Joe is having a heart catheterization tomorrow. He has been struggling with chest discomfort again. He had his first hearth catheterization on 8/19/11. We were told from his cardiologist that he had a widowmaker blockage. This was the ONLY blockage that Joe had, too! He would have had 5 minutes to receive medical assistance before his heart would sustain permanent injury from lack of blood flow. This blockage is situated at the top of the heart and would have starved the rest of it. Joe and the cardiologist agreed during the cath procedure that a stent would be the best quick fix. Joe has never missed a day of medication or his cardiac rehab. At the end of his rehab, they contacted the cardiologist to try a different medication as his bp was not going down. It was not until last week that he started his new medication. I'm hopeful that it's the new medicine causing his discomfort, but the cardiologist disagrees. He wants to admit him tomorrow morning. He actually offered to admit him on Thursday during his office visit. Joe wanted to get some extra time with his boys and finish some things up at home beforehand. He also got a chance to apply for two positions at work this weekend.
If the cardiologist finds anything wrong, he has given us the following two options: stent the stent.....or bypass. The cardiologist is recommending the open heart surgery. I do not yet know if he intends on the ON machine approach or the OFF machine approach. We do not yet know if the discomfort is deriving from a separate blockage or if it is the widowmaker blockage again. This will definitely affect the outcome from tomorrow's heart cath appointment. He might be staying for one day. He might be staying for one week. I have his medical directive copied and ready to go for tomorrow. I do dread having to make any life or death decisions about my husband and my boys' Daddy! He is everything to us!! Please, keep us in your prayers!
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