Health Updates
We will try to keep you up-to-date on our member's health issues.
Connie Butaud

From the beginning......
11-23-08 Just a short note to let ya'll know that Connie will be having triple bypass surgery on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. Problem was discovered when she began to have chest pains on a routine visit to her MD last Thursday morning. Long story short, she was transported to Texsan Heart Hosp (Room 204) in SA on Thursday AM, had a heart cath Thursday evening. Results showed they could not do a stent because of the extent of the blockage. They also discovered she has a "bulging" aorta which needs to be repaired. The surgery would have already been done but she also has a bad case of bronchitis. They want to clear that up before surgery. Cardiologist says her heart is healthy. We just need to get the "plumbing" fixed. Then, she should be good to go for another 100,000 miles. We are very fortunate this was discovered now. She is doing OK, but was very tired when I left her last evening. Lou

11-27-08 Connie came thru surgery yesterday (Wednesday 11-26), but it was much more extensive than they thought. She had a quadruple bypass, aortic valve replacement, partial aorta replacement and a lung biopsy. She was beginning to come around today and is off the ventilator. They have hopes that she will be able to be sitting up tomorrow. I am sure she appreciates all of your prayers. We will continue to keep you abreast of her condition.

11-29-08 The MD removed most of Connie's wires and tubes yesterday and they got her out of bed and into a chair beside the bed. All of her vital signs were normal yesterday. I expect she will be out of ICU today. I know she is getting better because she is starting to tell me what to do again. We're not out of the woods yet so keep those prayers going. Lou

11-30-08 Connie took her first steps down the hospital hallway with assistance from her nurse and Marla at approximately 5:15 pm. She will try to walk a little farther tomorrow. We continue to pray for daily improvement. Lou

12-1-08 Connie made great progress up to 5:30pm yesterday. At that time we had a little setback which required a tube being put back into her stomach. Fortunately, Xray this AM showed no significant problem. She is being treated with additional medication which should relieve the problem. Her MDs continue to assure me her recovery is on target at this point in time. We are hoping she can leave the hospital on Thursday, but this will depend on how well she responds to this new medication. Lou

12-2-08 One step forward, two steps back. Connie experienced atrial fibrilation (rapid heart beat) early this AM. She is being treated with medication to bring it down, but at this writing (9:00 am) the heart beat is still way above the goal. She is also experiencing some bowel problems and is unable to digest any liquid or solid food. Her surgeon tells me both of these problems are not uncommon in this type of surgery. In Connie's case she is just not responding to treatment as quickly as they would like. She is now, once again, hooked up to lots of tubes for nourishment and medication. She is very tired as she did not get much sleep last night. I'm hopeful that later today we'll see some improvement.

6:45pm - A CT scan of Connie's abdomen was done this afternoon. After reviewing the picture, the MD came in to talk to us. Connie's bowel problem turns out to be a blockage. The surgeon covered our options and the associated risks at length. When he finished Connie said: "Let's get this fixed now!" So, at 7:15 pm they will take Connie down for another operation to correct the blockage. Keep her in your prayers. Will update the website as soon as I can with results. Lou

12-3-08 AM - Connie had abdominal surgery last evening around 7:30. A CT scan earlier in the day revealed that the bowel obstruction would not resolve itself. The surgery was over at about 9:45 pm. The surgeon repaired a very large hernia and another smaller one. The bowel had gone through the tear in the intestinal wall and ceased functioning. She is back in ICU this AM, but is making good progress. Heart rate is still a little high but coming down. She is experiencing some pain from the surgery, but is receiving pain medication. She is not yet fully awake, but can respond with a nod of the head. I think she is resting as comfortably as can be expected at this time. She has a long day ahead. I am encouraged by the progress thus far this AM. More later. Lou

12-3-08 PM - It's 10:55pm. I just checked with Connie's evening nurse and he said she was stable and resting comfortably. He told me her heart rate was staying below 130. Her cardiologist told me this evening that he is OK with the current heart rate considering what she has been through. Hopefully, the medication she is receiving coupled with another night of recovery will cause the heart rate to come down. She is also experiencing an irregular heart beat that comes and goes. She is not experiencing any pain. She slept most of the afternoon. Plenty of sleep is probably one of the best medicines for her just now. Lou

