support. They are surely getting us through this stressful time.

Dana

San Diego

The medical jet arrived with Mom and Dad in San Diego around 3:45 PST. I arrived in San Diego about the same time, and met them at the hospital less than 30 minutes after they had arrived.

I was glad to be with Mom and she was VERY glad to be back in the states. She keeps commenting (even two days later) how nice it is to be back "home" and how amazing it is to have everyone speak English.

                                            Mom and Dad, back in the states.

Dad has received excellent medical care here at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego. The physicians and nurses are always at the top of their game, and EVERYONE, from doctors, to nurses, to environmental services have been very accomodating and so kind. Everyone here seems to know their story, and we have been brought souvenirs, and even had our hospital room upgraded to a "room with a view". More on that later. :)

Dana

How the Story Begins...

Our family is so grateful for all of the people offering thoughts, prayers and assistance during this trying time. With so many people inquiring about the current status of Dad's health and "What happened!?" mom and I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog with the basic information from our perspective.

My parents arrived in Cabo San Lucas on Saturday. They were able to enjoy a nice dinner overlooking the ocean and take-in the beautiful sights.

On Sunday, dad and fellow travellers, Tom, Sue, Mandy and Todd, got on a boat to go deep-sea fishing. During this time, mom had stayed at the villa for some relaxation while the group was out on the water.

As the boat trip came to conclusion, dad noticed that he was having numbness in one of his legs. By the time it was time to leave the boat, both of his legs were numb and he had to be carried from the boat, unable to feel anything in either of his legs or stand on his own.

The ambulance was called and took him to a hospital in Mexico. Tom went back to the villa to get mom and took her to the hospital to meet them.

Things at the Mexico hospital were stressful and scary. The hospital staff did not speak English (not much, anyway) and didn't seem to have the medical capabilities for diagnosis or treatment. On top of that, they charged my parents nearly $20,000 just for hospital bills. All had to be paid upfront before they could leave the facility.

When the medical staff determined, after about 7 hours, that they could not treat dad, they decided he should be flown to San Diego, the nearest and best hospital for this kind of medical issue. On top of the hospital bills, the medical flight to get dad to San Diego was another $25,000, also required to be paid upfront. Of course my mom went through many phone calls and people to get the finances lined up. A big, big thank you from Mom to Grandpa Joy, Bob, Tom and Sue. After over $40,000 dollars paid to the Mexican hospital, they were finally able to leave for San Diego.

I'm writing in sections so people can skip to what they want to read. Thanks to everyone for prayers and support. We love you and we can certainly feel the prayers and love, even from here in San Diego!

Also, in case you're wondering why there are photos of all of the medical stuff, mom said, "We're going to document the WHOLE vacation!" :)


Dana