So some of you may know, doctors did the angiogram on my father last week. Once they got in, they discovered that the stent that they had put in place in his circumflex artery had plaque build up...again. It is ~90% blocked. Which explains a lot. From my understanding, his health has been pretty shaky the last few weeks... but being the stubborn man that he is, he never said anything (until his routine stress test). Anyhow, doctors told my mom that they don't want to do a bypass because of the location and possibility that it could block once the bypass is done... yeah, and I might trip while walking and fall on my face. But whatever. I hate when doctors live by mights, but hey, I am not the cardiologist. Sorry for that sudden outburst.
Anyhow, he also has anemia and in the past was littered with ulcers- so before they could put in a new drug-eluting stent (DES) in, he has to be seen by, and approved by, a gastroenterologist to have the DES be put in place. Why? Because the DES secretes a medication overtime that prevents restenosis (reblockage/plaque build-up). Because it is directly in the circulatory system, it makes it's ways to and through his digestive track... he will need to take aspirin and up his dose of Clopidogrel/Plavix (an anti blood clotting med), which can effect his ulcers AND anemia... a vicious circle of nonsense!
For now he is at home and until he sees the gastro doctor on Jan 25., he has to take things easy. The earliest he can have the old stent removed and DES put in is soon after that.
Isabella and I had a great visit- not only with my dad, but with mom, mother-in-law, niece, nephew, friends and our newest friends-Heather and Dakota! We will miss being 'at home' and hope that dad takes care of himself :) You'd better be behaving!
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