Exhausted daughter...

[DesperateLiz]

Well...We just got the bad news about 2 moths ago. My mommy of 48 was diagnosed with CAD on top of her already pre existing condtions of (diabetes & nuropothy). The DR's say she has a 90% blockage and the outcome of a stent is pointless because of her diabetes and where the blockage is located they don't see the procedure to be very worth while or to be a success. Just last week she was told she ALSO was found to have leaking valves (mitral valve regurgitation). I don't know things just seem to be going down hill very fast for us....And advice or support would be much appreciated...

[ed34]

Bypass surgery is understandably a very scary idea with most people. Before I had mine done I used to be scared stiff in case I would ever need one and thought people who went through the procedure were the bravest in the world. Cardiologists had a great deal of trouble convincing me to have my bypass because I was so scared and believed I would wake up from a bad dream. The surgeon showed me around the theatre two days before my procedure. He explained all the equipment and showed how they could keep me alive for a very long time if complications arose. There was a bypass machine next to the operating table which did the job of the heart while surgery could be performed on the heart while stopped. I imagined the whole thing as a scene from a frankenstein movie until I had that tour. To see all that equipment and hear the surgeons knowledge in how it all works gave me the guts to sign the consent form. What you forget though as the patient is how scared all your loved ones are. They look so brave but you can see they just want to cry, hiding under brave faces. When I was asked to count to 10, I managed 5 and I was asleep. It seemed like just two minutes later and I was in recovery, wide awake. I remember asking myself why I had been so scared.
Im sorry this is a long tale, but I guess Im just trying to say they have everything they require for every eventuality.

[Yvette BG]

Sorry to hear about the bad news. I know it can be disappointing to find out that a stent isn't possible. My Mom (who was 80 at the time) thought she was going to have a stent or two, but when they got in there and did the catherization, they told us with the percentage of blockages and where the blockages were, they couldn't safely put stents in. She went ahead and had bypass surgery as they recommended and got through the surgery OK without any major complications.  

Try not to be too scared about bypass if that's what's decided on. My Dad, who has diabetes, was 83 when he had heart surgery (triple bypass, aortic valve replaced, and an aneurym repaired all at one time) and he made it through OK. Like cblmn7 said, your mom is young...Good luck and please keep us posted on her progress, and make sure to take care of yourself. Heart surgery is hard on loved ones, too!

[cblmn7]

i too have diabetes but my dr still did the stents to open my artieries. some dr would prefer to do bypass instead of stents because having diabetes can cause your stents to plug up faster. your mom is young and with the right treatment she can do well.