Well this is the day we have been waiting for. My dad's doctor prescribed a CT scan after having felt a pulsation in his abdomen during a regular physical on February 12, 2003. (Lucky, I know.) Then after test then wait and then another test and then another wait and still another test and then the wait to schedule his surgery; which is today, well actually he has to be at the hospital at midnight tonight.
He is going to have the full blown surgery instead of the stent. He is 62 years old (he retired at 55 years old) and just finished building his log cabin on 40-acres in Seligman, Arizona by himself. Well with help from family and friends. (Picture of cabin to be in the Cabin, Inc. Magazine next month). So needless to say he has been in pretty good health.
Anyway, I just happened to come across this site and now I am sitting here just kinda numb. Wanting to run to him and tell him not to go through with the more major surgery (he actually was a good candidate for the stents, but his doctor convinced him to have the major one instead). I had no idea and I don't think he does either the complications that he could and it sounds like, probably will, go through. I am having a really tough time of this. (Neither of my parents have ever been seriously sick).
I now picture him coming out of surgery drooling and wetting himself (kind of an exaggeration). It seems like there are so many more that don't make it or are never even 50% back to normal health. I didn't read all of the narratives, but I read quite a few. Anyway, I am not sure why I am even writing this, but to say thanks maybe for opening my eyes a little and I am going to go spend the rest of the day and the evening with my dad.
I won't scare him with all of what I have read just now, but I just want to be with him and make him laugh and give him a couple hugs before he goes through his surgery. I will do an update in a couple weeks and I am glad I read this site to have a better insight and to know what we may be up against.