Saturday, March 14, 2009

Pray for Wally!


An update I've sent to friends:

I'm hoping to download a song that he and Yvonne first danced to - in order to stimulate something - we know he's listening and looking. Then I'm taking the kids up there after Joe gets home from Jack's soccer game. Joe's mom, Yvonne, and his sisters, Mary and Terri, are there at the hospital now.

We take turns and shifts. Yvonne is anxious, and we're looking at getting something to calm her nerves.

He just opened his eyes, when Mary, Joe's sister from DC, just flew in and came into the room.

Wally is my 79 year old dear father-in-law. I love him like my own father. In many respects he has been more of a father to me than my own father.


Wally has had T2 Diabetes since he's been 51 years old. He was overweight at that time (he worked for Anheuser-Busch for 15 years - case of beer a month, so he'd have a beer and a cheese sandwich or a pretzel every night! :-)

But he lost about 40 lbs. and managed his disease with diet and exercise until he was about 65, when he went on Metformin (he really should have been on meds sooner, but that's another story - and that's why he's in this shape to begin with).

Around that time is when I was dxed GDM - so we were diabetes partners together. He helped me, and I helped him. We've been Dbuddies ever since. We played on the same team - always! And yes, we cheated together, and we kept avoiding the diabetes police together :-).

He then started Glyburide probably when he was 70.

Five years ago, we were hiking up a hill at Boy Scout Camp, and he told me he didn't feel well. Never mind that he was sticking with his internist (who didn't treat and manage his D right to begin with), but he did go in to see him, who told him he probably had a heart attack. (He did not have chest pain - just nausea and shortness of breath.) Doc never sent him to a cardiologist or anything...just a stress echo.

Forward a couple of years later....went for angiogram...learned he had major blockage. Went on Lasix...still no statin or bp med....no heart meds.


He then went on Insulin about a year ago - maybe a little longer. That scared him. I was there to remind him that I did it, too - and while pregnant.

This Christmas, he was feeling poorly - shortness of breath, getting sick a lot, appetite suppressed. He decided to finally see a cardiologist but still wouldn't consent to see an endo yet!

We found out he was blocked 100%, 99%, 70%....told that he would have no choice but a bypass.

He deliberated, and finally scheduled a triple bypass Tuesday of last week...surgery was supposed to take 5 hours, took 9 instead...he began bleeding out.

After giving him 5 units of blood, he came out of surgery to sedation in ICU.
He woke up the next morning...looking very pink and doing well, eating some jello, joking with the nurses (he is a big flirt)!

But yesterday, he couldn't keep most liquids down.
Then, his rhythm was off - so they shocked him last night. His kidney function was down...so they were calling in a nephrologist.

In the middle of the night, they were giving him some meds...the nurse did NOT cross check the meds with the orders...


He was given meds designed to paralyze you right before general anethesia...he crashed.


He was Code Blue for 5 minutes, not breathing.


He then went into a coma.


They are now concerned with getting his system rid of this drug because his kidney and liver function is decreased....


They are talking dialysis.....


And they don't know when he will wake up.

Please....any God you believe in...anything you love...anything you have power in....any way...any shape...any how...please....ask God not to take him as our diabetic angel...not now.

7 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for everything you are all going through. My thoughts and energies are with you all.

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  2. Been praying all day Jill. Please keep us posted.

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  3. I am so sorry, Jill. Wally and your family remain in my prayers.

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  4. Anonymous3:07 AM

    Hi Jill,

    I've asked all my friends & relatives to keep Wally and your family in their prayers. I'm so sorry this has happened. He seemed to be doing so well too. ((Hugs))

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  5. Jill, I am praying!

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  6. Keeping you and Wally in our thoughts.

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  7. Anonymous2:33 AM

    prayers still going up tonight before I go to bed...you were really on my mind...love and hugs!

    make sure to take care of U through all this as well...I know it's so hard...hold strong my friend...love you!

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