Dad Rowland’s Medical Update

Sunday Night 11/16/2008
This Blog is here to update everyone on the status of Dr Rowland by his family.  For those of you new to the page, Dr Rowland had a heart Attach Friday November 14th right after breakfast.  Through the quick thinking of Mom and neighbors, Dad was stablized and transported to the local hospital in central Florida.  Friday night, Marci, Jay and his family, and Rhonda and her family traveled to the hospital not knowing what would be the status when they arrived.  It appears that Dad had a minor Heart attack complicated my other damage already to his heart.  They believe this past weeks attach was minor, but enough to stop his heart.

Friday night he started to respond to vocal commands, but the doctors kept him sedated to keep him comfortable.  Saturday and Sunday he has made tremendous progress.  He is now off the respirator and able to talk briefly to the family and the Cardiologist.  The doctors are very pleased with his responses, and believe that a accelerated treatment will help him regain his bloodflow to his heart.

Sunday Evening:

The doctors are now saying they will take Dad to surgery Monday morning early for 2 or 3 artirial bypasses.  He seems to be doing well so far, but prayers are still needed.  He is still very weak, but the Doctors believe that they will be able to help regain enough bloodflow for a normal recovery.

There have been amazing miracles over the past few days.  Mom and Dad have had neighbors that have gone to heroic lengths to not only bring Dad back, but to also support them in every aspect of this past weekend.  The doctors that will be performing the surgery tomorrow are Christians, and have already prayed with Mom and Dad over the decisions to be made and the upcoming recovery.   We will be posting update on the blog so that everyone can keep up with Dad’s progress over the coming days.

Thank you for all of your prayers, and please leave comments for Mom and Dad.

Update Monday 11-17-2008
Well, Dad went into surgery this morning a little after 6:00am. He had a good afternoon yesterday and I believe was more ready than we were. They will be doing 2 or 3 bypasses this morning, and hope to have him back in recovery by Noon today. We will post more when we hear anything from the Doctors.

Out of Surgery 10:15am
Dad made it out of surgery just now with 4 bypasses. He came through the surgery fine, and he is in recovery. Had a few obstacles, but the doctor said he did fine.

1:00pm update
Dad is doing well, they are saying that if all goes well he will be in CCU for the next 3 days. He is already off the ventilator. The nurse said he was already looking for the keys to go home.

Monday Afternoon 11/17/2008
Ok, Prayer + Incredibly Talented Doctors + modern medicine is absolutely incredible. I called down the the hospital this afternoon to get an update on Dad, and Rhonda handed him the phone!! I was talking to dad, and he told me all about how he was doing. He told me what he had been through, and that Ray his neighbor had performed CPR. He doesn’t remember a thing, but said he was surely glad to be doing better. They have now removed the heart assist pump, and he is now completely on his own. They initially said they might keep the pump assisting until Wednesday, but I really think he is wanting to make his Friday Tee time at the club. I told Mom earlier today she better get her rest while she can, because I think she will be trying to keep up with him for the next couple of weeks. Anyway, he still has a few more hurdles to clear, but he is well on the way to winning this race. Who knows, dad might be adding to this page later in the week. More posts to come.

9:45am Tuesday
Dad is still doing better. He called the house this morning for his glasses so he could read. He’s also sitting up in his chair this morning. We are all trying to get Mom to get some rest, but that is like telling the sun not to shine. Dad is doing so well, Jay and Teri will be traveling home today. I know Jay has not felt good this week, but he has really given support at the house and hospital. And Teri the wonder mom has been incredible taking care of the kids and keeping the house going. I think that was a harder job than most. Love ya’ll and have a safe trip home. We will hopefully have some more updates later today along with a schedule of the week. Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers.

2:00pm Tuesday
Ok, Dad continually amazes the doctors and family. He was sitting reading this blog after lunch, and really enjoyed the comments that were posted. Please post and give him a quick word of encouragement, he REALLY enjoyed it. He should be getting the remainder of IV’s out about 4:00pm, which means he will be off to a blistering pace around the Cardiac Unit. They will start taking him for walks to build strength over the coming days so he can come home. They still are very guarded with his progress, and continually remind everyone he is very weak. They will keep him in the Cardiac Care unit for the next few days at least to make sure he is constantly monitored.

Wednesday AM
Well, Dad had a good night. He had a couple of tricky moments, but is still progressing wonderfully. His heart started beating out of rhythm for a little while last night, but I guess after being squeezed, shocked, pumped full of medicine, and then cut on, it’s more than acceptable to skip around just a little bit. They are also giving him a blood transfusion this morning due to some irregular platelet and hemoglobin counts. They will move him today to what is called a step down unit which I believe is the next step in recovery. Mom was able to get some rest (probably stopped moving for a moment) last night and is doing pretty good. Now that Dad is in a room with a small couch, she will probably be staying with him from now on. It’s such a blessing that she can be back by his side after having lost him for a few minutes last week. Anyway, they will take some of the comments up to him today, so keep them coming. I’m sure both Mom and Dad will enjoy hearing from everyone.

