Saturday, October 27, 2007

Mike is back home and is doing VERY well. He slept comfortably last night and is in very good spirits. He is not even taking pain medication! If you call and talk to him, just be warned he has a lingering cough from the hospital, so he may start coughing while he is talking, but he looks and feels great! He is moving around by himself very well and is grateful for everyone's loving support.
At the risk of being cheesy (cheesy? Moi?) this whole episode has put a highlight on just how loved and well regarded my father is. I can only hope to emulate him.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Mike had a great day today; his energy and focus is returning, he showered, went on a romantic stroll around the PC Unit with my mom and is getting ready for his return home tomorrow afternoon. We are so grateful that he has had such excellent care and attention.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

After a bumpy night with some shortness of breath, Mike received two units of blood ( he is not bleeding, it is to help him with his white and red blood cell counts ) and that seemed to help him a great deal. He is very tired (understandable!) and is in good spirits. Kathy is very tired and can't wait for her sweetheart to come home.

Mike's Recovery Update: October 23, 2007

Mike was having some shortness of breath yesterday, so he has been given a two-unit blood transfusion. This is common practice as the areas of incision are getting priority with his circulated blood, so some of the rest of his body is not getting as much as it is used to. Other than that, he is glad to be in his new room. He is also very happy to be going to the bathroom again! (Ah, simple pleasures!)
I will continue to keep you all posted.

Mike's Recovery Update: October 22, 2007

Today Mike was moved out of ICU and into a regular room, #479. He is doing very well. When I came to see him, he wasn’t even in the room because he was out for a walk! Simply amazing! He is still pretty doped up, but other than that he’s surprisingly lucid. He will have his chest tube removed tomorrow and continues to get progressively better every day.

Everyone has been so helpful during this trying time. And it is obvious how loved and appreciated my father is. He is one of a kind and a friend to all that know him.

Please keep your eyes peeled for more updates!

Thanks,
Adam

Mike's Recovery Update: October 21, 2007

Dear Friends and Family,
As all of you now know, Mike had open heart surgery on Friday, October 19 to replace his Aortic valve and have a quintuple bypass. Everything went smoothly and the family is very relived. He slowly regained consciousness on Friday night and Saturday morning. Kathy, Michelle, Nicole and myself were able to visit him briefly after the surgery. Considering what he had been through, he looked amazingly well. On Saturday morning, he was awake and surprisingly alert, considering all of the various medications he was on. In fact, the first thing I noticed was his lipstick. At first, I didn't quite understand. My father, while being a hip, happening, with it, groovy guy, has never been a lipstick wearer. I thought, well, maybe Mom kissed him very hard and left some of her lipstick on his lips, but there was just too much of it. This was very strange.
"Hey Dad! You're awake!"
"Hey Pard. I am awake."
"What's with the lipstick?"
Then, without missing a beat (remember just 12 hours before had his chest cavity cracked open and his heart on ice) my father says, "Well, while they were in there, I had them make a few changes."
I found out eventually that it was actually the remnants of a cherry Popsicle, but at that moment, I knew my father, my Dad, my "padna", was back. Like he never left. This was a very good sign.
He is going to be in the ICU one more day because he has an air pocket (a very common occurance with open heart surgery) near his left lung that they want to take care of before they move him.
If you would like send him anything, please wait until he is moved from ICU, as he is unable to have anything other than family there. He is expected to remain in the hospital for another 5-7 days.
Kathy, Michelle, Adam, Dennis and Nicole truly appreciate all of your support and loving kindness.
Please keep checking this page for daily updates.
Again, our sincerest thanks to you all.
The Flowers/Azevedo Family