Inez Lucretia Parsons Ashcroft
Lucretia’s Second Bypass
Surgery Journal
Lucretia’s Second Bypass Surgery Journal
A Journal kept by Marie Hansen
February 1986
Anne called this evening to say that Mom was in ICU in the Cedar Hospital. She had had chest pain at extraction, made it home and called Anne. Anne rushed up, called the ambulance and got her to the hospital. At that point they did not think it was a heart attack.
We had our sisters’ reunion scheduled for that weekend in Las Vegas. Everyone was notified and the reunion was relocated to Cedar. Mom improved and was moved from ICU on Friday. Her color was good as long as she was on oxygen. We all visited in turns and all together at some times and had some good visits. We started walking her in the halls and she seemed to be improving, although she was bothered by unpleasant hallucinations at night and occasional chest pain. At about this point we were told that she had indeed had one or two heart attacks.
It had snowed about 18 inches (2 days) and it was very cold. We did have a nice visit with each other and it seemed so good to be together. We all felt it was not long enough. Anne had reserved us two rooms at the new Town and Country North (by the old Utah Parks Depot). The rooms were large, lovely, and Anne had flowers, nuts and candy in our rooms.
We parted on Sunday thinking they would be releasing Mom to Anne’s house on Monday. On Monday mom was experiencing more chest pain and after a conference of doctors they decided to fly mom to LDS hospital in Salt Lake for an angiogram -- suspecting it was her grafts that were failing. She was to arrive in Salt Lake at 8:30 p.m. She didn’t arrive until 9:45 p.m. It seemed a long trip to her (it was a 50 minute flight) and she was a little nauseated. The ambulance ride to LDS seemed rough. They did not let me in to see her for over an hour. Even with these complaints she was in pretty good spirits and had no heart pain. The angiogram was scheduled for morning and I left hoping she would rest for the night.
The angiogram took much longer than normal (was to be 40 minutes to 2 hours). Mom was gone from 7:15 until 9:45. Dr. Laser did the gram. Three of her four grafts are 100% clogged. The 4th graft (right side) is 100% clear. Her heart muscle is very strong. She is healthy and vital for her age. The reason it took so long was her aorta is in the shape of a question mark, and he could not get the cable to thread through. He says there is no sign of an aneurysm as we had been told before -- that was probably just shadows from the shape of the aorta.
At this point mom was uncomfortable. She had been awake through the gram and it was very painful for her. She had reacted to the medication (protomeen) with shivering and trembling, blue feet, hands and around the mouth. They did not let me see her for over an hour after she was back in her room. She was to keep her legs straight for six hours after the gram so as not to loosen the blood clot at point of entry to the groin vessel.
Dr. LaPay came in and said we could do one of two things. Control it with medication and see how things go or redo surgery on three grafts. He suggested we try the medication for a while and if she could have the quality life she could live with. Put her out of ICU and try walking, etc, to see what happens.
Next day -- didn’t move her from ICU. She continued to experience chest pain even lying in bed and the medications they were trying made her blood pressure drop to 38. They had to cut them way back and give her fluid by IV.
Dr. Jones came in early Wednesday morning and talked to mother. His feelings were that there was no alternative but surgery. The meds just weren’t working and they had tried every combination they could try. Mom said she just couldn’t turn off her life so she guessed they better do it. Dr. Jones was going out of town until late on Friday night. They don’t schedule surgery on Saturday or Sunday, and Monday was President’s Day, so they would operate on Tuesday (six days away). They would keep her in ICU to adjust meds and rest her up for surgery.
I tried to work mornings and then would visit her afternoons and evenings. Spending one hour in travel for each visit. Mom’s appetite was very poor and she was getting more nervous every day. The pink ladies brought in a tape recorder and some tapes (Journey to Bethany) for her to listen to. The nurses were so good to her.
My visits on Friday showed she was getting anxious in waiting but her spirits still seemed good under the circumstances. It was Valentine’s Day. Diane had visited about noon and taken her some Cavanaugh’s chocolates. I had called and gotten permission to bring her a heart shaped mylar balloon (no flowers allowed -- regular balloons might pop). I brought the balloon (last one I could find in our section of town) and a big pretty valentine. Thursday and Friday she had had visits from Sharon, Laurie, David and Charlie, Joyce Parsons, Curtis, Julie and Steve and Tami.
When we left the hospital on Friday night we had discussed with the nurse that we would see if surgery could be moved up so mom wouldn’t be so anxious. Dr. Jones was to be in that evening, but hadn’t arrived yet. Mom wasn’t eating (things tasted yuck!) or drinking much, and continually picked at her fingernails.
I called at 11 p.m. to see if the doctor had been in. He hadn’t. I would call again first thing in the morning. Called at 7 a.m. No Dr. yet. I would be up a little later to see her. At 7:30 a.m. mom’s nurse called me to say mom was deeply depressed and needed me to come. I said I would be right up. When I arrived at 8:00 a.m. the nurse (Linda Saxon or Saxton) was sitting on the edge of mom’s bed holding her hand and softly talking to her.
