Please Pray

Update: After we gave Dad the blessing, the SICU team came into his room on their morning rounds and told us what is going on. Basically, Dad's lungs aren't working efficiently enough on their own. They're retaining too much carbon dioxide, which is unbalancing his pH levels and making it too acidic. Because his lungs aren't working correctly on their own, he has been put under heavy sedation and paralyzed from the neck down so that the respirator can take care of breathing for him.

His lungs are also retaining too much fluid. In order to offset the fluid, he is being treated with Lasix, but his kidneys aren't functioning properly either so that's complicating matters even more. When I asked one of the doctors if he was optimistic about the outlook, he said that he just can't tell right now. He said that Dad is walking a very fine line right now, and they are just trying to find the balancing point. The next 24 to 48 hours are critical and the doctors will be able to tell a lot more after they have passed.

Original Post: We know that there are many of my dad's family members, friends and colleagues who continuously pray for him and have him in their thoughts. We are asking that you especially do so today, as things aren't going as well as hoped after the surgery. All day yesterday, Dad's heart and breathing rates were much higher than the doctors would have liked them to be, and the trend continues today. In order to better measure what is going on, and to help them get the rates back down where they need to be, the doctors are inserting a catheter into Dad's heart this morning. Mom, Mariah, Enrique and myself are heading up to the hospital and I'll let you know as we learn more. Thanks to everyone for your unbelievable generosity, love and support through this entire ordeal.