Prayers for Dennis

Dennis is still struggling and the medical staff are trying to determine what course of action they need to take. They are clear that what they are doing currently is not working for him. They have now put a crash cart permanently in his room.

Dennis appears to be uncomfortable and struggling. Please pray for peace and comfort to cover over him and for the Holy Spirit to dwell within him.

e

irregular heart beats

Dennis has been having irregular heart beats all day, keeping the staff hopping on the unit. His pacemaker has been kicking in regularly. This evening his heart started to act up even more and he has had to be shocked twice with the paddles. He is very unstable and the medical staff continue to work to keep him going. They are trying to do a 12 hour dialysis run to remove more fluid from his heart but they are struggling as he continues to have irregular heart beats.

I will update things as they progress.

PS. I have had a few requests for visits with Dennis during this difficult time. Unfortunately Dennis is not stable enough to have any visitors. He has even started having difficulties with family members being in the room, therefore, all visitation is being limited. Sorry.

e

wait and see

Hi folks,

Dennis was able to tolerate 6 hours of kidney dialysis during the night without incident. Kidney dialysis causes blood pressure to drop and they were concerned that his heart would not be able to tolerate the treatment. But he faired well through the treatment and they managed to remove 1.5 liters of fluid. This is just a start and he will need to have many more kidney dialysis treatments to decrease his fluid load on his heart. He will have a treatment every evening.

He has had many episodes of arrhythmia this morning and his pacemaker continues to kick in. He has not had to be shocked yet but he has been close a couple of times. Dr. Verrier states he is still struggling and is very sick. His recovery will require patiences. He recommended that we pray.

Although Dennis is more stable than he has been over the past 2 days, he is not out of the woods yet. They have been "playing" with his medications but it appears he is not tolerating any decreases. It will be another day of "wait and see".

e

a difficult day

Hi folks,

I am so sorry for not writing earlier than this evening. I left my laptop at home and I was unable to access internet till now.

Unfortunately, when we arrived at the hospital this morning, Dennis had another cardiac arrest. They were able to revive him again with CPR but his heart was not doing well. In the early afternoon, his heart started to act up again and his defib kicked in. He was shocked back 3 times during the afternoon. His pacemaker was regularly firing as he continued to have irregular heart beats until 4pm. He was put on several more medication for his blood pressure and heart. He is still with us but very sick.

This evening he was started on kidney dialysis to help him to decrease the fluid load on his heart. They are hoping that this will help his heart to function better. He has also been started on 4 new antibiotics.

It is early to say what the next few days will bring, but the medical staff are very hopeful. We too are clinging to the hope that God still has work to do with him on earth. It has been an extremely difficult 48 hours for our family as we have witnessed him arresting before our eyes. Please continue to pray.

Thanks, e

it's not a pulmonary embolism

Dennis has undergone some further testing and it appears that he did not have a pulmonary embolism. His chest x-ray is abnormal and they are wondering whether pneumonia was the cause of his respiratory arrest which lead to his cardiac arrest. He is very slowly starting to awake but they are uncertain if he has any neurological damage. His kidneys are failing and he has produced minimal urine since yesterday evening. The health care team are baffled and state they may never truly find the reason behind his arrest. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We leave Dennis in God's gracious hands.

e

update - nothing new

Hi folks,

We have no new news on Dennis. He remains unresponsive. His heart and lungs remain weak. His kidney are no longer functioning and the kidney Dr. will be coming soon to assess him.

e

Please Pray

Dear Friends and Family,

I am sorry to inform you that Den took a turn for the worse late last evening and had multiple cardiac arrests. He was revived and he is currently in ICU. He has been intubated again and is being supported on a ventilator. They are uncertain of the reason for his heart attacks but they believe it may be due to a pulmonary embolism. His heart and lungs are extremely weak and his kidneys are failing. There may also be some neurological damage. The Dr's continue to try and stabilize him but inform us that he is in grave condition.

Please pray for Dennis.

Thank you,
e

Addition: I have lost 2 comments for this post - one from anonymous and a second from princess3 (Dawn). Sorry, please resubmit. Thanks.

Set Back

Dennis was moved to the cardiac unit yesterday afternoon but returned to the ICU 6 hours later. He started to atrial fib. and had problems with his oxygenation. He was having difficulty breathing and needed more assistance than the ward could offer. Although he is breathing easier now, he is being supported through a bi-pap machine. His oxygen stats are better and he continues to work on his deep breathing and coughing. His chest infection continues and he remains on isolation.

He is having further difficulties with his right leg and he is loosing sensation in his right foot. He is unable to walk. Many physician's are involved in trying to diagnosis the issues with his right leg.

2 steps forward 1 step back.

e

Getting up

It's been a couple of hard days of work for Dennis. Progress has been slow and steady. He is much more alert today and feeling better. They have been trying to get him up and into a chair but he is unable to walk due to an issue with his right ankle. We thought it was gout but it's not, so some further investigation is needed. He's left arm is also very weak but is slowly improving with physical therapy. He is on isolation due to his infections and will have some further testing done.

e

He looks like a million bucks!

