Doug had a better night, no Afib for 24 hours, but a couple of times he passed out briefly when his heart stopped for 3 seconds each. Now he knows the wisdom of not driving for a few weeks and having someone with him 24/7 for the next 2 weeks. We brought him home around 3 or so this afternoon and he is in his own bed resting. We're so grateful for all the staff in the Cardiac Unit up at Yakima Regional - they were phenomenal! Doug received excellent care and we got to meet some exceptional people we never would have met otherwise. We have also felt the prayers of so many and appreciate them so much. It never fails to amaze me that there is a silver lining in every situation. Now the fun begins!=)

Doing better this afternoon and evening, took a couple of strolls, getting up is still tricky but getting better with each try. We're praying for a good night so he can finally join us at home.=)

A long sleepless night of atrial fibrillation left Doug so tired and weak he had to bargain with the nurse to eat breakfast in bed versus getting up and moving to his chair. Nick and I went up to visit around 11:30, ate lunch with him and then played Mexican Train game, with Gr & Gr Veteto joining us.=) We left him to rest by about 2:30 and hopefully he got some. He wants us to come back later. Dr. Sharma said if he gets his Afib under control he can come home tomorrow. Please pray for him - he can't wait to get into his own bed!!

Doug is exhausted tonight after a long day of visitors, getting his chest tube & catheter removed, learning how to shower and dress. After all that he was too tired to go on a walk, felt shaky and 'overdone'. The nurses said Dr. Sharma might not release him until Monday. Please pray that he can get some sleep tonight!

Dr. Sharma just came in and said it might be Sunday or Monday before Doug goes home so we'll see. Doug's still hoping for tomorrow because the bed is so uncomfortable he just rests, never sleeps. He has to breathe into this incentive spirometer ten times an hour to keep his lungs clear of pneumonia. At first it was to help clear the lungs of the anethesia. He is now free of all tubes - he feels like a free man!

Good news! Doug gets to come home sometime tomorrow (Saturday)! They just took out the chest tube so he has to lay flat for an hour. Then out comes the catheter so he can walk around 'tube free'! We'll also be learning how to care for him at home for the next few weeks. I must admit I'm a wee bit scared. Thank goodness I'm feeling better and have my parents here - I don't know how I could've got through this past week without them. They are amazing!!

Doug's heart has settled down to the 90's so he went on his first walk down the hall this evening. He's still on an IV, catheter and the chest tube. My dad and I came back to watch the Seahawks with him - hopefully Fisherman's Friend will keep me coughfree for the whole game.=)

We made it up to Doug's -I haven't coughed, knock on wood. He had to be put back on some IV's and is having some irregular heartbeat problems. They're keeping an eye on it. He's sitting up in a chair ready for his turkey dinner! He's feeling flushed in the face but cold in his core.

Doug's getting stronger every day! My dad said he "looked a lot better than he did yesterday!" He's eating 'real' food now, no more green jello, juice, broth, and herbal tea! (this post was for Wednesday but I didn't click on 'publish' - oops!)

Doug had a much better night - rested more. Today is the hard day - Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy - they have to teach him how to put on his clothes, how to take a shower, how to get out of bed, out of a chair, with his incision for the next several weeks - he has to be very careful so he doesn't end up having to go back in. I've been dealing with a horrible cough which has gotten worse so they don't want me to come in today,=( so my dad is going in my place. Thank goodness my parents are here! They've been a tremendous help in so many ways including ferrying Nick back & forth to work! Love them so much!

Doug has a new best friend! We haven't named it yet but its a fairly large heart shaped pillow. He hugs it to help with the pain of breathing, moving, coughing, sneezing, etc. It helps to protect the incision and from ripping the wire sutures out which would be very bad. Around 4 today they got him up and he walked a few steps and sat up in a chair for about 3 hours. It was quite the ordeal getting him back in bed amongst all the tubing and everything he's hooked up to! Tomorrow they say will be the hardest day partly because he'll be so tired and because he'll have to get up and sit up 3 different times! Thank you for all your prayers! We're feeling them!

Last night a good friend Dennis Apken stayed with Doug which gave us all more peace. Of mind. He has gone to nursing school so he knows a lot about caring for patients. Doug had a rough night- not much sleep - but is alert and oriented this morning and able to carry on a good conversation. Pres. Hendricks came by and gave him a blessing while he was here to help him be less anxious and get more rest. We feel blessed and grateful to have such loving, caring friends.

Hi, this is mom/grandma Veteto writing: I was amazed at what they can do now days. Doug was bleeding and the blood was going into a bag...a person came in, hooked him up to a machine along with his blood, it spun 4000 X per second purifying it and then they put it back into him. Wow! that was so good to see using your own blood instead of someone elses.

It was hard to leave Doug tonight. Hard to see him all hooked up, uncomfortable, going through all the 'normal' (they tell me) after surgery 'things'. Even though he's not 'all there', not really able to focus because of the pressure and pain, he still has his sense of humor. Dave and I were by his bedside, trying to be of help, he's wincing in pain and flexing his hand so we asked if his hand felt swollen and he whispered, "Un poco" and Dave said 'what?' "Un poco". Dave asked "are you speaking Spanish?" "Si."=) And then when all these beepers started going off, he said, "I'm wired for sound."=) We are very happy with the care he's getting - everyone has been amazing!! The hospital should, however, invest in a bed for tall people.

Doug is having a hard time coming out of the anethesia - is very agitated - I haven't been allowed to see him yet. Please keep those prayers coming!

Thank you so much for all your faith and prayers, putting his name in the temple, fasting, all your love -it means so much to us.

Doug is off the heart-lung machine and being sewn up! Surgery went super well an finished quicker than planned. The OR nurse showed us pictures of the before and after - surgery was definitely needed - made a huge difference. I'll try to see if I can get copies to post them for you. The next 24 hours are critical - they will monitor him closely for bleeding, etc. He is now in ICU.

Heart Cath

On Friday Doug came through the heart cath with flying Colors. It revealed exactly whet we knew needed to be done: aneurysm repair and valve replacement. We are so impressed with Dr. Burger and so glad he's Doug's cardiologist. All the nurses and employees were excellent. And so helpful and so accommodating. The procedure was done through the wrist and up through the heart. I was shocked when they came to get me after 25 minutes! They had to keep pressure on the artery and watch him for about 4 hours. After being in bed for 2 hours Doug started getting restless "this is killing my backside!" I can't imagine trying to keep him down the next few weeks! After we got home, ate lunch and rested a few minutes he announced he was going to the office for a few hours! No rest for the wicked!=)

This blog is for friends and family that want updates on Doug's Open Heart surgery scheduled for Monday, November 24th.  It will be easier for everyone versus phone calls, etc.!=)  We'll keep it updated daily for a few weeks starting on Monday after surgery.