Took stress test this morning. Have blockage and going to have a heart cath next Tuesday and Dr. thinks I will need another stent or two. He said the antibiotics didn't directly cause my chest pain but that they exposed the problem that was already there.
No exercise until then. Hope I make it til then without having to go on in earlier.

Don ... so sorry to hear that, man ... hopefully they caught everything in time so there is no damage to your heart ...
also, hopefully there is no NEED for you to go in earlier, but if they find time in their schedule, the sooner the better ...
Our prayers are with you and Susan ...

Wow. I suspected that, but was hoping you wouldn't have to undergo another cath and stent procedure. Fortunately, you likely have sufficient collateral circulation so ischemic damage will be unlikely. They'll usually give you that information when you undergo the cathederization.

Good luck old friend,

Gary

Don,

Since you do play golf, you probably have developed enough collateral circulation to provide enough blood to prevent damage to the heart - you've already been down the stent road, so you know what to expect there.

Hope all goes good and your back out and about singing soon.

Bill G

Don godspeed my dear friend.....I pray you get very healthy after all this and get back to a happy life as always.
I love you man!!

Hi Don

Our thoughts are with you and your good Lady.

Colin & June

Will keep you in my prayers.

Hi Don,
Sure hate to hear the bad news. We hope all goes well for you and will
be keeping you in our prayers.

Deane and Glenda

Don:

Sorry to hear about this. I'll remember you in my prayers. Please keep us posted.

Dave Rice

Still praying ...

Wishing you the very best, Don.

Sorry to hear that. Here's to good health.

I love ya friend, Take care and give Susan a big hug for me eh?

Thanks guys. I'm sure it will be for the best. Dr. says I will feel like a new man when it's over. Sure hope so.

Don,
Wishing you the best for a speedy recovery .

Don...
Wishing you the best and appreciate you keeping us informed.
Eddie

Add me to the list of those praying for you Don. Sounds like they found out what you need before things progressed any further. 14 years ago without any discussion of medication or stents, doctors determined that I was a candidate for quintuple bypass. Heart disease was in the family as my dad and all my uncles passed away because of it. I was a phys ed teacher in good shape and thought I had avoided the problems. However, my surgeon told me afterwards that I have very small blood vessels and… that was my genetic factor. They operated successfully and turned me into a new man.

I believe they have caught your problems in time to avoid invasive surgery. I will pray for your full recovery and also for strength for you to make necessary lifestyle adjustments. God bless you, my friend.

Don from Canada

All the best Don. Sounds like you had it detected early before it became a major problem. Getting old sucks but it sure beats not getting old.

I don't know anyone on the forums that doesn't like Don! I have been praying for him daily and will trust God to heal Him completely. I also pray for his good wife, since she is the care giver to him! we sometimes forget that the wives are in this with each one of our problems!

Take care, Don. I hope you have many more songs to sing.

Don,

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm sure you will be just fine.

Hi Don,

I am not a religious person but my thoughts are with you for a positive operation and a speedy full recovery .

John

Like John, I ain't religious either, Don, but you know that when I wish you a speedy recovery, I mean it from the heart...so get your heart back on the beat.

Ian

God Bless at hope you can get thru this trying time. Lloyd

Don.......ain't nothin' gonna happen to you (is that the way they talk in Louisiana?). You see, we're not going to let anything to you 'cause you've become the group patriarch!



Mark

Thanks everyone. Dr. rescheduled my procedure to Friday, so two days to wait now. He said to go to er if I have another problem before then.
Have to cancel Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Please say prayers, cross fingers or think good thoughts.

I'm thinking of y'all friend, and want ya to be around for a long time.

Don, I am still asking my God to touch your ailing body! I have confidence in Him and have a personal relationship with Christ. You are valuable to us, your wife and anyone who knows you! Have faith that God knows best for you!

Don,

Here in Scotland I will be thinking of you on Friday.

I'm sure your surgeon is a good "arranger".

God bless,

Ian

Get well soon mi amigo! We're praying for ya!

