Yet Another Journal

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cute budgie stories, cute terrier stories, and anything else I can think of.

Contact me at theyoungfamily (at) earthlink (dot) net
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» Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Hour of the Wolf

This is a quick post. It is not good news.

They did the heart catherization yesterday and the result was not good. Despite the successful stress test last year, James has 80 percent blockage in three arteries in his heart. At that point the doctors could have put stents in to open the blockages. However, we were told stents do not do well with diabetics, nor with patients with kidney problems. The advisory from the cardiologist was that bypass surgery would be best for him.

The Kaiser doctor talked to Kaiser and James has been transferred to Piedmont Hospital. A former co-worker has told me that she has heard they are the best for this surgery, which heartens me. But it took a lot of the heart out of me. This, of course, will be more invasive than stents and require a longer recovery. And it's a different hospital to get used to.

James mom and sister came up yesterday, as did Clay and Maggi. Both stayed through the news, and then late in the afternoon Mom and Candy left so the taffic wouldn't be so bad. Clay and Maggi stayed through when they sent the ambulance for James, then helped me get all the stuff that's accumulated in the room for a week out to the car, and took me out to dinner at Longhorn. I have never been so simultaniously hungry and not hungry in my life.

The nurse James talked to at Piedmont said I would have to be in the building by eight p.m., and I wasn't going to make that. So I went home and spent the night there. You know the drill: feed the dog and walk him, and then we sat down and watched an episode of Lassie together. Then I staggered off for the shower and finally slept in a comfortable bed.

James and I connected through Skype, although he says the wifi at Piedmont sucks, so we used 4G. He said I can get a cot in the room to sleep on, and I guess we will talk about my possibly being able to come in at night a little later with the nurse. Anyway, still got to pack the rest of my clothes, hide cookies for Tucker (he's been out on the deck this morning, one of his favorite things, and Snowy has been singing to me), brush my teeth and remember to take hairbrush and toothbrush with me.

James will have ultrasound today to find veins in his legs to use for the grafts.

And that's all I know for now.