Firstly, thanks to all the people who have sent me their good wishes.

Dad suffered a major heart attack on Sunday morning and was rushed by air ambulance from Waiheke Island to Auckland hospital. He was critical for the first few days then shock horror yesterday, was down graded to serious but stable. And hey, we need your bed, so off home.

While he was critical they were talking about doing a bi-pass operation, but couldn't get him in. Now that he's only serious, he's on the 12wk waiting list for the op, but if he re-lapses then they'll do one immediately. At this stage its definately going to be a double bi-pass, and possibly a triple. They've put a steth in one artery, which actually was the artery with the least blockage.

So all our family is pleased that he is improving, but all disillussioned with the whole health system.

So all your get well vibes must have helped, as its just amazing to see the difference in him now. Hard to believe that last Akl Anniversary weekend, him and Mum celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by doing the Milford Track and then a year later, we were so close to losing him. He's always been fit, thin build, eats very healthy etc so none of the so called risk factors for heart disease, except that he used to smoke but gave up 41 yrs ago.


Linda.

Our health system is in a shambles, and I don`t think you really realise until you have to deal with the system itself. I have had an overseas visitor go into hospital this week, and just a couple of the stories are taking a person with a simialr name away to be x rayed twice instead of himself,( thank goodness it was only an x-Ray) nurses not completing all of the correct forms, forgetting to administer drugs,leaving tablets on the wrong patients tables, then remembering they had left them, and wondering why the other patients had taken them!!! I know nurses are over worked underpaid, but it really doesn`t give you great confidence in the system, and these are the things we hear about.

Hi girls and boys,
Isn't it funny how successive goverments promise that they are going tofix the health system, each election year but it only gets worse and the surplus of funds grow? Where is the justice. i see in this mornings paper that there are going to be more cuts because the hospital boards have to save money. When people get into parliment common sense is left at the door.
To me, with a chronicnally ill daughter this is ludicrous.
Thinking of you and your family and hoping you are getting all the support from your community that you need.
Kay

From experience I would make sure that your father leads a very quiet life until the op. with absolutely no exertion or stress. He will be a new man once the op is over. Make sure he is very patient with his recovery, but time is of the essence.
Lorraine.

Heartfelt good wishes for your Dad's complete recovery Linda! Isn't it always such a shock when someone so apparently fit is struck down in this way??

I suppose the upside is that the condition was discovered in sufficient time to give him every chance of returning to a happy lifestyle.

Take care of yourself - when my husband was seriously ill our children were beside themselves with worry and that kind of stress takes it toll too so some self-care would not go amiss.