Dennis has turned the corner over night and is doing well. He finally passed his breathing test this morning and has been extubated. Yippee!! Although weak and still fighting his infections, he is in good spirits and eating ice chips. He will remain on ICU until he is off of some of his medications. He is still not accepting visitors but I will let you know as soon as he is.

e

it's been a long tiring day

Hi folks,

It's been a very long and tiring day for Dennis. He failed his breathing trial again this morning. He is only breathing for about 20 mins on his own. They will continue with the breathing trials 2-3 times per day until he is strong enough to breath on his own. He is fighting a few infections at the present time which is hindering his progress. It's will be a slow recovery.

e

pneumonia

Hi folks,

Den has been struck with pneumonia. He is feeling uncomfortable and recovery is very slow. They are suctioning him often and he is still running a high fever.

e

breathing trials

Dennis is still about the same. He has gone through 2 breathing trials. Last evening he was only able to breath for 2 mins on his own before he needed to be put back on the vent. This morning, he lasted 20 mins. Slowly he is progressing. They will let him rest again today and try again tomorrow. Hopefully with each day he will get stronger.

His fever continues and they have started him on 2 antibiotics for an infection.

e

extubate?

Hi folks,

Dennis is currently fighting some type of infection. They are awaiting culture results ... hopefully to come in tomorrow. In the meantime, he is still running a high fever. They are continuing to decrease his medications and hope to do some spontaneous breathing trials this evening. If he does well, they will extubate him.

e

up and down

Dennis has been having difficulties keeping his blood volume up, therefore, he continues to receive blood transfusions. His blood pressure is also fluctuating and he is running a high fever. He will not be getting extubated today. He is on isolation precautions and appears to be fighting an infection. Please continue to pray for healing.

e

nothing new

Hi folks,

Sorry it's taken me so long to write an update on the blog today.

There has been no change to Dennis condition overnight. He will be keep well sedated today as they "play" with his medications. He will remain intubated today with the hopes that it will come out tomorrow.

e

doing well

Dennis has returned from the OR and they have closed his chest. The resident stated he tolerated the surgery very well and they are very pleased. Now onto the recovery! Yippee!

He will remain in the ICU for a couple more days and hopefully extubated in 1-2 days.

e

waiting again

Dennis has just returned to the OR. We should hear back from Dr. V. in the next 3-4 hours.

e

back to the OR

Hi folks,

We are currently waiting for an OR to open up so that Dennis can get his chest closed. He is holding up well. Please pray for another successful surgery.

Thanks, e

chest cleansing

Dennis remains in stable condition. He had a chest cleansing this afternoon which he tolerated well. He is heavily sedated and will remain so, until they close his chest. They will determine tomorrow morning at 6:30am whether or not he is "well" enough to undergo this surgery. If not it, will be on Friday.

Dennis is not currently accepting visitors but I will let you know once he is ready to do so.

e

Progressing Well

Dennis has stablized and is doing well. His bleeding has subsided with lots of helps from some good drugs. He was awake for a brief moment for the nurses to check his responsiveness. He is able to move all of his extremities as commanded. Praise God!

They will spend the day keeping him quiet, comfortable and resting while reducing his fluid load. He is very edematous and in order for them to close his chest, they will need to decrease his fluid and reduce his swelling. We are hopeful that he will return to the OR sometime tomorrow (this evening at the earliest).

During this second surgery, they will change his defib pack, wrap his heart with a membrane and close his chest.

As for us, we are tired but doing well. We are extremely grateful for all the prayers and support we have been receiving during this difficult time. Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts. We have felt a greater peace as we have walked through this journey with Dennis.

e

update

Hi folks,

Dennis is currently in the ICU and is being well taken care of by the staff on the unit. He is in critical condition as his bleeding continues. The next 24 hours will be crucial for him. He remains asleep and they hope to keep him stablized through the night. I will provide another update in the morning.

Thanks for all your prayers.

e

Operation complete

Hi folks,

We have just heard from the Dr. and his surgery has been successful. Unfortunately, Dennis is bleeding excessively. He remains in the OR as they try and control his bleeding. Dr. states the next 2 hours will be crucial to determine if he will need to go back into the OR. He will be going up to the ICU with an open chest with the anticipation that he will return to the OR on Thursday to close his chest. Please pray that his bleeding will stop.

Thanks, e

The waiting has begun

Hi folks,

Our morning began at 4am and although Dennis didn't sleep well, he woke up in good spirits. We arrived at the hospital at 5:15am for pre-op. We haven't heard otherwise, so we are assuming he is currently in the OR. I will keep you updated as we find out any further information.

e

Final Countdown

Tomorrow is the big day. I need to be at the University of Washington Medical Center by 5:15am. The surgery will start at 7:30am. The surgery will take somewhere between 6 to 12 hrs. I hope to be out of the ICU somewhere between 2 - 7 days.

