follow up

The surgery was very successful! The doctor was able to clip the neck of the aneurysm without any complications. He said we're not out of the woods just yet. We will have to see how his artery walls hold up. We should know this within the next couple of months. For now, we're all very happy and waiting to see him in ICU. He should be there for a couple of days. Thanks to all of you for your prayers. They were all answered today! I'll keep all of you posted later tonight with additional news.

September 1st

Lisa and I were at dad's this morning at 5:00 am to help mom get him ready for his trip to the hospital. Today is the big day! It's 7:00 am while we wait in a private room until 9.  The operation is scheduled for 11 am and they will be taking him back for the prep starting at 9.  The operation will take approximately 6 hours.
A team of Tucson's finest doctors and techs has been assembled to work with Dr. Schroeder during surgery.  They're drawing blood from dad at this moment and checking his vitals. Dad had to put down his morning paper for them to pick and poke him. He's more than ready to have this surgery over and done with.  He wants to thank everyone for keeping up with his blog and appreciates all of the thoughts a prayers he's received from all of you. I will keep you posted throughout the day.

Sunday August 28

My dad would like to thank all of you who showed up this morning for the walk to San Xavier.  34 family and friends equals 34 prayers for dad. We would like to thank Melissa Quiroz & Linda Perez for coordinating this walk and thank those who helped along the way, Tio Lionel, Walter Sr. and Karen.
Dad's surgery will take place on September 1st at 11:00 am. and is scheduled to last 6 hours. I encourage all of you to pray for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.  We will have his outcome around 5 PM and I'll post it on Friday. Should all go as planned, he should be back home by Sept. 6th or 7th. Thanks again!
I'll keep you posted.

Friday August 26

For those who would like to walk with us from Saint Augustine Cathedral to San Xavier Mission, on Sunday Aug. 28th, we'll be meeting at 6:00 am in the back parking lot and leaving at 6:15 am. Wear sun screen and a hat. Water will be provided. Bring positive thoughts and prayers.
There is power in prayer!
We'll see you there!

August 23

We found out today that dad will be having surgery on September 1st. They will be clamping the neck of the same aneurysm that ruptured in May. It appears the area affected has grown to about twice the size of the original. There's no bleeding and the only way to correct for this is to perform cranial surgery. They will most likely discharge him from the hospital tomorrow so he can rest at home until the surgery. Dad understands the delicate and dangerous nature of this procedure and we all agree it must be done.  The doctors have told us the surgery should last about 5 hours. Then it's back to ICU and should all go well, he'll be home within 5 to 6 days after the surgery. I'm sorry for not writing sooner but it's been a zoo. It looks like I will be posting on a daily basis before, during, and after the surgery to keep all of you posted with his condition. I won't be writing anything on the blog until Wednesday, August 31. Please continue to pray for both my mom and dad. We need all of the prayers we can receive at this time.

August 19th

The doctors performed an angiogram today and found that the aneurysm they coiled in May has ballooned again. This explains the loss of control to his left eye.  Pressure on the cranial nerve from the enlarged vessel is affecting his left eye. The good news is that here is no bleeding. While performing this procedure, doctors also placed a filter in the vein to prevent any clot from moving upwards to the lungs.  We will find out tomorrow morning what the plan is to fix this and I promise to keep all of you posted.

For any of you that would like to view a video dad did in 1978, Mr. Fred Ronstadt sent me a link for all to view.
Thank you Fred!

Please click the link and take a step back in time.
http://fredandjeff.com/920-joel-valdezs-tucson-october-1978

August 17th

Some of you may have already heard that dad is back in the hospital. He went in yesterday for a scheduled visit for a sonogram test to determine why his right leg is slightly swollen. Well, they found a rather large blood clot. The doctors seem to think that he's had this for quite some time because of its large size. So they admitted him yesterday for observation. They started him on blood thinners this morning and he's scheduled for more testing tomorrow. The strange thing is that he hasn't complained about any pain or discomfort. We remember his ankles swelling a while back but his doctors told him that it was water retention and to keep his legs elevated when sitting or sleeping. This was a good 6 - 8 months ago.
Rest assured, he's in good spirits, comfortable, talking, slightly confused but other than that, doing good.  Lisa seems to think that he'll be back at home in a couple of days. Let hope so! Keep your thoughts and prayers going and I'll keep you posted with everything that happens.