Dad
Whata guy!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Nothing wrong with a little bribe right?
Ok, so just between me and you, I did whisper to my father that when he pulls through this, my mom has agreed to let him have a new motorcycle. Listen, my mom does not need to know about this side deal between me and my pops but I guarantee, it will help push Rick over these humps.
March 31, 2013 - Rick's Health Update
Hello family and friends,
This will be the first update of the day. I apologize for getting this up so late in the day. Today has been a bit tough on Rick. His kidneys are going to need dialysis. That will be happening in the next couple of hours. We were really hoping that once we had dad hooked up to the ECMO device it would allow all his organs time to recuperate and rest. His kidneys have still not been able to catch up after all the stress that was put on them due to his heart issues.
Dad has not really been awake today. Once the dialysis has happened or is occurring, he might wake up a little bit. Amber and I are here so that if and when he wakes up he will know his family is here and that we are with him. We need my father to get over this very difficult hump. We are continuing to talk to him and let him know how great he is and how strong he is. We are asking him to keep fighting hard. The doctors have told us they feel it is everybody's best interest to keep fighting.
We are really going hour by hour with my father's health. There are ups and downs and like the doctor said, this process, if things begin to improve, could prove to be a marathon. I thank you all for your continued support during my father's fight.
Thank you so much and Happy Easter and Passover to Rick's friends and family!
Katie
This will be the first update of the day. I apologize for getting this up so late in the day. Today has been a bit tough on Rick. His kidneys are going to need dialysis. That will be happening in the next couple of hours. We were really hoping that once we had dad hooked up to the ECMO device it would allow all his organs time to recuperate and rest. His kidneys have still not been able to catch up after all the stress that was put on them due to his heart issues.
Dad has not really been awake today. Once the dialysis has happened or is occurring, he might wake up a little bit. Amber and I are here so that if and when he wakes up he will know his family is here and that we are with him. We need my father to get over this very difficult hump. We are continuing to talk to him and let him know how great he is and how strong he is. We are asking him to keep fighting hard. The doctors have told us they feel it is everybody's best interest to keep fighting.
We are really going hour by hour with my father's health. There are ups and downs and like the doctor said, this process, if things begin to improve, could prove to be a marathon. I thank you all for your continued support during my father's fight.
Thank you so much and Happy Easter and Passover to Rick's friends and family!
Katie
Saturday, March 30, 2013
5:22pm March 30, 2013 - Update
Hi everyone,
We were just met with terrific news! Two gorgeous nurses came out to tell us that little Ricky Burrus did well in surgery. He is being set up in his room and we shall be able to see him in about 1/2 hour. The surgeon just came out to also tell us that with this new device could help his kidneys so we are staying positive. Rick will be kept in a medical induced coma for the next couple of days so he can recover from this surgery. We want his body to do nothing but rest.
Stay positive and I will update some time soon. Good news!!! Great job Daddy!
Warm regards,
Katie
We were just met with terrific news! Two gorgeous nurses came out to tell us that little Ricky Burrus did well in surgery. He is being set up in his room and we shall be able to see him in about 1/2 hour. The surgeon just came out to also tell us that with this new device could help his kidneys so we are staying positive. Rick will be kept in a medical induced coma for the next couple of days so he can recover from this surgery. We want his body to do nothing but rest.
Stay positive and I will update some time soon. Good news!!! Great job Daddy!
Warm regards,
Katie
March 30, 2013 2:45pm - Surgery
Hello all,
My father is currently in surgery. The doctors are working on installing an ECMO. This is the first step. Pray that dad can stay strong during this procedure. I will provide a status in a few hours.
Thank you,
Katie
What is ECMO?
ECMO stands for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ECMO is used only after medicine and a breathing machine (ventilator) have failed to make your loved one better. During ECMO, patients appear to be better, but you need to know that the person is still very sick. Your loved one needs the ECMO machine for life support.
The ECMO machine works for the heart and lungs. It is the same heart/lung machine used for open-heart surgery. When your loved one is placed on ECMO, blood will flow through the ECMO tubing where it receives oxygen from the machine’s lung. This happens until the heart and/or lungs are able to work on their own.
We know that all of this is very stressful for families. Please ask questions and talk with us about any concerns you may have. As you think of things, write them down at the end of the handout.
Types of ECMO
There are two types of ECMO: VA and VV. The terms VA and VV refer to the blood vessels used in the treatment.
My father is currently in surgery. The doctors are working on installing an ECMO. This is the first step. Pray that dad can stay strong during this procedure. I will provide a status in a few hours.