Don P + Emma Lee

Crossing fingers, legs, eyes - everything for you, mate. All the best.

Don't you go dying on me you old fart. I'm not driving to Bossier City for anything other than a fun visit with you and Susan.

Gary

Now in hospital. Had a bad episode at 4 am. Cath will be early tomorrow. Got to rest now.

Prayers Don.....get well before buddy.

Hi Don . I did not understand what the topic title was about . I am really sorry to hear about hour health troubles . I really hope and pray everything works out . Prayers are going up for you

God bless .

Worth

Don

Best wishes for a speedy recovery and back to your keyboard and golf.

Don, our prayers are with you ... best of health, buddy ...

You've been on my mind for days. Godspeed and let the medicine men do their wonders

My prayers for your healing. God Bless and watch over you. Lloyd

I just got off the telephone with Don, he seems to be in good spirits, and trying to prepare himself for tomorrow's cardiac cath and stent placement. If everything goes well, and there's no reason to believe it will not, he should get out of the hospital on Friday. Of course, he will be weight restricted for about 7 to 10 days because of the catheter insertion site needs to properly heal before any lifting of anything. It's just a safety precaution. He will also be grounded from driving for the same time frame for the same reason.

Cheers,

Gary

We're here for ya, Don! Get healthy and then quit all that golf and fishin' ... it'll make anyone old before their time!

Love ya, man.

Golf and fishing is what has kept him young all these years, Dave - I should know. No golf for me, mainly because I'm not very good at it, but fishing, you betcha - every chance I get.

Gary

There's a fine line that separates fishing from just standing on the edge of a boat or beach.

That fine line is called "catching'! They don't call fishing, catching, but not all anglers are successful.

Brian, cath, obviously is short for catheterization, which is the procedure Don will undergo first thing tomorrow morning. Of course, that may be the name of the operating room nurse as well. I hope to talk with Don as soon as he gets out of the Operating Room and cath lab tomorrow, and if and when I do I will provide an update.

Gary

An original band I used to play in called The Flatheads. Helps to put the fun into fishing

Our prayers from our family to yours during this lent season. You shall be well!

Don, I am still praying along with many others for God to heal you and the procedure will go well! Everyone is behind you friend!

Hey guys, been in Nashville recording an album for several months, haven't been on here. What's weird about this I just HAPPENED to click on here yesterday I guess it was, and saw this post about Don. Isn't that odd! I had not communicated with Don in a couple weeks. So, I called him and got the scoop.

Well, now, more news. They went in to do the cath (and probable stents) and coming out, nicked an artery. That caused a heart attack. So, they had to get him to OR and do bypass surgery. So far, so good, he is in recovery. That's all I know at this time.

Take care of yourselves! I know I could improve, myself! Lot of good folks on here, here's to better days for Don.

Nigel, I got to meet the gal holding up the pair of largemouth bass, and I know the guy that took the photo. It was a promo shot for a bass fishing boat company.

Gary

Bill, thank you for the update ... so sorry to hear about the complications, but glad he is OK so far ...
We will keep Don and his family in our prayers ...

Bill ... Hoping you did well in Nashville ...

Thanks for the information, Bill. I've tried calling him several times today, figuring he should be back in his room by now, but after that episode he won't be taking any calls for a while.

Gary

Bill thanks for letting us know about our friend. I don't want to call and flood Susan with a BUNCH OF QUESTIONS. Maybe you or Gary can keep us informed, I hope.
Thanks again Bill

Just heard from Susan...Don had some complications but he is doing well & recovering in ICU now....more later.

Don is out of surgery, in the ICU and his condition is critical, but stable and improving.

Essentially, what occurred is the catheter curled while inside the coronary artery, and as it was being withdrawn it punched a hole in the coronary artery. This is extremely rare, but can occur. The tear in the artery caused him to lose a lot of blood, all of which was going into his chest cavity.

