For the first time since Wednesday 27th May we were able to see Frank today. He’s still in the intensive care unit although the medical team let us visit him for a short while (with rubber gloves and shoe protectors on!).
He was still under the effects of the anaesthetic when we saw him although he did open his eyes a few times. It's difficult to know whether he knew we were there (or whether he'll remember us being there) but his eyes bulged with delight when we told him Elizabeth would be joining us soon. He couldn't move or speak and drifted between eyes closed and eyes half open (a bit like a drunk person does when they've over done things). Saying that though it was nice to see him and talk to him at last. His skin looked good, he had a good colour and if you removed all the tubes and pipes you'd think he was just having a nap.
The latest update from the embassy this evening is that he's completely off the anaesthetic. He's still being ventilated but this is because mechanical ventilation is something that needs to be reduced gradually. Overall, the medical team believe he's making good progress, the situation is under control and it's just a case now of waiting for nature to do its work.
All being well he'll be fully conscious when we go and see him tomorrow - we'll then be able to pass on all the well wishes we've had from everyone reading this blog!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Dark Day
Things have not been so good today.
Mum and I arrived at the hospital just before midday expecting to see Frank recovering in the cardiac ward. However, after two hours of waiting around we spoke to the medical team and there have been some problems.
Frank was doing well and was all set to be moved to a normal ward and then started having breathing difficulties. These difficulties were so severe that the medical staff have had to put him into a medically induced coma in order to stabilise him.
The problem is that they wont know if he will be able to breathe on his own again until they wake him up. His heart is still weak and the coma is in order for the body to completely rest and heal.
The anaesthetist says that complications of this nature happen in about 10% of patients and that when things go wrong they tend to go wrong quickly. The first few hours after the event are critical. Our last update from the hospital was at 2pm CET and it is now past 6pm CET so we're hoping that no news is good news.
We've still not been able to see him as he's still in the intensive care unit. With a bit of luck the medical staff will relax their stance tomorrow and we'll be able to pop our heads around the door.
I will update again as soon as I find anything out...
Mum and I arrived at the hospital just before midday expecting to see Frank recovering in the cardiac ward. However, after two hours of waiting around we spoke to the medical team and there have been some problems.
Frank was doing well and was all set to be moved to a normal ward and then started having breathing difficulties. These difficulties were so severe that the medical staff have had to put him into a medically induced coma in order to stabilise him.
The problem is that they wont know if he will be able to breathe on his own again until they wake him up. His heart is still weak and the coma is in order for the body to completely rest and heal.
The anaesthetist says that complications of this nature happen in about 10% of patients and that when things go wrong they tend to go wrong quickly. The first few hours after the event are critical. Our last update from the hospital was at 2pm CET and it is now past 6pm CET so we're hoping that no news is good news.
We've still not been able to see him as he's still in the intensive care unit. With a bit of luck the medical staff will relax their stance tomorrow and we'll be able to pop our heads around the door.
I will update again as soon as I find anything out...
Friday, May 29, 2009
The Day After
We’ve not been able to see Frank today as he’s being kept in a clean intensive care unit. This is normal procedure after surgery of this magnitude, so nothing to worry about.
From what the medical team are telling us Frank seems to be doing well, he’s stable and everything has (so far) gone to plan. He’s breathing on his own now although his heart is being assisted by a machine called an Inter Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP). This machine reduces the amount of work the heart needs to do which in turn should expedite the healing process. All being well he should come off this machine later today and then he’ll be ‘flying solo’ once again.
Tomorrow morning the medics will decide whether he is well enough to be moved onto a normal cardiac ward or whether he’ll have to stay in intensive care. Hopefully he’ll be moved and we’ll be able to see him (for the first time since Wednesday!).
From what the medical team are telling us Frank seems to be doing well, he’s stable and everything has (so far) gone to plan. He’s breathing on his own now although his heart is being assisted by a machine called an Inter Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP). This machine reduces the amount of work the heart needs to do which in turn should expedite the healing process. All being well he should come off this machine later today and then he’ll be ‘flying solo’ once again.
Tomorrow morning the medics will decide whether he is well enough to be moved onto a normal cardiac ward or whether he’ll have to stay in intensive care. Hopefully he’ll be moved and we’ll be able to see him (for the first time since Wednesday!).
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Bypass Day
It was with great surprise that we received a phone call at 11am this morning informing us that the hospital was going to proceed with the bypass operation. This wasn’t due to a medical emergency but because Frank’s blood enzyme levels have returned to normal and they didn’t see the point of waiting any longer.
Unfortunately, with the hospital being 40 miles away we weren’t able to get to see him before they started surgery. However, speaking to the doctors directly after the operation it seemed to go well.
We have had further communication with the medical team, four hours after surgery, and he appears to be doing well. There are no complications or causes for concern and he is sleeping off the affects of the anesthetic.
He is due to be kept in a sterile intensive care unit for the next 48 hours. This is a strictly controlled environment so we wont be able to see him until he’s moved to a regular ward. All being well this should happen on Saturday. So tomorrow is a ‘day off’ from hospital visiting although we will be speaking with the medical team throughout the day and arranging our hotel move to be closer to him.
Unfortunately, with the hospital being 40 miles away we weren’t able to get to see him before they started surgery. However, speaking to the doctors directly after the operation it seemed to go well.
We have had further communication with the medical team, four hours after surgery, and he appears to be doing well. There are no complications or causes for concern and he is sleeping off the affects of the anesthetic.
He is due to be kept in a sterile intensive care unit for the next 48 hours. This is a strictly controlled environment so we wont be able to see him until he’s moved to a regular ward. All being well this should happen on Saturday. So tomorrow is a ‘day off’ from hospital visiting although we will be speaking with the medical team throughout the day and arranging our hotel move to be closer to him.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sign here please...
