cardiacmonitorshowedsignsofapotentialheartattack,
andtheyhaltedtheoperation.Withmedications,theygot
himbackintoa normalrhythm.Acardiologistsaidhis
heart rate slowed enough to avoid a full-blown heart
attack,buthewasn’tsurewhathadcausedtheabnormal
rhythm.Theyexpectedthemedicationsthey’dstartedto
preventitscomingback,buttherewasuncertainty.The
operation was not beyond the point of no return. So
Benzel had come out to ask us if he should stop or
proceed.
Irealizedthenthatmyfatherhadalreadytolduswhatto
do,justasSusanBlock’sfatherhad.Mydadwasmore
afraidofbecomingquadriplegicthanofdying.Itherefore
asked Benzel which posed the greater risk of his
becoming quadriplegic in the next couple months:
stoppingorproceeding?Stopping,hesaid.Wetoldhim
to proceed.
Hereturnedsevenlonghourslater.Hesaidmyfather’s
hearthadremainedstable.Aftertheearlytrouble,allhad
goneaswellascouldbehoped.Benzelhadbeenableto
perform thedecompression procedure successfully and
removeasmallamountofthetumor,thoughnotmore.
Thebackofmyfather’sspinewasnowopenfromthetop
tothebottomofhisneck,givingthetumormoreroomto
expand.We’dhavetoseehowhewokeup,however,to
know if any significant damage had been done.
WesatwithmyfatherintheICU.Hewasunconscious,
on a ventilator.An ultrasoundof hisheart showedno
damage—ahugerelief.Theteamthereforelightenedup
onhissedativesandlethimslowlycometo.Hewokeup
groggybutabletofollowcommands.Theresidentasked