Bob's in hospital

Here's an update in case you've just found out about Bob's recent "health event."

On New Year's Eve Bob was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Collier County in North Naples. Initially they thought there was some kind of internal GI bleeding (he had vomited). Also, he presented with very low blood pressure and a heart arhythmia. The first thing they did was to to bring his blood pressure up and stabilize it. That done, they began to look for the cause of the bleeding. At around 4 a.m. they moved him into the intensive care unit for observation. That was last night.

Today, after many more tests, the diagnosis has changed to a heart attack--or at least that's what the cardiologist says. They're going to repeat the blood-enzyme tests a couple of times to confirm the diagnosis, but the doctor seems to think there isn't any internal bleeding because his hemoglobin count is normal.

I'm flying down tomorrow morning (Wednesday) and Joel Goldstein is flying down in the later afternoon, not because the medical crisis is so extreme but mostly to so I can help my mom and Joel can talk to the doctors peer-to-peer. Needless to say, my Dad doesn't want anyone to fuss. He's resting comfortably. When I spoke to my mother he was well enough to call out from his bed exhorting me to keep my cell phone on tomorrow.

I'll try to update this every evening while this situation is ongoing. The idea is to minimize time- and-energy draining phone calls but still get information out to everyone.

-Nancy