Surviving Savanna

Another two weeks have gone by and we’ve been very busy, Lots of doctors appointments and physical therapy before surgery day. My dad seems to enjoy the pre-surgery therapy we’ve been doing but says I’m pushing too hard at times and then is very sore, but we completed therapy everyday without fail.

The day of surgery came without issue other than being very early. If fact we made it to the hospital and entered through the ER because the other entrances were closed. The ER person working reception called up to the surgery floor and there was no answer. We were told to go on up to the 5th floor and we may need to turn on the lights if nobody is there yet. The procedure lasted the appropriate prescribed time as my sister and I visited in the waiting room looking forward to the surgeon to come and give us the good news. Good news it was. Dad came through surgery without fail and everything went well. We called Karen so she could bring mom to the hospital to visit.

Dad arrived a little while later in his room and was of course very groggy. He was able to speak to us and said he felt pretty good. After the nurses moved him over to his bed we told him what the surgeon said and let him sleep a bit. While things seemed to be going well we watched the nurse work with dad while his blood pressure seemed to be going lower and lower. I wasn’t too worried because I’ve seen low blood pressures before and I know there’s meds and fluids to raise the B/P but the last one I saw was 50/28. Directly after that B/P the nurse asked us to leave and she called a “Rapid Response”. A team of medical people stormed the room and after about 15 minutes we were able to return to the room and dad was there still looking pale but the B/P was up around the 100 mark systolic. 

Dad's Second venture out of his room.

The day went on and dad continued with a lower B/P than normal, around the 100 systolic mark but his heart rate was really flying, roughly 120 bpm resting. Dad said he felt well and we all knew something was not right. When getting him to sit up in bed his heart rate climbed into the 140’s which is not normal and really hard on a heart that’s been around for well over 80 years.

After a day they got dad’s heart rate down with the help of medicine and he really seemed to do well except his eye sight was not the same. My dad is legally blind but has been able to see food on his plate and play solitaire with large print cards. He was thinking it was the bright fluorescent lights in the hospital or pain meds. After leaving the hospital we found it was something else. Dad only took one oxycodone after leaving the hospital and was not in any real pain so we felt confident that meds weren’t causing his vision issues. We contacted his primary doctor and didn’t received a call back for over two days in which case we had already seem the Ortho and the Optamaligist. The Optamaligist stated dad’s optic nerves were swollen and this is what is causing the vision issue. The Dr. recommended a second opinion and the next day we traveled to the University of Iowa for a day of tests and more tests. 

Enjoying wine by the fire before the bugs arrive

Out for a ride after the weeks rain ended

Karen 4 wheeling on the back property

At this point it appears that when dad’s B/P dropped his optic nerves did not get adequate blood flow which caused the swelling. This swelling in turn causes the vision issue and they believe that there’s a 25% change dad will get some of his vision back. He’s currently on high dose Prednisone to decrease swelling faster. We’ll see.

Good news is that Hannah came to see Karen and I for Father’s Day. I know she really came to see me but I have to include Karen because she did have a part to play in making Hannah. It would’ve been great to see Sam too but it would've been a very expensive weekend trip for him. We did buy our tickets to go out to Oregon to see him and Nicole in September so we’re really excited.

Sign at a bar in Monroe Wi. during a recent
road trip. Sorry, I didn't try it.

Can't get away from the Mississippi
even on a bicycle.

Karen and I walking through the
Taco Hell drive through after the
Fireman's Dance

This week is filled with PT and a trip to University of Iowa for another checkup on the vision issue, Hopefully tests will show a reduction in the swelling. Dad’s doing great with our in house therapy as well as with the therapist. The other day the therapist wasn’t in the room with him and I asked if dad was done. The therapist stated he was letting him rest because he was tired, dad heard this and questioned the therapist “Who’s tired, Not me”. So the hip is doing well. I’ll let everyone know how things go next week.