Update 4-20-09 Heart News

Well. Yesterday was okay, Dad was feeling stronger and we had lots of company and the most of the worries was being in the bed too long and just getting stir crazy with that. Rich and Diane and family were here, and part to of the Hicks fam was here (Derrick , Mike and Heather) so thats always a great experience. The Coles were here too, Katie and I went to downtown spokane and rode the carousal, since I was missing the horses at the ranch. We also found a Restoration Hardware store down there that we did a funny photo shoot with that made Dad laugh (restoration hardware is the rolla roasters #1 customer). Mom went to a Lutheran church up the street, and then a walk in the park, So yesterday was good. 

  This morning he had the echo on his heart ( scope down the throat to look at the heart).  He didnt sleep real well in anticipating it.  And the hope was that the vegetation( infection) would be decreased enough and the heart would repair its self.  But it has not decreased enough and the way it is healing it still isn't sealing shut  and it could cause heart failure later on or soon, so they need to go in and do a heart valve replacement surgery.   We thought we could see the end of the tunnel, getting out of the hospital on possibly Wednesday, but now it seems to be a longer tunnel.  There has to be a right time for the surgery is the tricky part.  They have to thin the blood for the surgery but they dont want to compromise the infection in his brain.  So they are going to talk to the neurologist to see when they can operate and if  the abscesses have shrunk enough to do the surgery without risk of brain damage.  Pray that the abscesses have lessened and they can do the surgery soon, and get him on the way to a full recovery.  We are all so tired of just being in the hospital, and we were hoping this would be a sprint, but it looks like its gonna be a marathon.  But the good thing is, they know what it is, and know how to fix it.  And there was no abscesses in the heart.   I cant imagine staying in this hospital any longer, and I cant even imagine how my dad feels, being restricted to the bed this long, at least we can escape a little bit.   We just pray that we have the strength to carry on, and survive this.  Mom and I are up here all the time.  My moms great friend Gwen is letting us stay at her house( which is such a blessing), and Gwen also was a nurse at the Intensive care heart unit for 10 years here at Sacred Heart, so she knows the in and out of the heart surgery world.  She recommended the best valve doctors, so we are trying to get one of them.  They would all do fine Im sure, its just these guys are good in the valves.  Just keep praying and staying positive, thats is all we can do right now. If any of you want to come hang out at the hospital we love seeing all of you.  Looks like we will be camped out here awhile longer.  Love you all, and thank you for all your prayers, God is healing him still, we just need to hang in there.

Katelyn