July 7 AM Update

Good morning! Apologies for not posting an update last night; in truth, yesterday was a very, very slow day and, because so little was happening, we all tried desperate to get some rest.

We got some great news from the attending surgeon this morning: Josh's troponin levels have gone down significantly over the last 24 hours. When we checked into the hospital, his levels were extremely high: so high, in fact, that normal lab tests weren't able to pinpoint it exactly. The tests max out at 25,000 "units" (whatever the hell that is), so for several days we didn't know what his actual levels were. Yesterday, the lab test showed a troponin level of 19,000, which is still high, but great news nonetheless as it shows our first downward trend.

This morning, the surgeon told us his levels were at 9,000, a wonderful indication his heart is regaining strength.

The stronger his heart is in going into surgery, the better the outcome. One of the nurses told me that it's common for troponin levels to remain high for a week or so after a heart attack; we're not expecting them to go to 0, but we do want them as low as humanly possible.

Surgery is now definitively scheduled for Tuesday, barring any complications. We know it will be an open-heart bypass operation, and Josh's interventional cardiologist (who did the emergency heart catheter lab the night of the heart attack) believes it will be a quadruple bypass surgery, based on what he and the other doctor saw.

Recovery will be a long road, but for now we're taking things a day at a time. Josh's Mom, Mrs. Vickie, is here with me, and Josh's dad will be joining us soon. We'll probably have one other family member join us here after the surgery so that everyone can have a small break. Surprisingly, Josh has been a patient patient. 😄

I don't have a concrete timeline of what's to come, but we have been getting a few rough estimates from some of the care team here. Typically, open heart surgery patients will spend a week or two in the hospital recovering, almost entirely from the incision in his chest; the surgeon said his heart will heal very, very, very quickly. We're hoping that Josh's young age and his old stubbornness will get us out of here as quickly as his little body will let us.

For those who've asked, we do have a hotel room just across the street from the hospital. Josh's mom and I have been taking turns sleeping in his room at night; though when I'm here, I feel pretty useless because the nurses and doctors really do take excellent care of him. In fact, he and one of his nurses have a spa day routine every evening: a good bath, a nice back and leg massage, an ice pop and the strangest shower cap that washes your hair. He's not allowed to stand, bend, recline or even sit up because of the intra-aortic balloon pump, so the massage is more of a necessity than a luxury. I've asked the nursing staff for a massage and bath as well, but have so far been rebuffed.

If you sent a gift card, flowers, gift or note and I did not thank you yet, then I sincerely apologize. My inability to think clearly is not an indication of our deep, deep and sincere appreciation to all that you have done for us.

Our friendships are deep, if sometimes distant in miles, but know that all of us here are carrying you in our hearts. I think the only time that I got teary eyed was thinking about how much you all mean to us, and how you've poured out your love and support. It means the world to us. Josh thanks you all, and hopes you'll keep thinking of him and sending love as he recovers.

Keeping send me photos, and I'll keep posting them!