Thursday Nov. 20th
Dad had a very good night last night. They are pleased with his progress, and want to make sure he is gaining more strength every day. He is still taking walks around the unit, and having some good naps I’m sure. The only things left for the doctors is to help him regain his strength, and work on a schedule for him to go home. I think his heart rhythm has been steady since nobody mentioned it to me this morning, so we will hope that is behind him. Jay and Teri made it home the other night, and Marci will be heading home tomorrow. Dad might not remember much about the weekend, but I know Marci, Rhonda, Jay, and Teri will remember a few cherished moments with Mom and Dad. Thankfully, we will have many more moments to come as well. We’ll try to update this afternoon if there is any new news. God Bless everyone.

Friday Morning
Dad is still doing well, but his heart is still having a hard time keeping a smooth rhythm. He is having small period of atrial fibrillation, where the upper part of the heart beats or quivers faster than the rest of the heart. They are monitoring closely and trying to see if some medication will help. They will be keeping a close eye on him, but this is not keeping him from recovering. They will need to find the source of the A-Fibs and treat to help the heart from weakening and to reduce blood pooling in the atrial cavity. There are several treatments, but for now they are monitoring so they can choose the right course of action.

Sunday Nov. 23 2008
Dad is still doing better and better each day. I was finally able to go back down to Florida and see him this weekend, and we all had a wonderful time visiting. Dad had been walking around the floor still, but gets tired quickly. His heart still goes into Atrial Fibrillation every now and then, but they are slowing increasing the medicine to see if they can get it under control. If all goes well tomorrow, they may send him home to finish the recovery process. It’s been an amazing 10 days of miracles, and we just praise God that he has put in place the neighbors, the hospital, the doctors, and the family to which He has used in making sure Dad made it through this crisis. We just pray in the following days of the Thanksgiving holiday that we remember our families, and Gods blessings all around us. We will update as soon as Dad gets his walking papers!!

Monday Nov. 23rd
The Doctors have decided to keep Dad another day. They are trying to monitor and regulate the coumadin that he is taking. So, today they will be adjusting and monitoring again. Other than that he is doing very well. I don’t think anyone’s worried about it, as long as he can get a ride home for Thanksgiving.

Monday PM
Dad had a good day, and I think he is ready to come home. We will hope and pray that all things line up for him to come home. The Doctors will hopefully make the decision tomorrow morning. The Doctors and staff at the hospital have been exceptional, they’ve even chased him down the halls when his EKG showed something strange while walking. I will check with them first thing in the morning and see if we can post some great news.

Tuesday AM
Mom sent me an update this morning, so I will just cut and paste.

We have reached the magic number of 2 and we are headed home. We have been up since 3am when they came in to draw the blood and the nurses were here talking to us with coffee when the head nurse came in and said it was a go at 4:30. This was not something we would have chosen to do but everyone here from House Keeping to the Surgeons were top notch. What a great hospital and staff. But we are happy to go home. We still have a long way to go and would like every to please keep us both in their prayers.

Tuesday 12:35pm
Rhonda let me know they just got to the house, but no other details. I’ve asked they give me a call when they are settled and I’ll add another update. Wow, what an amazing trip so far, and how much he’s been through to come home!! What a praise.

Wednesday 3:15pm
First night at home was GREAT- Rested well (both Dad and Mom) Dad enjoyed all of the wonderful food our nieghbors have brought in during this time. He had a taste of almost everything. He especially enjoyed eating at home at our table with Daughter Rhonda and Grandsons Patrick and Quinn. Having to limit visitors because it really tires him out. Soon the doors will be open to all.

March Start Spring with new parts.

The Plural effusion has subsided, but he is now in congestive heart failure. He missed the hospital so much, He and the doctors have decided to have him go back in to add a new time piece. He goes tomorrow morning for a defibulator/pace maker. We were thinking he was going in for a pace maker, but knowing how much they are going charge, we are now considering it his new Rolex. He will be in the hospital for 23 hours, and then sent home. He has 23 weeks of rehab left after completing 7 weeks already. He will have to take a couple of weeks off due to the surgery.

He is also going through sleep apnea tests to help him sleep through the night. He’s sleeping betting through the night, but the doctors want are concerned that it could be causing some issues.

Everything went Great this week!!
Dad had the unit installed Monday morning and had to wait around until the doctors said he could go home. Everything went as planned, and Dad is back home and doing well. He’s still a little restless (grumpy), but the doctors said the pace maker would not correct that but it would solve itself with a little time at home. He will probably start back his rehab in a couple more weeks.

New Year.

Fox News Interview with Dad
Click here for Interview

Saturday Jan 10th
Dad’s doing pretty well. He still has fluid building up in his chest, but he is almost to the 2 month mark which the Doctor said is usually the length of time for the plural effusion to last. They took out 1200cc of fluid this past week, and he immediately felt better. When he has had the fluid removed in the past, he has gained weight. This time around, Dad lost 2 1/2 lbs after the draining, and has continued to loose weight.

