Dad finally got out of the balloon angioplasty surgery last night at around 10. The doctors were unable to complete the procedure from what I have gathered. Once they got in there, the blockage was so bad they wanted to do a bypass instead. Due to how late at night it was, they didn’t do the bypass then. Instead, they wheeled him back to his room and discussed the procedure with him.

My father is now denying consent and refusing to have the bypass! Stubborn jackass.

Instead, he wants to attempt some alternative method he read about in a magazine at some point in time that involves pressurized pants. WTF?!? I’m trying to find out more information about it.

From what I have been able to gather from my mom and siblings, one artery is completely blocked and another is about 98%. I wish the surgeons would have just been able to have done the bypass when they had him under the first time.

I’m trying to decide if I should go home to see dad “one last time”…

UPDATE (11:20 am):
Talked with my brother, and they have managed to convince my father to go through with the operation. They will operate sometime today. I talked to dad after that, and he sounded, well, like he thought he wasn’t going to make it. He said for me not to bother coming down.

I’m heading to Florida…

UPDATE (12:53 pm):
No word yet on when dad will go into surgery.

I’ve found a flight from here (XNA) to Orlando that leaves at 7 am tomorrow. I’ll be on board. It’s a minimum 17 hour drive from here to there. So even if I left now, I would still get there around the same time the flight lands.

Thank you to all who have emailed your thoughts and concerns. I appreciate it.

UPDATE (2:51 pm):
Rodney (one of my brothers) just called. My dad has been in surgery for a little over an hour. No idea though how long it will take….

Can you see the disconnect?

UPDATE (6:25 pm):
Dad just got out of surgery. 6 hours. Quadruple-bypass. They just wheeled him into ICU. They will let mom in to see him in another hour.