Surgery #2 Complete

Orthopedic: The surgeons were able to place the external fixators around Dad’s feet and ankles as planned. Before placing the hardware they “reduced” the ankle joints, which means they did the opposite of dislocating the joints which had been dislocated due to the fall. The doctor who gave us a report after her team’s part of this surgery seemed very happy with how things went.

Vascular: This team went second while Dad was still under. They placed an internal “greenfield filter” near his sternum (judging by where the dr pointed on himself) through an incision near his hip (it’s CRAZY that they can do stuff like that!!). This filter’s job is to prevent clots from traveling to Dad’s lungs. In a previous post I wrote it was to keep clots from traveling to the heart, but apparently the lungs precede the heart as a kind of natural filter, so this new filter they’ve placed is to protect the lungs.

General Update

He’s finally eating today! He’s also been awake most of the morning and is talking with us quite a bit, both of which are huge increases compared to the previous couple of days. He feels and looks much better today than he has the past couple of days.

Prayer Items
No infection
Keep eating
Moving as much as possible
For Dad to remain positive about what he needs to do, especially long term

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