Here it Goes

Papa now has 2 infected heart valves. Surgery will provide a cure, but there will be a 60% / 40% mortality, meaning, 60% chance that he will not survive the surgery. He will also require a longer recovery period due to his current health condition.

Without surgery, Papa will continue to remain susceptitable and prone to the airborne bacteria that is putting him through these episodes of breathlessness, with his poor immunity. With the current antibiotics, the strongest so far, Papa will recover from the infection, but it may not be a full recovery. He may be discharged. He may catch something again, and than gets admitted again. It will be a vicious cycle, until the bacteria gets him.

Its a tough call, a huge gamble, with a human life at stake. I am grateful for the fact that Papa is lucid, and when we lay down the cards, he was very sure that he does not want to go ahead with the surgery. I guess it is a really tough call, but he seems certain of his decision.

Having said that, there has been some improvement in Papa's current health condition over the last 2 -3 days. He is now breathing through an oxygen tube, instead of being intubated. He is also having light meals now, instead of getting his meals through a feeding tube. Despite these improvements, he turns a little blue in the face when sitting up, and his BP is still a little unstable.

The docs, on the other hand, thinks that he is "fit enough" for the General Ward. On the contrary, the issue is more likely to free up bed space in the ICU. Just when Papa is making marginal improvements, the docs want to sent him back to back to the battleground to fight a battle not visible to the human eye, a battle that may eventually get him.

Papa is still in ICU now, but they are looking to transfer him to the General Ward sometime these few days. We are holding our breath now, and hoping that he does not catch anything while he is in General Ward.

But what are the chances? Its a hospital, afterall