12-4-08 - It's about 10:35pm and I'm writing this in my sleep. Connie's heart rate dropped gradually all day long from about 125 this AM to around 108 late this evening. Still not where she needs to be but it's a welcome improvement. If we can end the day tomorrow at 90 or below we'll be very happy. Her irregular heart beat is still there. Connie has an excellent attitude and is upbeat. Just before I left this evening they got her out of bed and into a chair. When I left she was watching a basketball game. Hopefully, she will walk tomorrow. I am cautiously optimistic that we have turned a corner. Lou

12-5-08 - It's 5:45pm. Connie has been up walking today. Three times. She's also been sitting in her chair beside the bed. Her heart rate has not come down any further but then she's been up and down quiet a bit today. And, she still has the NG (nose to stomach) tube in and that's creating some discomfort because it's been in for several days. Her intestinal tract seems to be coming alive according to her Internist. That's good news. I am still waiting for that one great big fart that signals success. We hope to see a little progress each day. If the heart rate gets resolved I think we will be looking at going home soon thereafter. Your prayers are working. Keep praying. Lou

12-6-08 - It's 8:20pm. And, it's DAY 17! I just spoke to Connie's nurse who said her heart rate is ranging between 90 and 110. This is an improvement from this morning. She still has the A Fib (irregular heart beat). The MDs are trying different drugs to try and find one that works best to reduce Connie's heart rate to around 75 to 80 and also cause a regular heart beat. Her bowels are improving as the MDs do hear some noises in the bowel, but we need lots more action here. She is still hooked up to feeding tubes and will be until her bowels return to normal. She also still has the NG tube and this is aggravating to her. More tomorrow. Lou

12-7-08 9:00 PM. Not much change today. Tomorrow is a big day for Connie. If the procedure is successful, it means she has turned a BIG corner. Lou

9:40 AM. Day 18. Spoke to Connie this a.m. She had a good night. And she was up and walking this A.M. Heart rate is still in the 90 to 110 range and the A Fib has returned. So, tomorrow she will undergo two procedures. One is a TEE (Trans Esophageal Echo Gram) and the other a Cardioversion. The first is to ensure there are no clots on the back side of her heart in preparation for the second procedure. The second procedure is to "convert" the heart rate to a normal sinus rhythm. Both procedures are done at bedside under medication that will mask pain. Please keep the prayers going, especially for the success of these two procedures. Lou

12-8-08 4:35 PM. Day 19. Connie had a restful day. Heart rate stays around 60 and her heart rhythm is normal. Slept most of the day. She was exhausted. Still no activity in the bowel in spite of treatment and medicine. Hopefully, tonight or tomorrow will be the day. If we can get this problem resolved, then it's on to liquid food, then solid, then a check to make sure all parts are working right and then it's "Homeward Bound". Lou

6:55 AM. Day 19. - I just spoke to Connie's surgeon. Her heart rhythm converted to normal sinus rhythm on its own last night. Heart rate is down to 60. No procedure is necessary. They will work on getting her bowels moving today. Your prayers are working. Now, here's a "For What It's Worth" item. Last evening Connie's Internist was in to see her and asked if she had any questions about the upcoming procedure. She said no and she was not worried. He told her that's great and says alot about you because you have every right to be worried. Connie told him lots of people are praying for me. I'm not worried. Before he left he told Connie he was going to add her to his prayers. Lou

12-9-08 - 3:30 PM -Day 20. All of Connie's numbers relating to her heart operation look good - Blood pressure, heart rhythm, pulse, and respiration are normal. They did call an Infectious Disease Specialist to consult today. Saw him this morning. He said they are wanting to ensure she does not have a "hidden" infection. Also did an Ultra Sound this AM to check for clots in her legs - no clots. The bowel continues to be uncooperative in spite of new meds today. Although the MD and nurse do hear bowel sounds we have no real action. She still has the NG tube. I asked, last evening, that a gastro consult be done but have not seen anyone come in as yet. They are going to do a scan of her abdomen to see what the intestine looks like. This was ordered by her Internist. The bowel problem is the only thing, at the moment, that is keeping us from getting a target date to go home. We have been here a long time but I met a man this am whose Mom has been here five weeks today and won't be leaving until the weekend at the earliest. She also had heart surgery as well as every complication conceivable. Latest problem is a staph infection. After watching all this I believe I'm going to go on a fish and vegetable diet. Course, then I'd probably get hit by a truck. Bring on the cracklins! Lou

