This Week's Update [1/18/15] - Happy Birthday Steve and GJ Passes Steve for Complicated Medical "Stuff"

[The Weekly Update is an email that was started in the fall of 2010 to keep family and friends informed of my medical condition and has continued as a review of family activities.  Written by Zelma and edited by Steve. Working on adding past issues to the blog.]

Hi All,

It seems like a long time since last week's update.  Monday, GJ had her heart stress test to get surgery clearance for whatever came out of the issues that were being investigated with the many tests that were being run.  Her heart doctor called me to let me know that she had "failed" the stress test and that now went to the top of the list to be investigated / "fixed".  I came home Monday and told Steve that GJ was pushing him out of the # 1 spot for having the most complicated medical issues in the family.  :-( 

Friday, she had an angiogram and we thought that they might place stents to correct what looked like a partial blockage condition seen in the stress test.  Well...that didn't go as planned either, the angiogram showed major blockages (90%) on all the arteries so no stents and an "EZ-pass" to open heart surgery on Tuesday.  The Doctor running the angiogram procedure considered whether she should be admitted immediately and wait in the hospital for surgery, but ultimately decided the safest place was to be at home because there is so much severe flu going around right now.  So we came home on Friday with heart medications and instructions to "do nothing" which is not something Mom does very well.

Fortunately, my aunt - Granny Jean (mom's twin sister) and her husband - Papa John, arrived on Thursday and are staying at Mom's.  They have done a great job in supervising the "patient", or as I now call Jean and John - "Mom's Staff".  :-)     Roger also arrived today - so we have a great support team here.  

Jean and John have several friends that have had heart surgery and one of the things that is common is that you need to sleep in a chair for quite a while during the recovery period.  So Jean and I went recliner chair shopping today.  It's nice when you have the "identical" person to try out the chair, so you know it will fit and be comfy.  :-)      Picture of Jean, test driving the chair attached.  I had meant to get a picture of GJ and the "Staff" at dinner tonight but forgot.  

Monday is a full day of pre-surgery tests and a meeting with the doctor that will be doing the surgery.  One of the nice things about being in Rochester is there are fantastic medical facilities.  Mom will be at Rochester General which is the #1 hospital in New York State for cardiac care and the surgeon is the chief of cardiology.  

In the middle of all this, Steve's birthday was Wednesday.  He appreciated the cards and notes he got for his birthday.  With all the other "excitement", I'm a bit behind with finishing his annual birthday book, but expect to have some time this week waiting to finish it up.

Miles for this week are 90, miles for 2015 are 232, and total miles are 12,486.

Take care,

Zelma