Buy two get one free?

My family has a history of heart disease.  It's no laughing matter, but in a small way, it's become one in my family.  Fifteen years ago my grandfather suffered from neck pain and was later diagnosed with major blockage in his heart's arteries.  He had open heart quintuple by-pass surgery.  With in a few years, both this brothers had the same procedure done.  Another year or so later my grandmother had the same thing.  And then when I was in college my uncle had a minor version of the same thing, cured with angioplasty and stints. We joke that our family should have a punch card buy two heart surgeries get one free. Really, it's not THAT funny.

The last few weeks my grandfather has been having chest pains that he and my grandmother assumed were gas.  After a battery of tests, the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with him and cleared him to go on his trip to Europe in mid-June.

Wednesday night the pain wouldn't go away, so he went to the hospital again.  This time the doctors decided to do a scope to check the arteries in his heart.  They figured a few stints and he'd be fine.  Nope.  Once they got in they realized the damage and wear and tear on the arteries is so severe, they won't let him leave the hospital without another round of open heart surgery.  

Monday morning he is scheduled to have 5 or 6 bypasses done to replace the work he had done 15 years ago.  We have since found out that this is normal; that the leg veins used for bypass surgery can only with hold about 10-12 years of work in the heart.  And he made it 15 years!  Needless to say this is "routine" as routine has quintuple or sextuple bypass surgery can be...but the doctors have faith in his general health and his strong heart that a full, and speedy recovery is expected.

In the mean time, we'll probably be playing cards as the hospital.  Fr. Neil is expected for a visit on Saturday night.  And my staff Mass was offered for him today.  Please keep him in your prayers this weekend!!!