I want to thank all the people who have voiced encouragement and those who have prayed for me. There is no way that I can name everyone here but please know that each of you are special to me.

As promised my sister will take over the blog temporarily. Please refrain from contacting her directly as she is taking care of my newborn niece - Adaya.

I'll catch everyone on the flip side.

Rock On!!!

I realize that I haven't blogged much since the 4th of July holiday but I'm freakin' busy so get off my tail!!!! At any rate, I'll get you updated reader's digest version of my latest experiences.

Last Thursday - When I came home from work, my mom was at the front door waiting with her bags packed. I guess she wanted to go home really badly. She said she wanted to go see, Adaya, her new granddaughter but I suspect that it was just a red herring to get out from my apartment.

Friday - Chilled throughout the day and went to see the Incredible Hulk. I hate to be overly melodramatic about the comic book based movie but I thought it was entertaining and quite touching. It showed me how lonely it was for Bruce Banner to live with his medical condition and it made me think about my loneliness too. (WiWillie, Shutya Mouth!!!)

Saturday Night - Went out to my friend Joe's house and played "RockBand" on his brother Paul's PS3. I got several dosages of some liquid courage with Joe's bartending concoctions. After some Crown and Coke and some Gin Martini's; I was able to slur and rattle my way through rock lyrics just the way the real singers did it. At the end of each song, I kept on thanking Detroit for supporting the band.

Sunday Night - Drove back to Seattle in an uneventful drive. Came home and tried to catch up on sleep.

Monday - Went to work and then met with a bunch of friends for dinner at Applebee's. They chipped in for the bill in case it was my "last supper". Just kidding (death jokes are more funny to me and more awkward for my readers).

That's a quick synopsis of my weekend. I trust yours was fulfilling and interesting. Remember, I have only a week left before the surgery. Any prayers would be helpful.

Regurgitate - Ewww!

Triscupid Regurgitation. Even the word - regurgitate - sounds unpleasant. It conjures of visions of backed up plumbing for me. However, Tricuspid Regurgitation was the word of the day yesterday during my appointment with an Electrophysiologist (fancy name for heart electrician). He explained that he wants me to have another echocardiogram so that he can measure the amount of Tricuspid Regurgitation. Tricuspid Regurgitation is the amount of blood that rushes back again the Triscupid Valve. My last heart cath test showed that the defibrillator wire might be hampering the Tricuspid Valve to work properly. Depending on his findings, he will provide a series of options for me.

Option A - They will have to pull the infracting lead and attach the lead to a patch which will be sewn onto the outside of the heart but you will still have open heart surgery and your life will still suck.

Option B - They will leave the lead and replace the defibrillator generator but you will still have open heart surgery and your life will still suck.

Option C - They will leave everything thing alone and decide to deal with it another time but you will still have open heart surgery and your life will still suck.

Net Result - Open heart surgery will cause my life to suck no matter what happens with the defibrillator. Let the cutting begin!!!

Clear!!!

Everyone has seen episodes of ER or other medical dramas where a patient flatlines and they bring up a crash cart also called a defibrillator. They yell, "clear" to make sure that there is no collateral damage and then the lifeless body convulses into the air. This is all done by the work of your friend and mine - electricity. An electrical current flows through the paddles of the defibrillator that discharges an electrical kick tantamount to a horse kicking one in the chest.

I have an implanted defibrillator in my chest. I've had it for 8 years and it has not discharged other than one time when it paced me. I'm seeing a cardiac electrophysiologist today who will make a recommendation on what should be done with the defibrillator. One of the leads from my defibrillator is causing my tricuspid valve to leak. Therefore, the electrophysiologist will make a recommendation to my surgeon on what to do.

In addition, my defibrillator has been alarming for some unknown reason. It started many weeks ago when I kept on hearing a noise similar to a British Police Car Siren in my office. I looked around checked all my cell phones and then it disappeared. I thought it was really strange but I quickly forgot about it. I, then, went to Sacramento for a weekend and was at a local Target store and I heard the same siren again. I thought I was going mad and I was running down every aisle trying to find the source of the noise but it suddenly stopped on its own. Finally, I was watching Indiana Jones (of which I wasn't very impressed) in the movie theatre. I heard the siren again. I thought to myself, "what idiot would leave his/her cell phone on during a movie?" But then I realized it was coming from my chest. I was panicked because I didn't know how to turn it off. However, it did turn off by itself as it had done so before. The doctor looked at the defibrillator the next day and turned off the alarm. He didn't know why it was alarming because the defibrillator looked good but he figured that I didn't need to hear the alarm going off day after day.

I'll give everyone an update tomorrow on what happens with the electrophysiologist tomorrow. Hopefully, the cardiac team can find a good method of dealing with my defibrillator.

The following YouTube video is the a combination of my two favorite things; hockey and defibrillators.