UPDATE

We get to the surgeons office, sitting in the exam room waiting for almost 40 minutes. He comes in..."Mrs. Pons...hmmmm well, here is how it is". He then asks if she had had any chest pain since being in the hospital. She said...no, just a lot of shortness of breath. I told him she was put on Imdur and that nitro seems to be keeping the pain at bay...plus we are trying to keep her from doing anything. He said good good. THEN...he said, well Mrs. Pons, with your cardiac history, your serious breathing problems and all your many health issues.... IF I did surgery on you, I would kill you. You have more health issues than anyone I have ever seen!! My mouth dropped, Dads teeth nearly hit the floor...and Mom is doing the happy dance in her chair praising God that she doesn't have to do surgery. Daddy and I are sitting there with puzzled looks on our faces. I was trying to figure out what serious serious health issues she has, and trying to think what heart issues she has had prior to this except for the stents and Atrial Fibrillation. I know her breathing was mostly from the pneumonia. Mom is still just smiling and going right on with it, and I ask...what are the risks of her not having surgery. He said she wouldn't survive surgery. My face a skewed even more. I think to myself...in the hospital before you let her go home, you said bypass was necessary for her to have quality of life, necessary for her to feel better, her heart was strong and the blockages though bad - were in the best places if you were to have to have a bypass. He had gone on and on how there were risks but the risks not having the surgery were almost imminent fatal heart attack. I come out of my thoughts and ask him - Didn't the pneumonia play the biggest part on her breathing? She has never had asthma or emphysema or anything like that. Puzzled himself, he looks down at the record in front of him and with a shocked look he mumbles "I have the wrong record" and says he will be back. Now, I knew why we sat there for so long at first, he was reviewing "HER" chart and "HER" cath video. Soooo I just assumed he would be another 30 or so minutes while he viewed HER real chart and video. Nope...he stepped out grabbed the chart and walked back in. Immediately I was uncomfortable. He thumbed through the chart like one of those flip books and turned to mom and said...I really think your blockages are in tough spots and since you aren't having pain right now...we will treat you with medicines and have you lose a little weight and as much as a year or so we will do the surgery. WHAT??? WHAT???? So send her home and let her have a heart attack and permanently damage her heart and then do surgery. I was so in shock I couldn't speak. He said...do you have any questions and I asked what should she do and he said little as possible and eat healthy. I asked about cardiac rehab and he said sure...not giving us any info, nothing. I am not doctor, but something just didn't add up. 2 weeks ago, he was fresh and responsive, on task and very attentive. Today he was distracted, confused, short, standing at the door with his hand on the knob...ready to go - just not the doctor she saw 2 weeks ago. I was upset, my dad was...mom still shouting joy. Ohh and he said they would treat her with meds...he gave her NOTHING. He didn't say to follow up with anyone, he didn't have anything to say. When I asked him if she started having pain...he said call me then. He did say she could have a heart attack tonight without surgery or tomorrow during surgery - so confused!

I told my dad we were going straight to Dr. Hearon's office, her long time cardiologist who referred her. (I used to work there.) We walk in and we ask to see him and he was at the other hospital, but Judy said she would get the triage nurse to come talk to us. The triage nurse came out...I didn't know her so we started back to a room and there came Suzanne. I walked over to hug her, and there came Lisa and Justin the PA's and there was Dr. Steg and Dr. Lomboy, Margo. Got lots of hugs :) Anyways - they asked why I was there and I told them to make an appt with Dr. Hearon to discuss our issues with Dr. Carlton. They asked what...and I told them. They are completely on computers so Justin - while we were talking - pulled up moms cath films and showed them to Dr. Steg. I could see the look on his face, he gave this ohh my Gosh look at the other doc and the PA's. He said this isn't the first time, and you are sure that he said she wasn't going to have surgery. I said YES...that is why we are so confused. He had Lisa to page Dr. Hearon and while we were waiting he said they could refer us to Winston Salem or use a partner at Dr. Carltons firm...the only cardio/thoracic surgeons in the area. I told him we would discuss that with Dr. Hearon. He apologized for all of that and I stood there with Lisa while I was waiting on Dr. Hearon. She said Dr. Carlton was going through something and has been distracted...I said that I hated he was having issues, but truthfully...I don't care! He is a doctor and when he walks in that room he should be 100% thinking about my mom. Not his wife, his other patients, surgery tomorrow or his taxes...MY MOM! She said I was right. Dr. Hearon wasn't available so we scheduled an appointment to talk to him on Wednesday. They were all sympathetic and unsure really what to say about this situation.

If I missed something and maybe they have re-thought what should be the next course of action...fine, I will trust Dr. Hearon. But, to send her home saying he would have done the surgery that day had it not been for the pneumonia and then 2 weeks later say she shouldn't have it as her body couldn't handle it????

Sorry that was a book...but needless to say I am so confused. But, you know...God might have had this happen because he know that this doctor may have his 'something else' on his mind the day of surgery. God knows...I am glad that he wouldn’t be doing the surgery.

So...we wait, we keep mom chilled and wait. I cant' imagine that this would be the permanent lifestyle for my active mother. I mean she can't walk for more than 20 seconds without being very short of breath. GRRRR...trying so hard to NOT be angry.

So please call if you have any questions. I wanted them to stay here...but they wouldn't....they want to stay at 'their' house until the surgery. I can't say I blame her.