I know many have looked on this blog for an update but I had just been updating FB, and by email and text.  I will now recap this weeks' agenda:

Monday October, 1st    Hi all, just spent the day with Marco. Hilda (his sister) and John (his brother), were also there for the whole day. Later, we were joined by Lilly, Eddie, Angel, and a very nice and unexpected surprise visit by Balfe. Marco looked good and is as ready as he'll ever be for his surgery tomorrow at 7am. Please continue to pray for him. The only thing that keeps resonating with me is "If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it" hugs and kisses to you all and a big one for my hubby. We love you Marco!! We're all pulling for you! You have no idea!!

Tuesday October 2nd   Day of Surgery.  Woke Up at 3:50am to go to the hospital and be with Marco.  Arrived at hospital about 5:08am  (amazing the difference with no traffic--even got parking quickly)  Was there with him before they rolled him in at 7:10am.  Did not hear from the doctor until about 12:10pm  ---yes, I was a nervous wreck.  But before this, I received a call from Isabella's kindergarten teacher to learn that the day before Isabella said to her that her father had died.  Well she says "Isabella, I don't think that's true why are you saying this?" and Isabella responds "because he's in the hospital".  Well, of course my heart drops I've been holding it together pretty well for a long, long time and I lost it.  Started to cry while on the phone with the teacher and explained that I was in the waiting room and my husband had just been taken in for heart surgery.  She apologized(as she didn't know that this was all taken place)  which is when I proceeded to explain why I believe Isabella was thinking this way.  My sister-in-law, Elsie (Marco's brother's wife) had been in the hospital for quite some time battling cancer that had spread all over.  She eventually passed about 2 weeks ago and I tried to explain this to my children.  Well, I believe that Isabella was putting things together in her own little mind that 
this would probably come to pass with her Dad too.  Well, I was a mess---cried like a baby.  Looking back at it all,  my childhood upbringing(not ideal--very diffficult), my employment at the World Trade Center,  my challenges with Christopher-my son born with seizures, and now my husband Marco--who's athletic, health cautious, non-smoker, good husband, terrific father gets diagnosed with a devastating disease Multiple System Atrophy and then now has to have open heart surgery for Mitral Valve Regurgitation--I just felt like this was just cruel and unbelievable.  That we would have been given so much to handle---it's just not fair.  It hurts so much.  It breaks my heart to even watch how Marco has become so frail and dependent on others. This should not happen to ANYONE!

But let me get back to the surgery.  At 12:10pm the doctor all went well with the surgery, mitral valves were repaired not replaced.  Thank God!  But I would not be a to see him for a few hours.  Hilda and John (Marco's sister and brother came in to wait with me).  We didn't get to see him until after 3pm from 7:10 when they rolled him in. Yes, nerve wrecking.   Hilda and John left at about 4pm and I left only to return back to the hospital out of guilt I guess.  Just couldn't leave.  Anyways, I waited until about 8:30pm when he was awake and conscious, squeezed my hand and then he waved me off. He knew that I had been there the whole time. It was a very emotional day to say the least, but I know that God was there with him and us. The plans are to extubate (take the tube that's breathing for him out) today.  
Wednesday October 3rd  Well,  Marco tells me when I arrive at 1pm due to horrific traffic (2hrs total in traveling and looking for parking) that they extubated him at about 3am and that he was in terrible pain, that they'd given him a button to push for the morphine but he had not even known of it since he was still feeling the effects of the heavy medications used to sedate him.  He said that he asked for me several times and no one phoned me.  They had shut the lights off and told him to go to relax and go to sleep.  At around 6am was the next time he saw them.  Like I said I arrrived at 1pm to find Pastor Mena and Mr. Swift there and Pastor Mena said that Marco had been complaining of pain.  I then spoke to them and they said they don't wake up patients from sleeping to remind them to push the button and that they are not allowed to push the button for them either.   So, he just had open heart surgery and was not given a drip because they don't do that, they only give the button so that he can press as he feels necessary.  Marco was so afraid that he did not want to stay there alone not even for a minute.  I then called Hilda told her what happened and we worked it out that I would stay with him until she got there and alternated.

Thursday October 4th  Came in at about 11am he had just been transferred from the CTICU to a regular room.  All tubes from his neck were also removed and the only tubes left are the chest tubes used to remove fluid build-up.  These should come out on Friday depends on the doctor.  Left at about 6pm so that I can try to catch up with my kids before they went to bed.  Missed them terribly.  Luckily, Mrs. Chris Braun (as Christopher Calls her) has been stepping in, reading  and putting them to bed at night.  They only nice treat out of this has been that the kids have enjoyed having my Mom and Dad and Titi Hilda sleep over.  It's been an emotional and exhausting week for all of us.  Hoping that he has a speedy recovery.