Friday, March 28, 2008

Worried *Updated*

Not about me this time.

I just got off the phone with my friend B, whose husband, K, is very ill. I think I mentioned this before, but he's got cong.estive heart fai.lure and has been deteriorating. He's was in a local hospital in upstate NY, then transferred to a big, world-renown hospital in NYC to try to stabilize him. He will definitely need a transplant. In fact, they are so worried about him making it to transplant that they are putting a device in his heart as kind of a bridge, to help it pump. So his organs don't fail before the transplant.

His open heart surgery for the device is this afternoon. He has the top doctors in the country taking care of him, and they tell him he is "very, very sick." You know it's bad when the doctors who have seen everything are concerned. I thank goodness he's in good hands, but I'm so scared for him, and for my friend. We have been friends since meeting in 4-H at 15. They are among the best people I know. They have 2 small sons. I am 1000 miles away, and wondering how much it costs to fly there on no notice so I can just go sit with her and wait.

He has to be okay. He has to make it through this. He just has to.

*Update*

My friend B called, and let me know that K got through the surgery okay. He's pumping a lot more blood through his heart already. Now the concern for the next 24 hours is bleeding. Once he gets through that, it will just be a matter of keeping a close eye on him as he heals. Apparently, the doctor said that his heart was very, very damaged, and that without this device, he probably would not have lasted the week. Any damage done to organs should heal with the improved blood flow. And once he's recovered, he should feel a lot better.

B sounds exhausted. She said both she and her FIL are staying at the hospital, sleeping on couches rather than leaving to go to the hospital's hotel. I didn't even try to convince her to go. I can understand wanting to be there, close by.

Thank you all for your responses, your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot.

7 comments:

CLC said...

I am so sorry. Praying that he makes it through this.

c. said...

He has to, yes.

I've said it to my IRL friends before, but we all have our own sh!t, don't we? Your friend's sh!t is much different than yours, but it's still something.

G$ said...

Oh, how scary :( I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

Tina / Anxious Changer said...

Will be sending out prayers for your friend's DH... This is very scary for the entire family. Hoping he pulls through!

Amy said...

I'm so sorry. He, his family and you and CDE are in my thoughts and prayers.

Antigone said...

It feels like there is only so much that we can bear. The stillbirth really put me at what I thought was the edge. If anyone else died, I didn't think I could take it, not until I had time to heal. It's so hard.

Sue said...

Thank you all, so much, for your responses. Your support means a lot.

Antigone, this is exactly how I feel. I couldn't put it in words, but you nailed it.