Linda : UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! Bob was taken off the ventilator at 1 this am (yes, that is now 17 hours ago, about 8 hours after the surgery finished! He is awake and SOOOOO happy!!
We kept telling the nurses to tell him what day it was last night, so he knew he woke up on the same day, and not a month later! He is in quite a bit of pain, more from the drainage tube in his ribs than from the incision site, but he’s so glad to be awake that he’s just smiling!
The surgeon put in a 30cm graft…yes, that is 11.8 inches. Not what he planned to do, but apparently felt this would best protect the entire aorta from future aneurysms. He is the only Dr. there that has a different procedure that allows the time on circ arrest–when the body is cooled so dangerously low and many complications occur–to be very short. Often they are on it for 45 min to an hour, and Bob was only on for 5 minutes!!! Thank God in a million ways for how He has taken care of Bob!
He will be in the ICU Fri for sure, maybe moving out Fri pm or Sat…they are watching him more closely because of his wonderful history!
Please call me (or Bob’s cell) if you want to visit to find out the best times and where he will be.
“Be still once more, oh my soul, for the Lord has been good to me” Ps 116:7