Ronnie & Diana’s journey started on January 12th when Ronnie went to the hospital for a heart catheterization procedure and they told them they might put in a couple stents if needed.  They discovered a near 100% blockage in his heart. Ronnie was scheduled for a triple bypass surgery on January 18th. The doctors said he needed a quadruple bypass but he couldn’t handle that surgery. Both Ronnie and Diana were worried about the surgery but also the fact that he would be out on a ventilator and the possibility that he wouldn’t be able to come off the ventilator. This was his first surgery during their long journey. He did very well and was off the ventilator and up in a chair the next day. Within a few days things got worse and he was back in ICU having emergency surgery on his bowels. They removed a section of his bowels that had stopped functioning and they had to leave the incision area open for a two days. Then he had surgery number 3 to reconnect the bowels and close the incision area. At some point while in ICU he was placed back on the ventilator and stayed on it for about 10 days. During that time he was sedated most of time. He then went on to have another 3 or so surgeries on his chest wound from the bypass surgery. The latest surgery was to remove his sternum as it was infected. This entire time his chest incision area hasn’t been completely closed. Friday March 5th he was scheduled to have the incision closed. However due to his labored breathing he couldn’t handle the surgery. He has had several small issues along this journey as well. Such as bed sores, bladder infections, blood stream infections, etc.  Thankfully Mercy hospital had allowed Diana to be by his side. She can’t spend the night at the hospital with him so she has been driving from Eolia to Creve Coeur everyday. That’s 62 miles one way and a round trip of 124 miles. This has gone on for 54 days so far and will most likely continue for several days possibly weeks. Diana & Ronnie have been married for 56 years and always by each other’s side. They are both retired and I know this has caused a financial burden just in gas money driving to the hospital each day, as well as food while there. I can’t even imagine the medical bills that will follow as right now he has had 6 or 7 surgeries and will still need more. Ronnie has shown us he is a fighter and we need to show them we have their back. Please think about making a monetary donation or donating an electronic gift card that will go directly to Diana.