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update on my dad
May. 8th, 2023 10:20 pmThough the episode(s) looked very much like a heart attack, it was blood clots.
They seem to have come on very quickly. He noticed when he was going to the car, that his knee and groin hurt. He didn't think much of it because he always has aches and pains. And hour and a half later, he pretty much passed out. They thought he was dying, and probably almost did. He was unresponsive for a bit, and only slowly regained full consciousness.
A couple days of tests revealed blood clots in his lungs, in addition to the knee and groin. He's got minor buildup in the arteries near the heart, but an enlarged heart. Other than that, his heart seems to be in good shape. Tests also revealed kidney disease. They say his kidney function is a level 3 out of 5 (5 is where you need dialysis). That was a surprise. His doctor always tells him to drink a lot of water (he thinks he does, but he doesn't really), but he wasn't aware that there was a serious problem.
So he's got a stent in his lungs that delivers medication. Also a shunt in his leg (just in case they had to get in quickly?) that has to come out tomorrow. So they expect him to come home Tuesday. And we don't know how long his recuperation will take. But after the medication dissolves the clots, he needs to stay active. But not too active? Not sure how long it will take to regain his strength, or how much strength will remain. He turns 80 this year.
They seem to have come on very quickly. He noticed when he was going to the car, that his knee and groin hurt. He didn't think much of it because he always has aches and pains. And hour and a half later, he pretty much passed out. They thought he was dying, and probably almost did. He was unresponsive for a bit, and only slowly regained full consciousness.
A couple days of tests revealed blood clots in his lungs, in addition to the knee and groin. He's got minor buildup in the arteries near the heart, but an enlarged heart. Other than that, his heart seems to be in good shape. Tests also revealed kidney disease. They say his kidney function is a level 3 out of 5 (5 is where you need dialysis). That was a surprise. His doctor always tells him to drink a lot of water (he thinks he does, but he doesn't really), but he wasn't aware that there was a serious problem.
So he's got a stent in his lungs that delivers medication. Also a shunt in his leg (just in case they had to get in quickly?) that has to come out tomorrow. So they expect him to come home Tuesday. And we don't know how long his recuperation will take. But after the medication dissolves the clots, he needs to stay active. But not too active? Not sure how long it will take to regain his strength, or how much strength will remain. He turns 80 this year.