Frank was good today. The medical team have been able to get him up and out of bed for the first time since Sunday 17th May. He was out of bed for nearly an hour and in that time was able to sit on a chair, stand up and move his toes and feet around. They’re going to let him loose walking around the ward tomorrow!
The operation is still planned for Monday 1st June. The British Embassy were on hand today and went through the consent form with Frank and the doctors. It turns out they are going to be using a relatively new technique to perform the bypass where they don’t stop the heart. This is called ‘Beating-Heart Surgery’ which (all being well) should reduce the risk of complications arising during the procedure.
The consent form has now been signed by Frank and the medical team so from now until Monday it will be full steam ahead to prepare him for the operation.
The operation is still planned for Monday 1st June. The British Embassy were on hand today and went through the consent form with Frank and the doctors. It turns out they are going to be using a relatively new technique to perform the bypass where they don’t stop the heart. This is called ‘Beating-Heart Surgery’ which (all being well) should reduce the risk of complications arising during the procedure.
The consent form has now been signed by Frank and the medical team so from now until Monday it will be full steam ahead to prepare him for the operation.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Italian Job
This blog has been created to try and update everyone on Frank's progress while in hospital in Italy.
My aim is to update this blog every day with the latest update from the hospital. It's becoming increasing difficult (and costly) to keep everyone updated by phone so we felt this was the easiest way of keeping everyone up to speed.
Before I begin we'd all like to thank everyone for their love, support and kind words throughout this difficult time.
At 7:30am on Sunday 17th May (two days in to our holiday) Frank started complaining of chest pains. We took him to a local A&E clinic here in Sorrento (expecting to be told it was indigestion) to discover he'd suffered a heart attack. He was then rushed by ambulance to a specialist cardiac clinic 40 miles from Sorrento.
On Monday 18th May at around 2am he suffered a second heart attack. This was more severe than the first, the results of which meant his heart was only able to work at 20% of it's normal capacity.
The Italian medical team (who have been fantastic) have since stablilised him and discovered that he has three blocked arteries that supply blood to the left ventricle. Due to these blockages the medics wont certify him fit to travel until he's had surgery (aka a triple bypass).
After the second attack his heart was being helped by a machine. This machine was removed on Wednesday 20th May and since then he has been 'flying solo'. His heart is much better (the medics have been surprised at how well he's healed) although he's still not in a position to return to the UK before surgery.
He's in a ward called 'UTIC' which stands for Unita Terepia Intensiva Coronarica, or coronary intensive care in English. The hospital he's in is called "Casa Di Cura San Michele" which is in Maddaloni (just in case anyone wants to google it). It's been difficult as the medical team don't speak any English and we don't speak any Italian. Due to the severity of patients on the ward we only get to see him for an hour a day, although we make the best of the time we have together.
Thomsons (our tour operator) have been outstanding with all the help they've provided. We also have the British Embassy involved and they have been providing translations for us.
Every day we go to see him he looks better and stronger. Given the gravity of the situation and circumstances in which it occured he has been coping amazingly well.
The current plan is for him to undergo surgery on Monday 1st June. This will give the heart time to heal before the surgeons perform their magic.
Once again, thank you for all the support we've had. Elizabeth is back in the UK now playing the 'UK Liaison' role whereas myself and Mum have extended our stay in Italy indefinitely.
Christopher
PS Feel free to add comments or posts if you have any messages you'd like us to pass on to Frank.
My aim is to update this blog every day with the latest update from the hospital. It's becoming increasing difficult (and costly) to keep everyone updated by phone so we felt this was the easiest way of keeping everyone up to speed.
Before I begin we'd all like to thank everyone for their love, support and kind words throughout this difficult time.
At 7:30am on Sunday 17th May (two days in to our holiday) Frank started complaining of chest pains. We took him to a local A&E clinic here in Sorrento (expecting to be told it was indigestion) to discover he'd suffered a heart attack. He was then rushed by ambulance to a specialist cardiac clinic 40 miles from Sorrento.
On Monday 18th May at around 2am he suffered a second heart attack. This was more severe than the first, the results of which meant his heart was only able to work at 20% of it's normal capacity.
The Italian medical team (who have been fantastic) have since stablilised him and discovered that he has three blocked arteries that supply blood to the left ventricle. Due to these blockages the medics wont certify him fit to travel until he's had surgery (aka a triple bypass).
After the second attack his heart was being helped by a machine. This machine was removed on Wednesday 20th May and since then he has been 'flying solo'. His heart is much better (the medics have been surprised at how well he's healed) although he's still not in a position to return to the UK before surgery.
He's in a ward called 'UTIC' which stands for Unita Terepia Intensiva Coronarica, or coronary intensive care in English. The hospital he's in is called "Casa Di Cura San Michele" which is in Maddaloni (just in case anyone wants to google it). It's been difficult as the medical team don't speak any English and we don't speak any Italian. Due to the severity of patients on the ward we only get to see him for an hour a day, although we make the best of the time we have together.
Thomsons (our tour operator) have been outstanding with all the help they've provided. We also have the British Embassy involved and they have been providing translations for us.
Every day we go to see him he looks better and stronger. Given the gravity of the situation and circumstances in which it occured he has been coping amazingly well.
The current plan is for him to undergo surgery on Monday 1st June. This will give the heart time to heal before the surgeons perform their magic.
Once again, thank you for all the support we've had. Elizabeth is back in the UK now playing the 'UK Liaison' role whereas myself and Mum have extended our stay in Italy indefinitely.
Christopher
PS Feel free to add comments or posts if you have any messages you'd like us to pass on to Frank.
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