In order to repair the tear, which also resulted in a heart attack (myocardial infarction) they had to rush him to the operating room, opened his chest, then removed a segment of saphenous vein from his leg, which was used to bypass the damaged area. They also used a segment of mammary artery from his chest wall to do additional repairs. In the process the doctors noted some blockage of his circumflex coronary artery as well, but is was only about 50 percent, which you can live with.

He will likely be in the ICU for at least two to three days, then moved to a step-down area before being moved back to a room with a full-time cardiac monitor. After about another 3 to 7 days, depending upon his progress, they will get him out of bed and begin physical and cardiac rehab. Depending on his progress, he should be out of the hospital in two to three weeks, then on a 3 to 4 day a week physical and cardiac rehab program for about 12 to 24 weeks, depending on his insurance coverage. It's a long road, but Don is a pretty strong guy and physically, I'm sure he can handle it. The mental anguish, however, can be even more difficult to overcome. I sincerely believe he's pretty strong in that department as well. Then it's back to golf, fishing and music.

Gary

Thanks, Gary and Donny:

Anything regarding operating rooms and operations get my full attention. I'm hoping that Mason recovers quickly like the trooper he is. My prayers are with him.

Dave Rice

Wishing you well Don. My Dad had bypass surgery many years ago and hasn't had any related troubles since. All of this is fodder for a good country song...maybe I'll work on it. In the meantime rest............

Thanks friends for keeping us posted. If I called, I'd do him more harm than good. I'd just break up. I can't handle this stuff very well.
Thanks again

Boo, he won't be able to take calls for at least a week. No phones in the ICU, CCU or Step Down center.

I'm merely speculating how long he will be in the hospital from my many years of working in this field. He could go home sooner if his progress accelerates.

Gary

That's awesome Gary. I hope they would approve of the non commercial use of that image for our song. It just seemed to fit in.

... no news about Don? ...

Gary, of course it goes without saying, that if you are speaking with Susan, or Don himself, to let them know he's got a bunch of concerned friends here on SZ that are rooting for him to have a quick recovery.

Ian

no one has heard anything more about Don?

I'm sure I'm speaking for many of us here.

To those of you who are in touch with Don or his wife (Gary, Donny, Boo, etc). I know the recovery is going to be difficult, but I'm more concerned right now for when he's safely out of the "danger zone" and on his way to rehabilitation.

Also....this is going to be a big change in lifestyle for him now. How is he taking the whole thing? Emotionally....mentally, etc?

Mainly, could you keep us advised as soon as you get the word that he's ..........."out of the danger zone?"

Thanks

Mark

UPDATE - Don is still in the ICU, slowly progressing, and the doctors told Susan that he is on track for a full recovery. He is still in quite a bit of pain, which is to be expected. She said they were hoping to move him to a step-down unit today or tomorrow. Because of Don's size, he is very uncomfortable in the hospital bed. Don is a big guy, stands 6'-5" tall and tips the scales at about 265. Consequently, his feet are always touching the bottom of the bed, while his head is touching the top. Additionally, anyone that has been in a hospital bed knows how uncomfortable those rock-hard mattresses can be.

Gary

My thoughts are prayers are with Don and his family right now, may he make a full recovery very soon.

No doubt about it - if there is one thing that will expedite your exit from the hospital, it is those beds. ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

Gary ... thanks for the update ... it's good to know he is recovering, even if it is with pain ...
Our prayers are with him, Susan and the family ...

I feel for him about the bed ... I am 6'2"and I didn't feel I fit in them ...

Thanks Gary...thankfully he is on the mend.

I had the same issue with hospital beds, and like Tony, I'm only 6'2", but it was a tight fit...plus, those mattresses are harder than a mother-in-law's heart.

If you are speaking with him or Susan, let him know we are all wishing the best for him.

Ian

Thanks so much friend. Don's a big Teddy Bear. Ya gotta love him whether ya like him or not.

I guess he won't croak on us yet, lol, fishing is just heating up and The Masters is in a few weeks. I figure he'll recover just fine, I know that open heart surgery is not fun!