Yet More Purrs Requested

Jill wrote:

Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last year.
One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently it still isn't
right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg. So on Monday
morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to open up the artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs for a
successful outcome would be appreciated.

Purrs that this procedure will do the trick and that he'll need no
more of these invasive treatments.

Regards and Purrs,
O J

Purrs and purr-ayers are on the way for a successful treatment!

Donna, Captain, and Stanley

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 10:09:19 -0500, jmcquown wrote:

Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last year.
One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently it still isn't
right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg. So on Monday
morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to open up the artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs for a
successful outcome would be appreciated.

Jill

Purrs for a successful procedure. MLB

In article , "jmcquown"
wrote:

Howard Berkowitz wrote:
In article , "jmcquown"
wrote:

Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last
year. One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently it
still isn't right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg.
So on Monday morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to
open up the artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs
for a successful outcome would be appreciated.


While concern is justified, most balloon procedures do not use full
anesthesia, just a local where the artery is entered, and a level of
sedation that makes the patient comfortable. When I've had my cardiac
catheterizations and balloon procedures, I requested no sedation
because
I wanted to watch.

With a heart angioplasty, there are some potentially painful times
when blood flow to the heart is blocked. When I had this, I received
small amounts of narcotic in the IV. A leg procedure shouldn't
produce this
sort of pain.

Thank you, Howard. I'm pretty sure now that I think about it and after
reading Pat's reply, it will probably be a local. Mom told me Dad expects
to be able to go home that same day. She wasn't sure about that and told
him she'll pack a small overnight bag just in case.


"Same day" may mean up to 23 hours. One of the things that delays the
discharge is that the patient usually has blood anticoagulated, so there
are no clots during the procedure. That usually translates to having
pressure over the place where the catheter went in for about 4 hours, or
possibly longer. If there were unexpected bleeding, it's easy enough to
control in the hospital.

For procedures to the heart, brain, etc., the needle is inserted in the
upper thigh -- I'm not sure where it would be for this procedure. I will
utter a slight note of frustration from my first angioplasty, in which
an especially gorgeous nurse would check my groin every 15 minutes,
assisted by my equally gorgeous wife. I'll tell you that "move and you
bleed to death" is even worse than a cold shower.

Prayers, and purrs and Go Dad! Purrs on the way. Also peace of mind purrs
for the rest of the family.

Jo
"Catnipped" wrote in message
...
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last year.
One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently it still
isn't
right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg. So on Monday
morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to open up the artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs for a
successful outcome would be appreciated.

Jill
--
I used to have a handle on life...but it broke off.

Get well purrs are winging their way to his bedside now. Please let us
know
how it turns out.

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Howard Berkowitz" wrote in message
...
In article , "jmcquown"
wrote:

Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last year.
One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently it still
isn't
right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg. So on Monday
morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to open up the artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs for a
successful outcome would be appreciated.


While concern is justified, most balloon procedures do not use full
anesthesia, just a local where the artery is entered, and a level of
sedation that makes the patient comfortable. When I've had my cardiac
catheterizations and balloon procedures, I requested no sedation because
I wanted to watch.

With a heart angioplasty, there are some potentially painful times when
blood flow to the heart is blocked. When I had this, I received small
amounts of narcotic in the IV. A leg procedure shouldn't produce this
sort of pain.

You sound like me. I was ****ed I didn't get to watch my lithotripsy. And
I really should have asked for a video of my ear surgery. Of course I
realize the assistant likely did most if not all of the actual surgery. but
I don't really care. She's been assisting that surgeon for five years.

I gotta be out if they want to put a tube down my throat, (claustrophobia.
I wanna be out before they even spray the numbing stuff in my throat) but
otherwise some of this stuff is way interesting.

Jo

"Jo Firey" wrote in message
...

"Howard Berkowitz" wrote in message
...
In article , "jmcquown"
wrote:

Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last
year.
One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently it still
isn't
right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg. So on Monday
morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to open up the
artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs for a
successful outcome would be appreciated.


While concern is justified, most balloon procedures do not use full
anesthesia, just a local where the artery is entered, and a level of
sedation that makes the patient comfortable. When I've had my cardiac
catheterizations and balloon procedures, I requested no sedation because
I wanted to watch.

