Green for Danger!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Green For Danger!! Current mood:  distraught This is such a hard post to type.  I’ve been working on it for an hour now, though you would never be able to tell.  I wanted to describe what happened over the past days, but it’s just too hard.  I’m starting over from scratch and I’ll make it brief. My dad’s cancer has advanced.  He needed a blood transfusion, and as such was admitted to Memorial Hermann for two transfusions and testing.  During the first transfusion, all hell broke loose.  In his weakened state his body couldn’t handle the transfusion, he developed pulmonary adema.   His lungs and heart started to give out and he went into pulmonary arrest.  He was rushed to the ICU, where 4 doctors and some nurses were able to stablize him.  He is unable to breathe on his own and is on oxygen/a respirator.  He’s still in ICU with no really clear path of what is to happen next.  The cardiologist who was attending in the emergency has determined that his state was weakened by cancer and that his heart is failing.  His mytrial valve is malfuctioning – is filled with some strange matter that keeps it from closing.  As a result, blood is pumped into the heart successfully, but leaks back out into his body.  We have no clue what we are going to do right now – I’ve spent all day yesterday and today with him and the only plan is to get him truly stable.  After that, we’ll decide what to do from here.  We had some really tough moments yesterday and today, but he seems to be out of immediate danger tonight.  We just don’t know where to go from here.  I know he’s scared – hell, I’m terrified for him.  Hopefully, next time I type, I’ll have better news.  As always, please keep my dad in your prayers if you pray, and if you don’t (like he doesn’t), send good thoughts our way. P.S. The title of the blog is from an old 1940′s murder mystery in which oxygen, in green tanks for the medical community plays a part in murder, suspense, intrigue and the like.  Go IMDB it – it’s my dad’s and my secret code word since he’s been on it himself.