Mom was very depressed and had given up. She didn’t think it was worth going on. She said she was just worn out. Through! She thought everyone would be better off if she just went. She thought the doctors were stalling because they didn’t think the surgery would do any good. Then mom said she had been praying to the Lord and she was convinced this was what He wanted.
I tried to reason her out of it -- that I had also been praying and I felt good about the results of trying surgery. That she had many good years left and lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren to meet and see grow up, go on missions, get married, etc., and that we had reservations for our reunion in 1987, etc. It didn’t seem to help. Then mom said she wanted me to sit and listen. She had some things she wanted to tell me. It might not be pleasant for me, but she needed to tell someone. (I thought she was going to bring out some old ghosts from the closet). She proceeded to tell me what she wanted for her funeral. Where her temple clothes were, how to have them cleaned, the hanky she wanted to hold, to wear her pearl ring till the very end, who on the program, who to sing, who to let know, what to do with things, finances, insurance, etc. I just let her talk -- then when she seemed to be through I said, “Mom, I’m glad you told me all these things. Someday we will need to know this and I will try to remember what you wish to be done, but for now they will be filed in my memory for later use, because I think we still have quite a few years left if we do the surgery. I know it will be hard on you, but I will be right with you every minute of the way, and together we can get through it.
We continued the conversation and it moved to the lighter side slowly. She needed to go to the bathroom so she rang the nurse. After that the nurse came in and gave her a bed bath. We got her up again and sat her in the chair. The nurse shampooed her hair (It had been two weeks and felt and looked pretty grubby). She sat in the chair while the nurse changed the bed. Then Dr. Jones came in (after talking to the nurse if the hall first, and I think she called him. She was a little disgusted about the whole drawn out situation. Dr. Jones talked to mom about the whole situation and said they had decided to move surgery up to Sunday at 8 a.m. He said they would have to use the artery in her other leg this time. They would do three bypasses right next to the old ones, leaving the old ones right there. It would take about 1 ½ hours longer this time as they would be working through old scar tissue and around the other grafts. It would probably be six hours or so, plus one hour or more in recovery. He explained that she would be on a ventilator and many tubes. She should expect to be cold and to have fluid retention, all which would be normal. About three days in ICU and then 7-10 days on the recovery floor. Dr. Jones reinforced how strong her heart muscle was and that she would have a 94% chance of several more good years.
After he left we put mom back in bed. It had been 5 hours since I got there. She was exhausted, but she took a big breath and said, “I feel better. I think I’ve come back to life now.” She promised to try to eat and drink more and I left her to rest while I went home for a couple of hours to call everyone.
In the afternoon Hal and Julie and I went back to see if she was still doing okay. After just a while, Maureen, Lynette and Melissa came. We went to the waiting room and let them in. Marvin and Anna came. We left and went home to get Julie to a babysitting appointment. We had a bite to eat and then went back to the hospital to say goodnight to mom. When we got here, Maureen, girls, and Craig and Patti were still with mom and Curt had dropped by on his way home from work, but was gone. Others were just leaving. We could tell Mom was tired so we just reassured her, said goodnight and left. We took all her unnecessary things home with us.
Mom said every night at LDS hospital about 10:30 at night she could see through the crack of the door out to the nurses’ station, and there were lots of Chinese or Japanese people in bright colored kimonos with embroidery all over them that would flit around getting ready for a program. They had mats that they got ready to sleep on. There were tables set up and they were serving some kind of refreshments to those who came to watch the program. She said is was so real and came every night. We joked about it and that the nurses were missing out on seeing the show, etc. She said it was happy hallucinations, not scarry like in Cedar.
Sunday morning Hal and I came to the hospital at 7 a.m. They were to medicate her at 7:15, which they did. We held her hand and reassured her again and said we would see her later on. She said, “Oh, if I don’t see you, I will see Daddy, Don, and Charles, so it will be okay either way.” But she seemed happy as she said it. They took her to surgery at 7:40. They were to send word to us and let us know how things were progressing during the six hours, but weren’t too good at that. Hal went home, went to the last of High Council and took the kids to church. Then he and Julie came back up to wait with me.
At 1:25 they sent a nurse to tell us they had completed 2 bypasses and it would be another hour to close and finish up and the doctor would be down to talk to us. Dr. Jones came down at 2:30 p.m. He said all went well. He did only do two bypasses. The third one was a small vessel and he thought it did not need to be redone. He had to use the vein from the full right leg to get enough good veins to use. She had a lot of varicose veins in that leg. She will be in recovery for an hour and then in ICU. It will be an hour after she gets to ICU that I can see her. She will not be awake. She probably won’t be awake until evening, and hopefully can go off the ventilator by late evening or morning.
Went in to see her at 4 p.m. She was still very sound asleep. Wired to everything in sight. Looked a little pale. Had put in pacemaker wires in case they needed them. Giving her two medications to help her heart pump (Dopamine and Lidocaine), blood platelets, IV saline, and sucrose. Tube through mouth (ventilator) to help her breathe.