With a heart angioplasty, there are some potentially painful times when
blood flow to the heart is blocked. When I had this, I received small
amounts of narcotic in the IV. A leg procedure shouldn't produce this
sort of pain.

You sound like me. I was ****ed I didn't get to watch my lithotripsy.
And
I really should have asked for a video of my ear surgery. Of course I
realize the assistant likely did most if not all of the actual surgery.
but
I don't really care. She's been assisting that surgeon for five years.

I gotta be out if they want to put a tube down my throat, (claustrophobia.
I wanna be out before they even spray the numbing stuff in my throat) but
otherwise some of this stuff is way interesting.

Jo

I have a video of the bone reconstruction surgery they did on my shoulder
taken by the laparoscopic camera (at least the part that was done by
laparoscope) - it is *way* kewl.

Hugs,

CatNipped

ROFL yes Howard you are either a doctor or a very smart nurse and I admire
and are grateful for your expertise (which this former xray tech can only
match re
xrays and ER procedures relating to) I had two caths w/angioplasty @
different times (total of 4 caths and balloons + that beta radio pellet
remedy for stopping scar tissue growth) and each time had the local,
sedatives, + premed for iodide allergy....unlike you, I had strong sedation
and did watch the whole thing though drunk as
a skunk; yeah, heart caths hurt but not the whole time.
What I was laughing @ was "move and you bleed to death"! Both times they
left the cath cannula in overnight till second cath/balloon on the smaller
blockage....did you, Howard, become an expert @ eating dinner off your chest
while flat on you back, raising only your head?
That's *lots* of fun, I can tell you. But hey, at least up to
now I've been spared the open-heart bypass route (only had 2 blockage
points: one the RCA itself, the other a tributary off the LAD. Thank God for
stents. Thank you again for relieving Jill re her Daddy.


"Howard Berkowitz" wrote in message
...
In article , "jmcquown"
wrote:

Howard Berkowitz wrote:
In article , "jmcquown"
wrote:

Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last
year. One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently it
still isn't right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg.
So on Monday morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to
open up the artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs
for a successful outcome would be appreciated.


While concern is justified, most balloon procedures do not use full
anesthesia, just a local where the artery is entered, and a level of
sedation that makes the patient comfortable. When I've had my cardiac
catheterizations and balloon procedures, I requested no sedation
because
I wanted to watch.

With a heart angioplasty, there are some potentially painful times
when blood flow to the heart is blocked. When I had this, I received
small amounts of narcotic in the IV. A leg procedure shouldn't
produce this
sort of pain.

Thank you, Howard. I'm pretty sure now that I think about it and after
reading Pat's reply, it will probably be a local. Mom told me Dad
expects
to be able to go home that same day. She wasn't sure about that and told
him she'll pack a small overnight bag just in case.


"Same day" may mean up to 23 hours. One of the things that delays the
discharge is that the patient usually has blood anticoagulated, so there
are no clots during the procedure. That usually translates to having
pressure over the place where the catheter went in for about 4 hours, or
possibly longer. If there were unexpected bleeding, it's easy enough to
control in the hospital.

For procedures to the heart, brain, etc., the needle is inserted in the
upper thigh -- I'm not sure where it would be for this procedure. I will
utter a slight note of frustration from my first angioplasty, in which
an especially gorgeous nurse would check my groin every 15 minutes,
assisted by my equally gorgeous wife. I'll tell you that "move and you
bleed to death" is even worse than a cold shower.

"Catnipped" wrote in message
...

I have a video of the bone reconstruction surgery they did on my shoulder
taken by the laparoscopic camera (at least the part that was done by
laparoscope) - it is *way* kewl.

Hugs,

CatNipped

Speaking of which, here are some pictures right after the bone
reconstruction surgery (gross warning - the bruising was *really*
spectacular!) ;

http://www.possibleplaces.com/surgery.asp

Note to Tweed - they had me doing physical therapy the *next day after the
surgery* and I was only taking Vicodin. The fear of pain is, I think, worse
than the actual pain from surgery.

Hugs,

CatNipped

In article , "Hopitus"
wrote:

ROFL yes Howard you are either a doctor or a very smart nurse

It's probably safest to say I'm not a doctor, but I simulate them on
computers. One of my professional areas is clinical system automation,
where I both design the software architecture but also deal with the
clinicians to find out what they are trying to accomplish. Often, in
clinical automation, the physicians and nurses tend to resent automation
people, saying they are trying to force computers on them without
understanding the problem.