Continued in next column...Connie

12-2-08
Geneva Waters brother, Tommy Sandlin, passed away on Sunday morning, November 30. He was 89, a WWII veteran and retired USAF Master Sergeant. The funeral will be held in Bossier City, LA on Dec. 2.

Tommy suffered from Alzheimers and had been in a nursing home since February of this year. We are all blessed that God saw fit to bring him home. In addition to Geneva, he is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marie, a daughter and son in law, and their daughter and her spouse and children. We shall all miss him. Those of you who traveled with us know that if we were going northwest, it was an obligatory stop in Shreveport for fried catfish with Tommy and Marie.

We appreciate the prayers and support of all of our friends.

Bill and Geneva Waters

 

Continued....Connie
12-10-08 - Day 21. No change in Connie's intestinal tract. Still waiting for action. Everything else is fine. She walked about 200 feet today with the help of her physical therapist. She is upbeat. So, it's back to the waiting game. Lou

12-11-08 - 9:15 PM - Day 22. No significant change in intestinal tract. Did some walking today. MD tells me she is ready to go home, but can't leave the hospital until the digesive system is working normally. Here's hoping tomorrow is the day. A new test will be run tomorrow AM to ensure that the MDs have not missed something thus far. That's all for now. Lou


12-12-08 - 10:40 PM -Day 23 No significant change. Gastro MD is trying a different med which he hopes will cause some bowel activity. She did walk some today but not as far as yesterday. She was exhausted from a test they ran about 9 AM today. Still looking for that breakthrough. Keep praying. Lou

12-13-08 - 9 PM - Day 24. Our daughter (Marla) and granddaughter were visiting today and this was a big boost for Connie - and me. Here's a recap of Connie's situation. Connie was up and walking three times today including once during Occupational Therapy. Objective is to walk as many times as possible each day without bringing her to a point of exhaustion. Connie's heart functions are all normal according to her surgeon. Hernia repair is healing fine. No abdominal pain or any other pain. She is not on any pain killers. She has no infection according to Infectious Disease MD. Pulmonary MD says her lung function is fine. Gastro MD told me he has never seen a bowel problem like Connie's that has not been resolved itself. He ordered new medication yesterday to stimulate normal bowel function. My brother (MD and Surgeon) told me he was familiar with this med and knew of it being used effectively. He also told me it could take three days to be effective. He and I are still talking two to three times a day. I have been meeting with Case Management at the hospital to lay the ground work for Rehab or Home Health Care when she is released. Update to this website from now on will be made only if we have a significant change. Thanks for your prayers. Lou

12-18-08 - Connie has survived massive heart surgery and another major operation within SIX days of the first. But, the digestive system is not working and our MDs (surgeon and gastro) are baffled. Connie had a special Xray test to ensure she did not have a bowel obstruction. She does not. That is good news. On the other hand, her digestive system will not return to normal function. Different meds are being tried with no results to date. We continue to get her up and walking four times each day. The cardiologist says her heart is fine. Hernia repair has healed. If it were not for the bowel problem, we would be home - probably a week ago. If anyone out there knows of a similiar problem (bowel inaction two weeks after surgery) that someone has had successfully treated, please let me know. Keep praying, please. Lou

12-19-08 6:15pm. Day 30. We have ignition! The bowel came alive at about 5:20 PM. The downloading of this toxic load passed my careful inspection. And, Connie's nurse said she considers it to be a significant event. All we need now is a string of poopees. Thanks for your prayers, but don't stop just yet. Also, thanks to those of you who responded to my last request for any info regarding this post op problem. I hope to report on more progress soon. Lou

