Help Mike get by following Open Heart Surgery

As much as our Dad doesn’t like being fussed over and would rather we not ask for help, there is no other option given the situation.

Mike started experiencing episodes of chest pain back in July. Initially, he brushed it off, assuming it was just acid reflux, but when the episodes became more intense and more frequent, he went to see his family doctor about it. His family doctor, concerned these episodes might be heart-related, ordered an EKG and referred him to a cardiologist. The Cardiologist reviewed his symptoms, EKG results, chest CT, and suspected coronary artery blockages. He said Mike would need a cardiac catheterization procedure with stenting. He ordered an echocardiogram and sent Mike home with nitroglycerin. At this point, scheduling the cardiac catheterization procedure would take a back seat to a potential need for a biopsy of a suspicious mass found on Mike’s left kidney on a recent abdomen CT scan.

The Echo was performed on August 29th. The results did not show heart damage, so the priority continued to be on the mass on Mike’s kidney. Mike consulted with Urology, and it was decided that an MRI would be done to determine if the mass was cancerous versus doing a biopsy. The MRI was scheduled for September 19th.

Mike's chest pain worsened in the few days leading up to the MRI. Mike was relying heavily on the nitro to cope with the pain and get through each day. On September 14th, Mike returned to his family doctor to discuss his worsening chest pain. When Mike told his doctor how much nitro he was taking a day, the doctor called his cardiologist to see if the cardiac catheterization could be done sooner. The procedure was scheduled for September 21st. The catheterization procedure determined that Mike’s coronary obstructions were so severe that Open Heart Surgery – Quadruple Coronary Artery Bypass Graft - was necessary. Mike was admitted. His surgery was considered emergent but was too risky to perform immediately due to the blood thinner he had been taking. He would have to wait for two days for the surgery. During this time, the results of his MRI came back showing that the mass on his kidney was indeed cancer. Plans were made to remove the cancerous mass once he recovered from his open-heart surgery. Fortunately, he will not have to have his kidney removed, nor will he do any chemo or radiation.

On September 23rd, Mike underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery. While in preparation for cardiopulmonary bypass, Mike became significantly hypotensive, cardiac function was severely reduced and his heart began to fibrillate. Given his instability and marginal quality of the mammary artery, the cardiac surgeon elected to only do a triple bypass. Following revascularization, there was a significant improvement in Mike’s cardiac function. Rough start but a successful finish with a desirable outcome.

Mike is somewhat of a medical miracle to the cardiac team at St. Lukes. It’s believed the episodes he was having (for over a month; several times a day) were likely his heart going into cardiac arrest. If it weren’t for the nitro, he would likely not be here today. The day before his cardiac catheterization procedure, he took 25 Nitro pills! We are grateful he did not wait another day for surgery.

Mike is back home and recovering about as well as anyone who just had open-heart surgery would be. He is still dealing with a lot of post-surgery pain, insomnia, shortness of breath and loss of appetite, but all that is to be expected and is normal following this procedure. He has a long road ahead of him.

If recovering from open heart surgery, a cancer diagnosis and anticipation of another surgery weren’t enough to deal with; Mike is also dealing with the financial stress of being out of work for 2-3 months. Additionally, his employer’s health coverage plan is a high-deductible plan. He was hopeful that his supplemental AFLAC policy would compensate for a good amount of his $9k deductible. However, we are learning that he will only qualify for a payout of $1250. Mike with be left with nearly $8k in medical bills and likely no income from work until after the first of the year.

We (Mike’s family) are reaching out to ask for your help. Donations will help Mike get by and pay medical bills until he can return to work. We appreciate you! As does he!

Thank you!