Dad's Bypass

Well, it's done. The bypass started at approx 1pm on Monday 19th Nov, and finished 4 hours later at 5pm. He was still knocked out when we went in to see him, but it was a relief to know that everything went reasonably smoothly.

Mum and I have been at the hospital every day since then, during visiting hours - which are very limited for ICU... from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and from 6pm to 8pm, and only two people at a time. Dad has been slowly and steadily improving, but is not an easy patient. He is somewhat doped with all the meds, and he is not used to being, literally, 'confined' for so long. He said today it was a bit like being in a prison. They put the respirator mask on him, and he pulls it off, he tugs off all the monitoring pads, can't keep his right arm (which is full of tubes for the meds) still, keeps fidgeting and moving, and it is very very difficult to get him to eat anything. He is also very itchy, as his body hair, which was shaved before the op, is growing back again! We've been trying to keep him cheerful, with stories of what my sis and her husband and their two boys are going through in India, and sometimes that helps, but because of the meds he finds it hard to concentrate. (Sis and family are in India, attending TJ's nieces wedding. This was planned long before the op, and Dad convinced her to go ahead with the trip, so she went. We've been sms'ing almost constantly, keeping each other updated with what is happening here and there, which is why I am able to keep Dad updated too).

Family and friends have been wonderful - the prayers, I am very sure, have played a large part in the relative smoothness of the overall op and the subsequent recovery. Brother taking time off from his clinic to drive up from Malacca on the day of the op and waiting patiently till it was all over and he could see Dad before he drove back home again. Husband, who was supposed to be in SG, coming back to KL with me on Sunday so that he could be there for the op and just be sure that Dad was OK before he headed back. And Suja was wonderful - being there with us on the first and second days, and taking the time and trouble to send Husband to the LRT on the first day, after the op, so that he could get to the airport in time to catch his flight back to SG. Many other visitors, who have also come and kept my Mum company in between visiting hours at the hospital. And so many who kept sending messages of prayer and good wishes. Thank you to ALL of you!

Tomorrow, if all goes well, Dad will be moved out of ICU to the High Dependency Unit (HDU), where he can, hopefully, start walking around and moving around and (best of all from his perspective) go and have a PRIVATE PEE!!! By next week, he should be in the General Ward. Have told him many many times that he HAS to get well and get into the General Ward, as my sis, and all Dad's 5 grandchildren, are waiting to be able to CALL HIM!

Please keep the prayers going, and thank you for them. They have made a world of difference.