need some prayers

[bigbob]

I have not been on the forum for awhile but Friday, My son called my wife and started telling her about symptoms that he was having. She said get into the hospital, NOW. He did, he was admitted for congestive heart failure. They did the tests and his heart was operating at 15 to 17%. On Saturday he coded twice, each time they brought him back, at that point they thought his heart was operating at 5 to 7%. They leveled him out again at about 15% and he was sent to tucon to az heart hospital where he is being evaluated for a heart replacement. Last word was that IF he can stay at his current level, they will not to heart replacement now. He is 49 and average life span for heart replacemnt is 10 yrs or less. He was healthy as a horse in MN for 20 yrs but they suspect that after moving to AZ, he had a virus that attacked his Mitro heart Valve, it is just about completely distroyed. He was a healthy business and auto repair owner and probably just worked thru the sickness until it was gone, so he thought. He has two young kids and a beautiful wife, but she just cannot accept that he is that sick. WE WENT ELK HUNTING 6 MONTHS AGO AND I SAW NO PROBLEM WITH HIM, HE AS JUST ALITTLE TIRED AFTER LONG TRECKS. It is hard to fathom telling a 49 yr old that AT MOST he has 10 yrs to live to see his two kids get older. If there is anything good from this it is that it has brought us even closer together than before. Kids grow up and dads become granddads and step back to watch everyone grow up. It should make you think that staying close to your kids is the most importent thing is life. His doctor does not want a 70 yr old donor heart
I lost his mother in 1993 & I think part of this whole thing is an adversion to doctors, watching his mother die. We really need the prayers but also let EVERY dad think about staying close to their grown kids and watch for any unusual happenings. Ya know, it sure is hard on the parents too.

 

[mexicanjoe]

You got it bro!!!! This forum sticks together and we're to help one another
May God place a healing hand on your son sand return him to health and vigor. Prayers for your son!!!

 

[sfhogman]

Prayers sent for all of you.
Best,
Jeff

 

[Jim Puke]

Prayer sent and will add to the prayer list.

 

[pawncop]

Prayer from Texas for his healing. This will be a tough road to travel and I pray God will smooth his path as much as possible.

 

[Xsales]

Prayers sent from the Phoenix area

49 is too young to be dealing with this BUT he/you all are

Comfort, Healing & Peace

 

[Double Maduro]

Prayers sent for all.

DM

 

[Colonialgirl]

Prayers from Florida !!

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Prayers come from SoCal for your son and the entire family!

Rick C

 

[wolfsong]

...Amen.

 

[gramps]

Prayers sent.
gramps

 

[gunman42782]

Prayers sent.

 

[picketpin]

Does he have congestive heart damage OR a Mitral valve issue? They are a bit different.

One requires a transplant if possible at that heart rate etc. The other may require a Mitral valve replacement. That's lots easier and dosen't require a donor so there aren't huge time lags.

My father had Rheumatic fever as a kid and it damaged his Mitral valve. Apparently not that bad because fought all of WWII with it. With age it got worse. In the 1960s he had one of the first Mitral valve replacement. Then it was a marble in a stainless stell cage and you could lay your ear on his head and hear it click back and forth. By 178 they suggested it be replaced as it was wearing out. He went to Stanford and Dr Shumway installed a porcine valve and a pace make. At that time hos resting heart rate was below 20 bpm.

This NOT a non invasive surgery. Some people sail through it and other have issues but most make it through the surgery. The danger actually comes when your in recovery and they have you on blood thinners. Dad had several small strokes but survived. It did take him two years of very hard re-had to get back to 95% but he worked as an engineer for anther 9 years. He still came up and hunted every fall. The doctor had told him the average time the porcine valve last before it wear out is 14 years,

Dad made it very clear that when it wore out so was he and he would not do it again. As life would have it his lasted for 17 years. That yer he fell while antelope hunting in Wyoming and ended up with a large hematoma on hs left hip. It threw a clot that caused a bad stroke. The valve declined further and at the end of the year was leaking back badly and his resting heart rate was below 20 again. At over 80 he was NOT getting a new valve as his health declined and he became bed riddne. He talked to the cardiologist and the family, said his goodbyes and one night a week or so later while sound asleep Dave, the Cardilogist used his magnet and turred the pace maker off. Dad died 12 minutes later at 84.

The moral is that dad got nearly 20 years of additional life that was pretty normal out of the deal.

There may be alternatives and I'd sure discuss them all with his doctors. I can't but think that the surgery has progressed since dad's in 1978.

In the interim we'll pray for you and yours

Ross

 

[Viking Queen]

My heart and prayers are with your son, and his family,. I am so very sorry to hear this news.

Viking Queen

 

[Fox Mike]

Done. Wishing only the very best.

 

[JPGLSG]

Keep the faith my Friend, prayers for all.

JP

 

[Mike J]

Prayers sent.

 

[ChiefMuzz]

Prayers sent and God bless.

Unfortunately this is what I deal with on a day to day basis at work. Let me try to give you some advice for him. First off is stay positive. The reality is that if he wasn't as healthy as he was, he probably wouldn't have made it to this point. With an ejection fraction at 15% or below his heart function was critical. They can do some amazing things with the heart now. Transplants do have a determinant "lifespan" but that is ever changing and increasing as they are able to improve post operative care. Don't try to get too caught up in that right now. Once he is home and stable, tell him to get into a cardiac rehab program. Staying as strong as possible is incredibly important. His heart doctor can give him a referral to the closest place for him. Insurance will cover it with his condition. If he is at Tuscon Medical Center, they have a program there. https://www.tmcaz.com/TucsonMedicalCenter/Cardiac_Care/Cardiac_Rehabilitation
If he ends up needing a transplant staying active is extremely important because the more you are doing going into the surgery, the greater likelihood you will recover quicker. Also if he doesn't end up on the transplant list right away, he will be able to maintain a more normal quality of life for as long as possible.
Taking meds, eating right, watching sodium intake are all critical. The more he does at home to be supportive of his heart the better. I could go on and on, but I'll keep praying and if you have any questions for me feel free to pm me. It's alot to start to absorb and process at once. Like I said I work with this every day, and actually used to work with transplants as well.
God bless.

 

[contender]

From this hillbilly,, prayers sent.

No parent should have to watch their children die before they do, but it does happen. Having lost a baby myself, it's the hardest thing I've ever done.

Doctors can be wonderful, but they are human. Seek as much info as you can, & ask all kinds of questions. Hopefully, with all the prayers here, as well as you seeking info, maybe we'll enjoy another miracle.

 

[Heliman]

Prayers sent for a speedy recovery and long life.
Dave

 

[Pal Val]

Let's pray that the Good Lord guide the minds and hands of the doctors, and that healing be found for your son.

 

[Bob Wright]

Having gone through heart problems and resulting surgery, I sort of know what he is going through, though can't really imagine a 49 year old man facing that.

This one comforting thought to me: The doctors told me just before surgery of the possibility of dying on the operating table. My thought was: "LORD, this day my faith may become sight! I may be in Your presence this day!"

My prayers go out for you and all of you family!

Bob Wright

 

[Bucks Owin]

Prayers from North California my friend...

 

[silo33]

Praying in Indiana.

 

[powder smoke]

More coming at for you and your loved ones. ps

 

[cruzerlou]

Prayers sent from Va.
I'll post a prayer request on a couple other forums too.
You have tough and tell your son to do the same.
Your Friend,
Lou

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Prayers sent from TX

 

[mishtub]

Prayers sent from Kansas.

 

[WendyZXZ]

Prayers from Texas.

 

[welder]

Absolutely, prayers from KY BigBob.