URGENT- Don Souden Has Had A Stroke

[Archaic]

Don Had Emergency Gall-bladder Surgery!

Just got word Don was taken in to surgery this morning.

Fairview somehow "forgot" to notify his next of kin, and Don's poor brother only found out at 6 a.m. and had to rush over to hospital.

His brother called their sister from hospital. She expected the surgery to be cancelled yet again so held off telling me, but to everyone's surprise the doctors actually went ahead and did the surgery.

She said they "tried to do it the easy way" and remove just the gallstones, which is of course a quicker surgery, but once they got in there they found his gallbladder was in such bad shape they ended up having to due a full gallbladder removal.

The surgery took 4 hours. Thank God, Don pulled through. What a strain on his heart, lungs and entire system to be anesthetized for so long, poor guy.

The surgeon said Don's gallbladder "was one of the most diseased he has ever seen" and it was probably that way for 10 years!

Don is in the hospital now, still sedated. I'm not sure if he'll move to Intensive Care after the Post-Op room.

I asked his sister if she can speak to his medical staff and make sure Don is kept hooked up to a heart monitor the entire time he's in the hospital, even if he is moved to a "regular" room. I explained what happened to our friend Linda.

We don't know how long he will be there. His sister hasn't been able to speak with him but will try tomorrow.

Will post again if i get more details. Please keep sending Don cards & postcards.

Now Don is bona fide member of Gallstone Street Grafitto Club!

Bunny

[Archaic]

Just got one more detail.

This surgery was deemed so high-risk that Don's Cardiologist insisted that one of the hospital's Heart Specialists personally supervise Don's heart throughout the entire surgery.

Bless that cardiologist! I'm grateful Don is under his care. At least someone is on the ball.

Bunny

[Cogidubnus]

Thanks for this Bunny

I'd guess a hell of a lot of us are thinking about Don tonight and hoping most fervently for a fortunate outcome

All the best

Dave

[Sam Flynn]

Hear, hear, Dave. Don's in our thoughts, as ever.

[Robert]

Thanks Bunny. As long as Don recovers OK, the operation will be a terrific thing to get out of the way.

[Hunter]

It sure will, Robert. Might be a blessing in some way.

Hang in there Supe. The baseball pennant race is just starting to get interesting.

[The Good Michael]

was the gallbladder responsible for most other issues? If so. we can look forward to a good recovery.

Mike

[Carol]

was the gallbladder responsible for most other issues? If so. we can look forward to a good recovery.

Mike

Just what I'm wondering, Mike. Very scary time just now. Lots of prayers needed. Thank you for all your updates, Bunny. Don's got a wonderful friend in you.

Carol

[GUT]

Go Don

[belinda]

Thinking of Don and hoping for a safe recovery

[Archaic]

Update on Don

Hi everyone.

Don's sister was able to speak to him today. Said he was still a bit groggy but sounded happy. Apparently his color is good and he seems to be in stable condition.

Don's sister passed my message that all his friends send their love and are thinking of him and rooting for him.

Don said he got a bunch of wonderful cards and they really cheered him up. He said to say "Thank You" to everyone for their kindness.

Don also said to tell me that he was going to call me, but his sister said 'Don't count on it; he doesn't have a phone yet!" I believe he was using his brother's phone, so maybe one day soon he'll be able to call.

Don had to hang up because nurse was in to check on him.

Recovery from the surgery is expected to take at least 6 weeks, so that set his new round of therapy back a bit. Not sure how long he will remain in the hospital.

As for the question about where his gallbladder was responsible for many of his symptoms, I'll have to ask, but based upon what I know he also has the following medical issues:

the stroke aftermath, partial paralysis, Diabetes, heart problems (had heart attack in I think 2006), tendency to form blood clots, something with his liver (that may have been resolved by gallbladder surgery), and the myriad effects of being bedridden for most of a year. He's had bedsores, etc.

So Don has many difficult health challenges, but as we all know he's a stubborn 'Connecticut Yankee', so he keeps battling on.

He's excited that he will get more therapy once he recovers from surgery.

Don still plans to travel the world, see London again, and drop in on his international friends.

As we all know, Don loves the English language and has quite a vocabulary. (He's a graduate of Columbia University).
One thing I thought was funny is that the nurses at Fairview have commented to his family that "Donald uses vocabulary words we've never heard even before!"[/I] ha ha Bet the nurses at the hospital will say that too.

Go, Supe!

Bunny

[Robert]

Bunny, please give Don my best wishes.

When a patient is in a hospital bed for weeks on end, they're sometimes given special tight-fitting socks to prevent clots. I don't know if Don is getting that treatment.

Tell Don the US team is in the last 16 of the World Cup!

[belinda]

I had to put on compression socks before the operation and keep them on the two days I was there.I hope they're giving Don something to keep the pain under control

[Archaic]

Update on Don

Hi guys, had a chance to speak to Don again for a few minutes. He's out of the hospital and back at Fairview.

I asked him how he felt after the gall bladder surgery and he answered, "In pain."
Then he added, "Bunny, please don't say anything funny to make me laugh right now, because it hurts even more if I laugh or cough."

I asked him if he was coughing due to a cold or anything, and he replied "No... just, you know, sometimes you just cough."

Don's had pneumonia multiple times since being in the care facility, so I'll ask his sister how his lungs are doing.

It was a short chat, Don doesn't seem to have much energy, but his mind was sharp.

At one point Don remarked, "Everybody knows me here because of my caps..." He was referring to the St Louis Baseball team cap that Cris sent him and the cap with the Australian flag that Belinda sent him. It's great that they make him feel jaunty.

I told him again that everyone is pulling for him. When I mentioned that his thread has over 300 posts, Don was amazed. He said, "People are so kind!"

Don asked me again to say "hello" and "thank you" to all of you.

Thanks,
Bunny

[mariab]

Hi Bunny.

Any chance that Don might get online in a few days or weeks?