Mild heart attacks, blocked arteries and water in lungs. - Heart Disorders Message Board

pcantona · 01-21-2005, 09:30 AM

Right now I am mortally scared about my father who is in the hospital and I need some questions answered in order to deal with my own fears. I haven't slept more than a few hours this last week. So I hope there is someone here with some medical knowledge.

3 months ago my father who is 65 had a blood cloth in his eye and he left 20% of his vision on his left eye. After this he went to the doctor and they had a thorough examination and blood tests. They found that he had his artery in his neck blocked off 70% and he had an anorism?(spelling?) on his artery in his stomache. About 2 months ago they had surgery on his neck and successfully managed to cut away that piece of artery and patch it up. 2 week later he felt much better and had much more energy, it healed up really well. So now 2 weeks ago they examined him again and blood tests show what they think is that he had a very mild heart attack at home that he didn't notice himself. But the doctors though that he needed to repair his artery in the stomach to prevent it from exploading which would cause instant death.

2 weeks ago he went in for surgery, he was really in happy mood and he even jogged to the hospital because he though he needed the exercise.
They had surgery to repair the anorism(cracking artery) and what should have been a 2 hour surgery took 7 hours, which was a success. As a complication from the surgery he got a blood cloth in his right leg, which they instantly cut open and removed most of it. So now for 1 week they didnt want to sew him up because they were afraid that he would get another one in the same place. So he has been laying with a open wound for 1 whole week, which is extremely painful, so they have kept him on heavy painkilliers all week. I can't even imagine the pain his body is going thru.
Either way 2 days ago they noticed that his heart is getting weaker and weaker so they decided that his body can probably not go thru more of this so they went in for surgery on his leg again to splint it up and fix it the best they could, because his body simply can not take more abuse and they sew him up. They didn't dare to put him under this time because of the weakened heart condition, so they did the spinal way.

Now yesterday, he had 2 mild heart attacks from this and he has gotten fluids in his lungs and he can't breath on his own. They are giving him medications to drain his body and have a lung/oxygen machine. And now he is not even awake. I am so scared and I do not know what to do. My wife has worked as a nurse in the past, but she is no doctor. She says that sometimes the body gets bloated from a weak heart and you can get water in your lungs from this but also that you can get fluids in your lungs from laying in the hospital for too long. (which is true because my sister when she was 16, was in a hospital for 3 weeks and she got fluids in her lungs for no other reason and no heart condition). Now I am scared that my father will never get better or die. What to do? anyone have any input?

ojohnr · 01-22-2005, 03:28 AM

im going thru the same problem with my father. im 32, and my dad has dad 2 heart attacks, colon cancer(removed) diabettes, now in dialysis, diabetic complication which eneded up in right leg amputation below the kneee. his birthday is in two weeks and will be 78.

he goes thru life and accepts what ever has happened. i feel very sad and wish he passes away so he no longer suffers, but he just enjoys each day with his grand children, eventhough he cannot walk and is on wheelchair 24/7.

i cannot imagine nor feel how much abuse his body has gone thru many surgeries.

for you, there is nothing i can say or do to make things better. i feel with you nad wish the best for your family. it's just part of life; to live and die... nothing more and nothing else. it's what you do in between that is up to you. you father is gravely ill and might not survive, but you will, and if you have childred, you will survive thru them, and so on...

relaxe, enjoy what you have, but this sad feelings are just human nature.

let God deal with it.

NineLives · 01-22-2005, 06:54 AM

Just keep hope! I have seen people survive when even doctors thought there was no way they could. I'm not in the medical field but from what I've learned in dealing with heart disease it sounds like your wife is correct about both things that could be causing the fluid on the lungs. I hope things turn around for the better for your family.

pcantona · 01-24-2005, 06:38 AM

Thank you for your replies. My last week has been horrible, problems sleeping worried sick over my father. From updates from the doctors and what they have told me is the following at this point. On the surgery table while fixing and sewing my fathers legs up(finally after 1 week of a open wound they didn't dare to close up due to risk of cloting up again). My father got problems breathing due to water in his lungs. They did a scan of his lungs and heart and discovered that his lungs are filled with water but also his heart is almost twice the size due to water. Thus the problems for the heart to beat properly and he has very low blood pressure right now. So they have put him on a oxygen/breathing machine with tubes down his lungs and are giving him blood pressure raising meds and calming medications and are giving him serious drugs that drains out the water out of the body. He didn't go to the hospital for heart problems at all. He had his anorism repaired/fixed and this is the complications.

Doctors generally never give you a "reason" to what happen and generally only give you what symptoms a patient have and I am left to only guessing what happens next and what is going to happen.

From my own and my sisters conclusions is that. I seriously think that my fathers body is getting too weak from being in pain from having his leg cut open for a week. They had him on serious painkillers which in itself must not be good for your heart but also I can imagine that the body/heart can not take extreme pain for a whole week. I also think that the mild heart attacks might be from the extreme pain as well. I can even imagine someone with a normal health young heart, getting a heart attack from this amount of pain.
And what makes it worse for me, is from what I heard from his wife is that he does not want me and my sister to see him in this condition, so he doesn't let us visit. So from what I heard he is atleast awake and can nod to questions etc.

NineLives · 01-24-2005, 09:20 AM

My guess would be that the weakness is coming more from the fluid than pain from his leg. He heart and his lungs are not working efficienty so he is bound to be very weak. Try to remember that you need to take care of yourself during this time. If your father gets through this he and your mother may need a lot of help when he gets home.
It's toobad that he had complications from the aneurism repair, but that is something that is also life threatening if let go. It sounds like he really had no choice. Try to stay strong. Make sure you are eating something and if you have to lie down during the day and catnap to rejuvenate allow yourself to do that. Take care.