He has now slept in the bed the last 3 nights for the first time since he got out of the hospital. He has never been confortable lying down until this last week, and has slept better and longer than he has in awhile. He will be starting with the next step in rehab in a couple of weeks. It will be 3 times a week for 18 weeks. Mom and Dad are also walking morning and afternoon everyday to regain strength weather permitting.

Right Before Christmas and All through the House.

Good morning to all, and Merry Christmas. Sorry for the delay in posts, but Dad is still making great progress. He has been doing good since his last visit to the Hospital a little over a weeks ago when they removed 2500cc of fluid from his chest. Well they went back this morning because of more fluid, and removed about 1000cc of fluid. It was a surprise as to the volume, but they said it is sometimes normal to have fluid after surgery. We are glad Mom, Dad, the Nurses, and the Doctors are catching it before complications arise. The surgeons were contemplating whether to give him an internal defibrillator, but said if Dad kept doing well in Therapy he might not have to have one. He was not too happy about the prospect, so I’m sure that was a good therapy motivator.

Also, Yesterday Mom, Dad, and a few other key people in helping bringing Dad back to life were interviewed by the Local Fox News, the Villages news paper The Daily Sun and also the villages TV station VNN. The Villages interview will be in the local paper on Friday and on VNN all day on the same day. They don’t know yet when Fox News will air. Fire and Rescue had put out a press release on Dad’s save, and that is what hit the news stations. They are publicizing the neighborhood AED (Defibrillators) that they have on their Circle that saved his life. This is a great opportunity for others to hear how easy it is, and what a small cost of Money and time it takes to save someone’s life This time if just happened to be Dad’s, it could be yours the next time!

Rhonda and her family will be visiting the week of Christmas, and Jay and family will be down the week after Christmas. Please pray for Dad to keep on an his positive rehabilitation path, and for both Mom and Dad while they are invaded by children and grandchildren. We will make another post soon. Merry Christmas!!

Monday Dec 22nd
Well, it appears dad had a little more fluid. He will most likely be going back down to the hospital to have it removed again, along with some xrays or scans to see if they can narrow down a few things. It certainly not as much as in the past, but they are wanting to stay ahead of it. We will know something later today, but please keep praying the doctors find the culprit. We here in Georgia fix almost anything with a little duck tape, so were packing a role for Christmas just in case. Everyone please drive safe over the next couple of days, and we will post again soon!!

Tuesday Dec 23rd
Dad did not go to the have any fluid drained yesterday. The doctors didn’t see it necessary at this time, and are waiting and monitoring. We are heading down later today, so our next post will be from Florida. Right now I’m not as concerned with Dad as I am with Mom not getting too excited about company coming.

Week after Thanksgiving

Monday Dec 1st.
Dad had a great day today. He and his therapist walked one house up the street and back today. He will do this for a day or so and then increase a house the next time he sees his therapist. Or at least that’s the plan.

Wed Dec 3rd.
Dad walked two houses down and back today. He’s still doing fine, but get tired easily.

Friday Dec 5th.
Dad had admitted to the hospital this afternoon. He has pleural effusion of the left lung (fluid around the lung). This is a post operative condition that is not life threatning. They will be treating by over the next couple at least, and we won’t know exactly when he will be ready to come back home.

Sunday Dec 7th
Dad is doing pretty good. He had a procedure yesterday to remove the fluid from his chest. They removed about 2 liters. They had to stop because he was coughing, but he’s doing well this morning. They were doing a echocardiagram to check everything, but all seems pretty well. I think he missed being connected up with all of the wires. We will update later today when we find out how he is doing.

Monday Dec 8th
Dad got 500cc taken out this morning. They are waiting for the doctor to sign the release forms. I guess you could say that after a couple of days of this Dad is literally and figuratively drained. If he has to have more removed they will just go to the doctor’s office. It did not hurt him at all today. Hopefully we will have another update this evening to let everyone know he’s home. I think what is really amazing is that Dad’s Prayer team looks like one of those Verizon Wireless commercial saying “We Got You Covered”! Thanks for all of the prayers, and thanks to God who has blessed those prayers. We praise God that even as we prayed, His will is always ultimately done, and that His will was to let Dad stay with us for a while longer.

He’s Home!!!

Since this is a new chapter in Dads recovery, I thought I would start a new post. Rhonda let me know they just got to the house, but no other details. I’ve asked they give me a call when they are settled and I’ll add another update. Wow, what an amazing trip so far, and how much he’s been through to come home!! What a praise.

Saturday Nov. 29th
We just finished a meal with Dad at the table, and it was wonderful for him to lead us in prayer. What an amazing blessing, to not only be able to be home, but he made it to the table on his own. He still is getting tired, but the physical therapist was very proud of what he was able to do yesterday. Dad and the therapist have put together a schedule of items to get accomplished each week. They will be coming 3 times a week, and Dad will probably have his best nap after they are finish. He was able to get a great nights sleep last night, so all seems to be going well. He continues to enjoy the cards and flowers, and even answered the door today for his next door neighbor. She was very suprised to see him not only up and about, but that he was answering the door.