December 18th:
During the week of December 9th, Alvin had several episodes of dizziness, blacking out, and passing out. During his visit to the cardiac surgeon, he got dizzy, light-headed, and nearly fell. The doctor immediately put him in a wheel chair and wheeled him next door to be admitted to the hospital. While in the hospital, he was fitted with a heart monitor and a Life Vest. A Life Vest is a wearable defibrillator, which is intended to automatically treat sudden cardiac death events. Basically, they feel Alvin may have a "widow maker" type heart attack at any time and he needs to wear this defibrillator vest 24/7 until they can make a determination as to when/if they will put in a permanent pacemaker. In the meantime, he is still not able to work, lift more than 5 pounds, or overexert himself.
He would welcome visitors at home. Text or call Paige (512-791-0446) or Alvin (512-769-7323) for the address if you would like to come visit.
We cannot thank y'all enough for all the love, prayers, phone calls, texts, and visits to date and for your support and financial assistance through this GoFundMe or via Venmo (@AlvinGauna18 or @Paige-Bristol-1) or Zelle (512-791-0446) or PayPal (512-769-7323).
We are also selling Alvin's lawn equipment, trailer, and tools since he will not be able to use it any more. We have a Gravely Zero Turn mower, an Echo backpack blower, an Echo edger, a Lark 6 x 12 enclosed trailer, and misc small tools. Let me know if you, or someone you know, is interested.
Alvin's van broke down on IH-35 and before we could get a tow truck out to pick it up, some local artists took advantage of the clean white canvas and added some lovely graffiti to both sides of the van. With the motor being seized and the exterior being painted, we are brainstorming on how to get the most out of the van. We could part it out online, or sell it to a junk yard, or we could do a smash-a-truck event and let people smash it up. What is your vote?
I (Paige) have learned a lot about insurance and end of life planning during this process and would love to share what I have learned. Please contact me if you, or anyone you know, would like more information.
Tuesday, November 5th:
On Monday morning, Alvin had surgery to place two stents. Doctors said everything went well with the procedure. Monday was spent laying flat for 6 hours to allow the groin incision to heal. He was short of breath most of the day, which got progressively worse through the evening and into the night. He had a hard time breathing and did not get much sleep. Early Tuesday morning, he was still having a hard time breathing, was dizzy, had chest pain, and a bout of projectile vomiting. He was given Zofran and oxygen and is now fitfully sleeping. We have been moved to Room 371. I'll update again after the doctor comes to see him. Love y'all.
October 20th:
On October 20th, I brought Alvin to Seton Northwest because he was having a lot of difficulty breathing, was dizzy, and was throwing up. He was immediately admitted and diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. He was transferred to Seton Main (38th Street) on October 22nd and is still here.
He has had all the tests while here: Cath, Echocardiogram, Doppler, TEE, MRI, CT with and without dye, and blood work. The diagnosis: Congestive Heart Failure, Severe Aortic Stenosis, Mitral Regurgitation, his heart is enlarged and weak, his aortic valve is working at 10%, his mitral valve is leaking, he is having multiple afib and vtach episodes daily, and he needs a triple bypass.
The surgery team is discussing all the surgical options and we hope to have a date for surgery soon. He will be undergoing open-heart surgery for the triple bypass and to replace the two valves. After the surgery, they anticipate 3 to 5 days in the ICU and then an additional 5 to 7 days in the cardiac unit. Then 4 to 6 weeks where he will not be allowed to drive or lift more than 10 pounds. Then 3 to 4 months of rehab.
He is following all the doctor's orders, which y'all know is really hard for him, so he can get back to normal and back to work.
After a lifetime of helping others: family, friends, his children, and even strangers, Alvin now finds himself needing help. This is an uncomfortable place for him, as he prefers helping to being helped. He has never met a stranger and makes friends everywhere he goes. But these next several months are going to be hard and he is going to need help to heal and get healthy again. He is committed to doing everything necessary to get back to work and, of course, back to the ballpark as quickly as possible. As an avid softball player, Alvin is feeling terribly sorry about letting down his teammates.
Although insurance is covering the majority of the costs, there are a lot of out-of-pocket expenses. Alvin will not be able to work for at least four to six months. And he will need full-time care and I will not be able to work full-time either so I can be there to care for him. Being self-employed has many benefits, but not being able to work for an extended period of time is a real challenge, as there is no income if we are not working.
And in the worst timing ever department, we just demoed our bathroom to replace the tiny shower with a roll-in shower. We are still in the middle of that remodel. The bathroom has been completely demoed and now we don't have a working shower for when he comes home from the hospital. We will need to hire help to finish the bathroom.
We are truly grateful for all the outpouring of love, prayers, phone calls, texts, and visits. We will be eternally grateful for any financial help to get through this challenging season with this GoFundMe or via Venmo (@AlvinGauna18 or @Paige-Bristol-1) or PayPal (512-769-7323 or [phone redacted]).
Thank you from the bottom of our (soon to be healthy) hearts.