My Dad recently had a Nuclear Stress Test and the results showed that his heart isn’t functioning properly. He had not told us that he had been having some shortness of breath and palpitations and such…ugh… They aren’t sure what is wrong — if it’s something with his Quadruple Bypass (that they 10 years ago yesterday), or something new.
In order to discover that, today they will do a Cardiac Catheterization — during which a long thin tube, a catheter, will be inserted in an artery or vein in his groin and threaded through the blood vessels to his heart. This will show them what the issues are. He is deathly allergic to Iodine (which is why he can’t eat shellfish — hives, close his wind-pipe), so they have been prepping him before and will be ready during the surgery for that.
There is a chance when they are in there, that if he needs something done (like a stint), it may be taken care of at the time. Not sure.
Dad has been anxious about this. He’s been through it before, and not seamlessly I might add, but with Mom. Without her optimism and “everything will be fine” attitude, he’s certainly feeling it. My Florida brother and I are here, well, to just be here with him.
Dad has had trouble sleeping the past few nights. Before we went to bed last night, I searched for a prayer and found this short yet poignent prayer at Catholic.org:
Loving Father, I entrust myself to your care this day; guide with wisdom and skill the minds and hands of the medical people who minister in your Name, and grant that every cause of illness be removed, I may be restored to soundness of health and learn to live in more perfect harmony with you and with those around me. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Into your hands, I commend my body and my soul. Amen.
When we have health scares, it reminds us how out of control we are of our lives, how fragile life is, how quickly things can change. It also can reveal to us how great we are in need of a Savior, how grand our trust needs to be, how loving our family and friends are, and how we need to embrace life and do and say the things we need to right now…not wait for “someday”.
Closed Doors Open Windows 
Amen, Lisa :). I will offer my own prayer. Heavenly Father, I lift up to the foot of the cross your servant. I ask that through the shed blood of Christ and in his power as the Divine Physician that you guide the hands of the physicians and speed the recovery of his body. May he be healed of every physical ailment and brought safely through to be received in the loving arms of his daughter and son. I ask, Lord, that you grant all three of them peace that the world cannot offer and that you shower them in the radiant splendor of your Holy Spirit. I ask all of this in the power of your Most Holy Name and in the Name above all other Names, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Hi Lisa, I am sending many prayers for your dad and the family. Thank you so much for sharing. Keep us posted.
Blessings,
Norma
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Thanks, Norma. We went for the follow-up visit today. The Cardiologist gave a good non-invasive option today at the follow up visit for Dad to do in the doctor’s office, to help with the main Artery which has diffused blockage but cannot get a stint. I’m now getting some heart healthy recipes together for him!
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