12-23-08 4:05 PM - After an initial burst, the bowel seems to be resting again. So, back to waiting. Good news is that all of her MDs (5) in differnet specialties agree she is doing fine except for the bowel function. She is going to be in the medical books with this episode. Surgeon told me today that as soon as he is certain that bowel functioin is normal we are out of here. I'll try to go back to daily updates since I've received several requests to do so. Some of them may be short; i.e., Date/Time/No significant change/Bye. Lou

12-25-08 10:20 AM - Hospital called me at 3:45 AM to come in as Connie was having breathing difficulty. Upon arrival I learned they were going to put her on a ventilator to help her breathe. She is still on it at the moment. Lack of bowel function continues. MD advises me that her Schladerma (sp?) is not helping the situation and is probably a factor in her bowel function - or lack thereof. I can't understand such a change from last Friday when she was up, walking the halls and telling everyone she had pooped and was looking forward to more of the same. At that time I felt we had turned a corner. Her nurse from last evening told me they were discussing football early last evening and she was really in to it. After a while she could tell Connie was getting tired so she left so she could go to sleep. Then, she began to have breathing problems early this morning. And, that bring us to where we are at the moment. Just keep praying. Lou

12-26-08 6:50 PM - Connie is resting after coming thru abdominal surgery that ended about 4:30pm. A portion of the right colon was removed and she is now recovering in intensive care. Hopefully, this surgery will put her on a path to full recovery. More later. Lou

12-27-08 10:45 p.m. -Connie is recovering from her third surgery. We will not know if it resolved the problem for several days. We are hopeful and praying. Lou

12-28-08 1 :00 p.m. - Connie is making progress in small steps. Vital signs are good. Still on the ventilator, but is being weaned off. MD says he is cautiously optimistic at this point. She is a very strong person or she would not be here today. Thanks for your prayers, keep praying. More later. Lou

12-29-08 10:50 p.m. - No progress today. Body is retaining lots of fluid making it difficult for Connie to breath without the help of the ventilator. New med being given to try and reduce fluid. No bowel sounds yet. Lou

12-30-08 5:30 pm. I have some very sad news. Connie regressed today and her kidneys and lungs finally gave out and she peacefully passed away at 9:30am today. My children, her sister and two of the grandchildren were present. Connie was not only my wife she was also my best friend. She was indeed a special person. She will be missed by many. A mass is set for 9am, January 3, 2009 (Saturday morning) at St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Boerne, Tx. In lieu of flowers, we are asking that folks give a donation in Connie's name to: Benedictine Sisters, 416 West Highland Dr, Boerne, Tx 78006. Thanks for your support over the last 41 days. She knew lots of people were praying for her recovery. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I was so fortunate to be able to have such a wonderful life companion for the last 56 years (we dated six years before we got married). Join us if you can on January 3. Lou

12/31/08 6:30 am. - We have a new website where you can go to obtain info on plans for Connie's Celebration of Life Mass on January 3, 2009 at 9am, St Peter The Apostle Catholic Church, Boerne, Tx. You may also leave a message for the family at that website if you wish. It is www.vaughanfuneralhome.com. For those of you who plan to come from out of town, special rates have been arranged at the Hampton Inn in Boerne (830-816-8800). When you make reservations please mention Connie's name for the special rate of $89 per night. There will be a reception following services at St Peter's. Lou

continued on Members Notes page.....

Sad News...Glenn Muzzy

11-20-08...
We are sad to share this news with you today. We just got word from Lana Lucas that Glenn Muzzy passed away today, November 20th, in his sleep. The news over the last couple of weeks was not disheartening...he was doing so much better and per his daughter, he was almost back to being his jolly self. They had planned on leaving IL for Phoenix, AZ this weekend, as he was scheduled for surgery at the Barrows Clinic on Tuesday. Nancy's message, received yesterday, was upbeat and filled with hope. I know not all of you knew him, but he really was the best of the best. Please keep the family in your prayers as they face this difficult time. God Bless, Barb & Dieter

A donation has been made to the American Cancer Society in memory of Glenn Muzzy from the Traveling Supremes,Inc.

Glenn's funeral was on November 25th.