Prayers and Pixie Dust for my Dad

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been around much lately. Been going through a lot here. A lot of you know my dad Andy. He's been battling some kind of nasty illness for the past few weeks. Finally went to the doctor on Monday, and they're not sure what he has. First thought was a heart problem, but he saw a cardiologist today and the EKG was fine, though they're going to do a stress test next Monday just to make sure. He also had a chest x-ray and a CT scan, which showed moderate fluid in his right lung. So he's on antibiotics and is scheduled for a pleural tap next week. Doctor says it could be anything from bacterial pneumonia to a lung infection to cancer. He's feeling a little bit better from the antibiotics, which is a hopeful sign, but still having shortness of breath and a whole lot of misery. For myself, I'm at the end of my rope. Exhausted from caring for him, terrified, and alone. The family is being NOT helpful, not even involved, and my local friends could care less. Any and all prayers and pixie dust are much appreciated!!!

JLTraveling you have all the Prayers and Pixie Dust I can send your way on it's way now!! :pray2: :pixiedust :pray2::pixiedust:pray2::pixiedust:pray2::pixiedus t:pray2::pixiedust


I hope for nothing but the best for your father and a very speedy recovery. Please keep us posted as I will keep you in my prayers.

LOTS AND LOTS OF HUGS AND PIXIE DUST Please PM me if you need to talk and I will give you my number...I can call you if charges are an issue. Please know that you are in all of your online family's thots.

Lots of prayers and pixie dust you can handle... Know that you are most definitely in our thoughts and have all of my prayers for you...:pixiedust :pixiedust :pixiedust :pray2: :pray2: :pray2: :pixiedust :pixiedust :pixiedust :pray2: :pray2: :pray2:

Many hugs Lisa!!! And send some to Andy!!

I am sending some prayers and pixie dust for your father Andy! :pixiedust: :pixiedust:

Many prayers your way...I know what it's like when family disappears in times of need like this! :-[

:pixiedust :pixiedust :grouphug: LOTS OF PRAYERS AND PIXIE DUST FOR YOU AND ALL YOUR FAMILY!!:grouphug: :pixiedust :pixiedust

It is hard in that stage when they just don't know what is wrong. My prayers are with you and your dad for a full and speedy recovery! Much pixie dust too.

Just a quick update. No more doctors till Monday, but starting to see signs of improvement in my Dad. Today, for the first time in a week, he was able to get out for awhile. We spent several hours running errands, went out for a nice lunch. He had to come home and rest afterwards, he started getting pretty bad right toward the end of the excursion. But after a few hours' rest he's feeling better again, not great but not bad. He's so much more lucid now too, he had been pretty out of it for awhile. There's now a question on whether he'll end up having the pleural tap, there's a chance the antibiotics may actually clear up the illness between now and then. If that happens, then it was definitely just an infection. Too early to tell though.
Thanks for all the prayers and pixie dust, they definitely seem to be helping!!!!

Update:

Pleural tap was today, they removed a TON of fluid from Dad's lung. Preliminary report shows that it is related to an infection, but they're going to do a full lab workup to make sure, including screening for cancer. Assuming it is an infection, it could be bacterial, which means another round of stronger antibiotics should clear it up, or it could be viral, which means he may need lung surgery to scrape out the remaining fluid.

Also still possible it could be heart-related, as apparently the echocardiogram showed "something" but we won't know what till the next cardiologist appt next Monday.

On the upshot, Dad's feeling better and better overall. A little bit of a relapse yesterday afternoon, and major problems with the slipped disc in his back, but he's been up and around a LOT more, and doesn't sound nearly as miserable.

Keep us in your prayers! We love you all!!

Hang in there, Lisa! :pixiedust by the ton sent your way!

Posting an update:

Just when things were looking better & Andy was feeling a bit better, the doctor admitted him to the hospital today. Continued fluid in the lung and swollen lymph nodes, so dr's admitting him and calling in specialists. Lisa's really scared and really upset.

Those prayers and pixie dust are really needed more than ever. Thanks, folks!

Lisa,

I am sending many wishes, prayers, and pixie dust to your and your family :pixiedust: :pixiedust:

I talked to Lisa today.... here's the latest:

Some better news from them. Forgive me if I get the medical terms wrong.
It is a bacterial infection in the pleural cavity, either from a mild case
of walking pneumonia that settled there or possibly a staph infection.
Microbiology hasn't been able to determine what it is exactly. They have
avoided lung surgery by being treated by one of the few doctors in the
country that performs an aggressive draining procedure through catheters -
the dr. has been coming in 3x a day to manually aspirate him and overnight
there is a low suction pump. He's also using Activase (sp?) which is
normally for blood clots but it is working on thinning the thickened
fluid/lining in the lungs. They were told there are about a 1000 cases
like this a year, no specific cause (age, smoking, genetics) and not
contagious.

So far, it's looking pretty good, the lung is now 75% clear. Andy will
still be in the hospital for the rest of the week, but as long as it keeps
going this way he should be fine and not need surgery.

The hospital experience has been rough - isolation ward for fear of TB,
psycho nurses, over aggressive surgeons, too many doctors poking their
noses in and not understanding what the primary doc is doing. A surgical
nurse actually came in and started prepping him for surgery last week -
saying they had signed consent and met with the surgeon (they hadn't done
either) and the surgeon came up to his room and started yelling at them
for refusing the surgery.

She sends her love to everyone and her appreciation for the prayers and
good wishes.

Sounds like it has been tough to be on top of everything!!

My heart goes out to her and the family! It is a good thing they have eachother!!
:pixiedust :pixiedust :pray2: :pray2: :pixiedust :pixiedust :pray2: :pray2: :pixiedust :pixiedust :pray2: :pray2: