So I have a pretty compelling and rad story to tell about my grandfather. It's a bit long - so im sorry, and spark notes don't do it justice.
To set the scene, this is a guy who has abused his body his whole life - has smoked like a chimney to present day, drank heavily his whole life and has always been over weight etc etc. His career was one of being a very successful engineer, and he is currently in his mid 80's.
Amazingly, he has never had any major diseases... im talking about cancer here.... or significant life threatening conditions, this guy is as strong as an ox.
About 5 years ago, whilst at home, he started to feel dizzy, light headed and with a slight shortness of breath... so was taking to the doctor for a "check up". What happened next is incredible - and to this day nobody understands it - he was suffering essentially heart failure - his heart rate at the Doctors was recorded at 17 bpm. No doctor has ever seen anyone alive with a heart rate this low, let alone someone who was just feeling a little light headed etc.... it blew the docs away - but he was rushed in to emergency surgery and had a pace maker fitted. A few weeks later, he's back to normal.... again, nobody could understand how he was alive.... he should not be.
Come forward now to monday this week - he doesn't really sleep or go to bed these days, merely sleeps in his chair..... and it was in this chair that he was found on monday morning, unconcious...
Unable to be revived - he was rushed to hospital #1 - where, after many tests, a CT scan finally revealed he had suffered a massive brain haemorrage. Here at Hospital #1, everyone was told there was nothing that could be done to save him - game over. It was also revealed that only very rarely do people with such a severe brain aneurysm even make it to the hospital alive.
Modern medicine, with it's networked systems however, meant that Hospital #2 (a bigger, university teaching hospital) had a chance to view the test results and scans online - at which point, on mon afternoon a neurosurgeon made the call and said, they'd like to see if they could give him a chance. So - he was moved to Hospital #2 and rushed into brain surgery to release the immense pressure.
Upon coming out of surgery, everyone was told that there were only 3 scenario's left - the severity of the aneurysm meant that he would either die overnight, be so severely brain damaged - they'd just have to let him go, or that he would have significant brain damage that his life would be fairly unlivable, and that he would more then likely die anyway within the next 30 days.
He made it through the night. Not only did he make it through the night, but upon being brought to a lower level of sedation - passed all initial brain function tests, e.g .he was asked to raise left arm - done, then right, done... and so on... the Doctors once again were in disbelief, this simply doesn't happen.... my sister visited - and thanked him for the day off work - to which he grabbed her hand and squeezed it and smiled. becuase of this - the doctors were so amazed, they moved him on to the next phase of treatment (had he not responded, they would have just left it... for the inevitable to happen)
Today, the heamorrage has been stopped and sealed internally through a 2nd operation which went text book apparently - he is responsive and agitated to have the tube that is helping him breath removed (he doesn't need it - but it was left in to rest his body)....
We should have been planning a funeral yesterday - he should never have even made it to the first Hospital, yet he made it to two.... and through brain surgery.... and then through the night.... even then - he should have lost pretty much most of the use of his brain given the severity of the bleeding.... but no, he appears to be pretty much, ok... they're going to bring him around slowly and see what kind of brain damage (if any... ) has occurred...
The fucker is just bomb proof... and i for one, hope i have plenty of his genes.... that's survival of the fittest right thur. Given these episodes, such as the heart incident etc.. im honestly starting to think he's immortal! haha...
Im not really looking for vibes etc - He is not out of the woods yet, but if anything does happen to him now, I will still just continue to be amazed at all these events and his inherent resilience... and just how tough he is... he defies all medical logic, doctors and surgeons cannot believe how he is still alive... and neither can i.
Sorry for the big post, but Just thought i'd share some of the incredible goings on over my last couple of days...