Diane and Alan came at 5:30. They went in to see mom. She fluttered her eyes when nurse told her she had visitors. Hal and Julie came at 6 p.m. They let all three of us in (Julie’s first experience with such). She opened her eyes when nuse said, “Open your eyes”, only for a second. Squirmed as if very uncomfortable. They had had to put pacemaker on to help the heart beat. Had a box on her chest connected to the heart by wires out of the incision. Kidneys were working fine -- putting lots out. Moved her arms slightly. Nurse told her to just go back to sleep -- everything was just fine. Her hands were under the covers to help warm her up. I rubbed her good leg through the covers and told her we would be checking on her later and see her tomorrow. Don’t think she would have known we were there.
Called at 10:30 -- doing well and stable.
Monday the 17th -- called at 7 a.m. Had a good night. Made a lot of progress in recovering. Still had ventilator. Oxygen and Blood pressure up a little better. I told them I would be in at 12:30. Went in at 12:30. Still had ventilator and many wires and tubes. Had turned off lidocaine and cut Dopamine in half. She tried to say something to me but couldn’t talk because of the tube. Seemed in a lot of pain. Dr. Lappay came in -- said she was doing good. Said the veins from her leg were only fair ones but they used the good parts. Said to be sure to have GI bleeding checked in about 3 months when she is feeling better.
I couldn’t help but cry to see mom so bruised, wired, poked and in such pain, but what else would be the choice we had. Maureen visited at 12:30.
Evening -- mom looked much better. Ventilator was gone and she had nose oxygen. Dopamine also gone. Nurse was giving her ice chips. I spoke to her and she said she was in lots of pain. She said, “How did it happen?” I said, “Mom, you had heart surgery.” She said, “Oh, I thought it happened on the ski slopes.” Left hand is really swollen but warm and pink. They came in and changed nose oxygen for mask -- said she wasn’t getting quite enough oxygen with the nose piece, even though it's the most comfortable. Mom said, “I can’t see.” Nurse said, “Open your eyes.” Mom did and said, “Oh, a familiar face.” so I guess she recognized me. Eyes only open ten seconds then closed again. Keeping vaseline on her lips. They are dry.
Tuesday, the 18th--Hal visited in the morning. I visited at 12:30 and Hal, Curt, and I visited at night. Charlie and Laurie came. Mother seemed much better. Remembered that Hal had visited in the morning. Commented on my new coat (new to her). Cranked up the bed and sat up for a while. Didn’t seem in as much pain. I felt real good about her when we left.
Wednesday, February 19 -- Hal visited in the morning again. I went in a 1 p.m. She was sitting in a chair. Very nauseated. In a lot of pain. Put her back in bed. Second time she had been up. Was scheduled to be up three times today. Had unhooked the pacemaker box (wires still in). Taken the big drain from the incision. Taken the bandages off both incisions. Only tape strips left. Put a long sock on her surgery leg. Other leg already had one. They had also removed the deep heart monitor (still had monitor patches) and one of her IV’s on the right arm. Gave her a shot in IV for nausea. She settled down and shot helped. She was exhausted so I left to let her sleep.
Feb. 20, 1986 -- Curt went to hospital early AM. He called me at work to say Mom had been moved from ICU during the night -- to west wing recovery. I went up after work. Mom was upset and crying. She thought she had run away from the hospital and gone to Salt Lake -- just ask LuAnne. She had been very disoriented since the move. I got her calmed down -- maybe only for the moment. She isn’t eating very much. They brought a little carton of orange sherbet and I fed it to her and also got her to take a drink of juice. Hal came and he also got her to take a good drink. They have disconnected everything but her nose oxygen. Still has IV in arm in case they need it, but it was not hooked to anything. I saw the doctor in the hall and stepped out to talk to him. While I was out I looked back into her room and she was up headed to the bathroom by herself. Doctor said her disorientation was normal and she was doing well. He ordered a B-12 shot for her, as her iron was low. Said she should have one every 2-3 months after she gets home. It’s just as well to do that as to do all the tests to determine if she needs it. I felt very good about her getting up by herself. Last time she still needed help after she got to my house.
Friday-Saturday. I did not visit mom these days as we spent them with Curt in Provo for the 4A State Swim Finals. Checked with Anne’s kids here each night to see how things were going. They report that she is continuing to improve. Confusion seems to improve each day.
Sunday. Went up right after dinner. It was my R.S. lesson today. Mom said the doctor had told her she could go home on Wednesday. Didn’t know at this point if she had dreamed it or not. No record of it on her chart or known by nurses. Have started walking her in halls. Still not eating well.
Monday. Have taken her oxygen away from her now. Her voice is raspy and she gasps for air as she talks. It is an effort for her to talk. I attended a post-op class for an hour to learn how to care for her when she gets home. Walks good three times a day. Doesn’t need pain pills as often as before.
Tuesday. Seems less confused on most things. Still thinks I live in Logan. Took her for a nice walk in the hall again today. Said she ate a good lunch today. They had shrimp salad and it tasted good to her. She has lost seven pounds in the hospital, but has quit losing now. Voice much better today and not such a strain to talk. Walking makes her a little winded by the time she gets back to bed. Have Julie’s room all ready for her to come home tomorrow. Pick her up before 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, February 26th. Twenty-three days in hospital.