Thank you,
Katie
What is ECMO?
ECMO stands for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ECMO is used only after medicine and a breathing machine (ventilator) have failed to make your loved one better. During ECMO, patients appear to be better, but you need to know that the person is still very sick. Your loved one needs the ECMO machine for life support.
The ECMO machine works for the heart and lungs. It is the same heart/lung machine used for open-heart surgery. When your loved one is placed on ECMO, blood will flow through the ECMO tubing where it receives oxygen from the machine’s lung. This happens until the heart and/or lungs are able to work on their own.
We know that all of this is very stressful for families. Please ask questions and talk with us about any concerns you may have. As you think of things, write them down at the end of the handout.
Types of ECMO
There are two types of ECMO: VA and VV. The terms VA and VV refer to the blood vessels used in the treatment.
- In VA ECMO, a tube is placed in both a vein and an artery. VA is used when there are problems with both the heart and lung. It helps the heart and lungs to rest and get better.
- In VV ECMO, one or more tubes are placed in a vein. VV is used when there are lung problems only. Sometimes, a person may start on VV and need to be switched to VA. This does not happen often.
What Is a Ventricular Assist Device?
A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a mechanical pump that's used to support heart function and blood flow in people who have weakened hearts.
The device takes blood from a lower chamber of the heart and helps pump it to the body and vital organs, just as a healthy heart would. (For more information about how the heart pumps blood, see the Diseases and Conditions Index How the Heart Works article.)
A VAD may be used if one or both of the heart's lower chambers, the ventricles (VEN-trih-kuls), don't work properly.
Overview
You may benefit from a VAD if your ventricles don't work well due to heart disease. A VAD can help support your heart:
- During or after surgery, until your heart recovers.
- While you're waiting for a heart transplant.
- If you're not eligible for a heart transplant. (A VAD can be a long-term solution to help your heart work better.)
The basic parts of a VAD include: a small tube that carries blood out of your heart into a pump; another tube that carries blood from the pump to your blood vessels, which deliver the blood to your body; and a power source.
The power source is connected to a control unit that monitors the VAD's functions. The control unit gives warnings, or alarms, if the power is low or if it senses that the device isn't working right.
Some VADs pump blood like the heart does, with a pumping action. Other VADs keep up a continuous flow of blood. With a continuous flow VAD, you might not have a normal pulse that can be felt, but your body is getting the blood it needs.
Types of Ventricular Assist Devices
The two basic types of VADs are a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and a right ventricular assist device (RVAD). If both types are used at the same time, they may be called a biventricular assist device (BIVAD). However, a BIVAD isn't a separate type of VAD.
The LVAD is the most common type of VAD. It helps the left ventricle pump blood to the aorta. The aorta is the main artery that carries oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your body.
RVADs usually are used only for short-term support of the right ventricle after LVAD surgery or other heart surgery. An RVAD helps the right ventricle pump blood to the pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) artery. This is the artery that carries blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen.
Both an LVAD and RVAD (sometimes called a BIVAD) are used if both ventricles don't work well enough to meet the needs of the body. Another treatment option for this condition is a total artificial heart.
VADs have two basic designs. A transcutaneous (tranz-ku-TA-ne-us) VAD has its pump and power source located outside of the body. Tubes connect the pump to the heart through small holes in the abdomen. This type of VAD may be used for short-term support during or after surgery.
March 30, 2013 Ricky's Health Update
Welcome to Ricky's Blogger site! We will provide all his family and friends with health updates while my father is in the hospital. We saw my dad this morning while he was sleeping. We are about to meet with one of his doctors. We have heard that dad will have a surgery this afternoon, which as you know is very scary as my father is in very delicate condition. This surgery will be to implant a heart pump. His heart is extremely weak so he needs some extra help immediately. Any type of surgery or procedure is very hard on my dad. Please continue to pray and think powerful thoughts for him. He is really fighting right now. All other aspects have shown some improvement over last night so we know he is working very hard. His kidneys have been working and he has good color. The nurse said he woke up this morning and followed her directions to move his arm and legs. That was really great news.
Once I hear more, I will post immediately.
Thank you for all your love and support. Please feel free to leave comments so I can show them to my dad when he is feeling better. He will enjoy any humor that you have to offer :)
Godbless,
Katie
Once I hear more, I will post immediately.
Thank you for all your love and support. Please feel free to leave comments so I can show them to my dad when he is feeling better. He will enjoy any humor that you have to offer :)
Godbless,
Katie
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