>But if he's not up to driving..
I don't think it will take long before he realises that he's being deceived.
Kevin...
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Stu,
The problems you describe are as you say classed as "common" because they are! but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be concerned, the short-term memory loss for example, affects different people differently. After my quad-bypass four years ago, i was driving after three weeks! nobody told me i couldn't, (until i went to the 8wk check-up, and the consultant told me i could start again!) and to be honest, i literally could have driven myself home from hospital after the op, such was the improvement physically!. However on the other hand, i still have trouble remembering simple things, names can be a nightmare!, i tend to forget things arranged for a couple of days ahead unless i write them down, and i still find myself in various rooms in the house wondering when i get there, what i went for! until i get back where i started from then i remember!!! - but my immediate thinking skills, such as you use for driving, and my long term memory, childhood, school lessons, and quiz fact/trivia retention remain totally un-affected.
So basically, it's early days, i wouldn't worry too much, certainly some things will improve, and certain things will have gone, but he'll learn to adjust, and like me will be almost as good as new!!
As an aside, they discovered that the short-term memory loss is caused by clamping the arteries to and from the heart, the clamps shatter and splinter plaques (athersclorosis) off the inside of the arterys/veins and these travel up to the brain and clog the tiny capillaries.
An Anesthesiest once invented a "plaque-counter" that clicked every time a potentially dangerous-sized piece passed it, to alert the surgeons to the possible increased risk of surgery induced secondry trauma, eg stroke etc, but according to reports, surgeons found it so worrying and upsetting during ops that they have largely stopped using it!
Billy
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What does the 'small' print of his Insurance policy state?
dvd
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Most people on here seem to be worrying about him and his passengers!What are you going to do when he runs over a child?
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Im pretty sure that without keys, his only transport is a wheelchair and I think kids will see him coming, not that he can wheel it at the moment anyway as he is still very sore!
Interesting info about the bits going to the brain - id read something similar.
Luckily his main reason for driving was going to the tip and going to B&Q/garden centre, for reasons of DIY and gardening, neither of which he is going to be doing for quite a while. He only did 1500 miles per year anyway before his op so its not like he needs to go anywhere. Ive disconnected the battery on his car now so its not going anywhere.
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Stu its early days yet. Billy has a good take on this. Like me he had a quadruple heart bypass 4 years ago. Me i had mine Nov 2007 so thats 18 months ago. What you describe is normal for this most serious type of operation. I like Billy have had memory loss still do a little. As time has gone by i have nearly got all my strengh back. The main problem i have is when excercising i get out of breath very easy and thats because of the medication the beta blockers and ace inhibitors. What i would say is if your concerned about dad get him back to the docs to get checked out. But believe me this operation is a life saver and in time he will improve and lead a normal life, with a life expectency far greater than he could have imagined a few weeks ago. Good Luck.
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Stu forgot to say. You cannot drive after this op for 8 weeks. This is the time when you see the surgeon to give you the all clear. There are apparently different times when you get back to driving depending on what and how many surgery's you have had. but lets not confuse things 8 weeks is the norm.
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He has improved greatly since I first posted although this morning he downed all 15 odd pills he takes over the day in one go! Doctor said not to worry but hide the pills from him now as he is having very severe short-term memory issues.
Car is disabled - I removed a few fuses in the end, seemed easiest way to do it and hardest to detect - as it is he just sits in his chair most of the day and watches TV, such is his lack of will to do anything really as he gets cold easily and still a bit tender.
The most positive thing is that he is aware of how his mind is now, so lets us organise him.
Thanks for all the advice, its been very helpful indeed as NOBODY in the NHS seems to think to even mention what can happen, which is frankly disgusting.
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