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Well, I just found out that my mother needs bypass surgery This is after the doctor was going to place a stint in a blocked artery and found it was 90% blocked, the other arteries are 40% and 70% blocked.

This all started with a knee replacement that mom needed because her knee would not stay in joint and was causing her severe pain. The doctor had her get a cardio test before the surgery which showed that she had had a small heart attack at some time in the past, but nothing really major and everything else appeared ok. So the surgery was scheduled.

After the surgery to replace the knee which went very well (she was awake the whole time with a spinal block) she stayed in the hospital for two days and then went to a nursing facility for recovery and physical therapy.

Now, realize that my mom has been fairly active and independent her whole life. She used to bowl and was an excellent dancer and was clogging at 65. At 79 she gets around like a person of 50 and can run rings around most people her age. She still drives, and very well too. She went to a nursing facility because she needs 24 hour care until she can get around on her own and the knee is not in danger of seizing from scar tissue buildup.

The nursing facility is called Springdale West in Mesa AZ. She had to be pulled from the facility because of a lack of care and the unsanitary conditions that we found only after the fact. We returned mom to my sisters’ house where her room was being remodeled. There was a nurse coming in every day for PT and to help with other medical needs.

Two days after coming home mom awoke with extreme shortness of breath and a “pinch” in the center of her chest. She was taken to Scottsdale Osborne Medical Center immediately. At first the doctors though it might be an embolism, but after a lot of testing the doctors determined she has congestive heart failure! More testing was done and yesterday they decided to place a stint in a blocked artery. Today was the procedure; they ran the catheter and found severe blockages in the major arteries at the heart.

Since mom is on medicare only and our family is not financially fluid we now have to consider how to pay for all of this. Hopefully AHCCCS will be able to help.

So for now it is a waiting game. More updates coming soon. Prayers are appreciated!

Update 3-28-09:
Mom is home after having the heart surgery, the triple turned into a quad but she is much better for it. Though there is still a lot of chest pain (where the breast bone was cracked) she is doing pretty well. She is able to walk about 100 yards at a time, but slowly.