In such cases, I often get sent in, but I won't talk about computers in
the first few interviews -- I talk about cardiac pharmacology, intensive
care, etc., until I build some credibility. One of the important things
to get across is that I have to understand how they think in order to
build models of it.

Originally, I started as an undergraduate biochemistry major intending
to go into medicine, but life doesn't always turn out the way you
planned. I continue to take continuing education for physicians,
subscribe to major journals, and, where possible, participate in
research (on both sides of the staff and patient line).

In fact, I'm trying to think of how I will respond to Jo's comment about
a tube down the throat. I had that experience (transesophageal stress
echocardiography) at NIH Clinical Center, but the procedure became at
least R-rated. I'd have sworn that it was directed by Frederico Fellini.

and I
admire
and are grateful for your expertise (which this former xray tech can only
match re
xrays and ER procedures relating to) I had two caths w/angioplasty @
different times (total of 4 caths and balloons + that beta radio pellet
remedy for stopping scar tissue growth) and each time had the local,
sedatives, + premed for iodide allergy....

It sounds like you had yours more recently than mine. I'm having to
think when they were; the CABG was in, IIRC, 1994. Even basic stents, to
say nothing drug- or radiation eluting ones, weren't in use at the time.




unlike you, I had strong
sedation
and did watch the whole thing though drunk as
a skunk; yeah, heart caths hurt but not the whole time.
What I was laughing @ was "move and you bleed to death"! Both times they
left the cath cannula in overnight till second cath/balloon on the
smaller
blockage....

That technique wasn't in use for my first PTCA, with the cath and the
PTCA done in different hospitals, a week or two apart. It was done for
the second.


did you, Howard, become an expert @ eating dinner off your
chest
while flat on you back, raising only your head?

HA! Would you believe that the meal served to me after BOTH
angioplasties, one in Washington DC and the other in California,
was...be ready for this...

spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce.

I may not have bled much from the procedures, but after dinner and
before cleanup, if you didn't know it was tomato sauce, you'd have seen
me and thought I was a major trauma case!


That's *lots* of fun, I can tell you. But hey, at least up to
now I've been spared the open-heart bypass route (only had 2 blockage
points: one the RCA itself, the other a tributary off the LAD. Thank God
for
stents. Thank you again for relieving Jill re her Daddy.


"Howard Berkowitz" wrote in message
...
In article , "jmcquown"
wrote:

Howard Berkowitz wrote:
In article ,
"jmcquown"
wrote:

Dad had surgery for blockages in the arteries in both his legs last
year. One didn't quite "take" and they went in again. Apparently
it
still isn't right; he's not getting enough blood flow down the leg.
So on Monday morning, May 1, they are going to insert a balloon to
open up the artery.

Dad is approaching 81 years of age and I'm concerned about all
these
invasive procedures (and anesthesia) at his age. Any spare purrs
for a successful outcome would be appreciated.


While concern is justified, most balloon procedures do not use full
anesthesia, just a local where the artery is entered, and a level of
sedation that makes the patient comfortable. When I've had my
cardiac
catheterizations and balloon procedures, I requested no sedation
because
I wanted to watch.

With a heart angioplasty, there are some potentially painful times
when blood flow to the heart is blocked. When I had this, I received
small amounts of narcotic in the IV. A leg procedure shouldn't
produce this
sort of pain.

Thank you, Howard. I'm pretty sure now that I think about it and
after
reading Pat's reply, it will probably be a local. Mom told me Dad
expects
to be able to go home that same day. She wasn't sure about that and
told
him she'll pack a small overnight bag just in case.


"Same day" may mean up to 23 hours. One of the things that delays the
discharge is that the patient usually has blood anticoagulated, so
there
are no clots during the procedure. That usually translates to having
pressure over the place where the catheter went in for about 4 hours,
or
possibly longer. If there were unexpected bleeding, it's easy enough to
control in the hospital.

For procedures to the heart, brain, etc., the needle is inserted in the
upper thigh -- I'm not sure where it would be for this procedure. I
will
utter a slight note of frustration from my first angioplasty, in which
an especially gorgeous nurse would check my groin every 15 minutes,
assisted by my equally gorgeous wife. I'll tell you that "move and you
bleed to death" is even worse than a cold shower.