Hi all.
So, We finally got a call back today saying that my dad was going to have to get ALL of his testing re-done in Cleveland. With a tentative surgery date of Dec 7th... IF they give him clearance for the surgery.
Dr Pettersson's nurse is trying to coordinate for all the testings to be done.
December is just SOOOO far away for my dad... he needs help NOW!
Has anyone been admitted to Cleveland thru the ER? And if you were transported from a distance... how did you get there? Wondering if that's the way to go in order to expedite things?
Sorry, just so frustrated and discouraged yet trying to stay strong. (I will admit... it's getting really hard to do these days.)
I'm not quite sure what you are asking and I have some different thoughts about it.
Are you asking IF your Dad gets worse before his surgery date and goes to the local ER how would they get him to CCF IF they think he needs surgery sooner than December? Or are you asking IF he went to the local ER would that help move his surgery date up so he didn't have to wait as long?
Justin has had quite a few heart surgeries, some planned that he had to wait weeks or a month or so to get the "soonest" date for "elective" surgery (FWIW any heart surgery that is schedualled not right from the ER type of thing is considerred "elective") some of his were ER cases w/ surgery the very next day and for most of his planned surgeries he was also bumped a couple times for other Emergency cases. So I really do understand how hard it is to wait, knowing how much better he will be after surgery and wonderring IF he really is ok to wait and all the other questions and fears
Justin doesn't go to CCF, but goes to one of the top/busiest Congenital Heart Centers AND he also has the "best" surgeon at that hospital, so like CCF people fly from all over the world for surgery and they are VERY busy, so there is always a long waiting list and unless you are a real emergency (meaning you would probably die in a few days if they didn't operate right away) they fit you in to the next available opening. (of course for an emergency they will fit you in even if they have to bump other patients who aren't in as bad shape ect) One of the problems with going to the best centers/surgeons is the waiting list is usually longer than it would be at some other centers, so as long as they feel it is safe to wait compared to all the other people waiting for their surgeries, you probably will have to wait a little longer. IF they honestly don't think you (in this case your Dad)could wait they would get you an earlier date, even if it means bumping another person who isn't as bad as the ER case.
Now if you were asking what would happen IF your Dad got worse and went to the local ER, how would things work out to get him to CCF if they decided he couldn't wait until his schedualled surgery. You got alot of good advice already.
But if you were trying to figure out IF going to the local ER would move up his surgery IF nothing has really changed since they decided he could wait until December. I don't think they would move up the surgery. They might suggest changing around meds or something but unless he was worse, I don't think (but could be completely wrong) it would help getting surgery sooner -by probably bumping someone else that has been waiting for their surgery for a while too.
Also unless you REALLY have to go to the ER, especially this time of year, I don't know that I would want to risk him catching something from all the sick people also in the waiting room ect. That's the last thing anyone waiting for heart surgery needs. One of Justin's surgeries was postponed a couple weeks because he got sick a few days before his surgery was schedualled.
I really do know how scarey all of this is, especially with all your Dad has been thru the past year. Maybe you could call and ask why they decided he was ok to wait and also find out if there is anything you should be watching for that would mean he needs surgery sooner.