Well, they drained about 70 cc's of liquid from his pleuria....which is not much, and surprisingly, he was showing signs of improvement. It was obvious his breathing had gotten better, but his temperature is still fluctuating. The time came to make the decision to surgically install a chest tube to drain the remaining liquids. From what we are being told, and have heard...this can be rather painful. He agreed to have it done, and I am being told he is going in as I am writing this.
Should this procedure be a success, he could be home as early as this weekend, albeit with an additional tube coming out of him to go with the feeding tube, and oxygen tubes. The problem is, is that unless he learns to swallow efficiently in the near future, the doctors claim it's only a matter of time before another case of pneumonia sets in.
Thank you all for your thoughts and kindness this week....it's been the hardest week since this started. I read all your comments to my Dad, and he is trying to respond...but simple words are a great deal of energy right now, and we typically deter him from using this precious energy.
Help John Heal Fundraiser!! (Thank you!!!)
Dad trying to smile (8-17-08)
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, my father John, has Parkinson’s Disease. He has fought and struggled with the symptoms of this for well over a decade. He is a loving father, husband of 45 years, and one of the kindest persons that many have ever known. At 66 years of age, he is now being forced to learn how to live again. He decided to make a choice for himself, his three sons (Brad, Matt, & Chris), but most importantly for the love of his life and best friend, my mom Claudia.
The choice my father made was for a procedure known as DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation), which can be read about in our Medical Link. He made this choice for a better life, for a long and healthy retirement. The procedure claims to have a 97% success rate, thus he deemed it worth the risk. Sadly, we fell into the 3%, and his story has been said to be one of the most tragic this procedure has seen to date. I know my Dad, and I believe he can come back from this. He is a man that has always put others before him, and would come back just to kiss his wife, one last time and tell us that he loves us. The doctors claim that he may never walk again, that he may never leave his bed. They say that in three months, we as a family; have to make a “decision”…if he has not improved. Now, due to the stipulations of his Medicare, we may not even get those three months.
I invite you to read his story and watch for updates as we prove the doctors wrong. For all of those who have asked how you can help, I have provided information on how you can donate. Thank you and God bless you all.
~The Petrovich family
P.O. Box 310
Kirkland, WA. 98083
The choice my father made was for a procedure known as DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation), which can be read about in our Medical Link. He made this choice for a better life, for a long and healthy retirement. The procedure claims to have a 97% success rate, thus he deemed it worth the risk. Sadly, we fell into the 3%, and his story has been said to be one of the most tragic this procedure has seen to date. I know my Dad, and I believe he can come back from this. He is a man that has always put others before him, and would come back just to kiss his wife, one last time and tell us that he loves us. The doctors claim that he may never walk again, that he may never leave his bed. They say that in three months, we as a family; have to make a “decision”…if he has not improved. Now, due to the stipulations of his Medicare, we may not even get those three months.
I invite you to read his story and watch for updates as we prove the doctors wrong. For all of those who have asked how you can help, I have provided information on how you can donate. Thank you and God bless you all.
~The Petrovich family
P.O. Box 310
Kirkland, WA. 98083
2 comments:
Thanks Chris,
Tell your dad how much we love him
Bud & Olga
Thanks for keeping us posted. Please be sure your dad knows he is in our thoughts and prayers every day. He is a very special person to so many people.
Chriss & Bruce Semingson
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