Dena,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your father during this trying time.

I can feel the anxiousness in your question. Let's take it slow and I'll attempt to answer some of your concerns.

First, your father has high blood pressure, called hypertension. Apparently, the consistant high blood pressure caused a blood clot or piece of cholestrol in the blood to break off or be pumped up the carotid artery in his neck to cause a stroke in his brain, a brain attack. He did not have a stroke in the spine or in the neck, as a stroke occurs in the brain when blood supply is lacking to specific brain areas. A stroke is a brain attack. The visual cortex of his brain was affected by the stroke that occured in his brain. Our brain does not feel pain, therefore the "numb" you refer to could be that your father is feeling numb in other parts of his body.

Depending on the extent and severity of the stroke, the neurologist and medical team will decide which procedure to follow. In some cases, surgery is performed in the carotid artery. This procedure is called an "endartaectomy" (misspelled) but "ectomy" means "removal of" in latin and the physician would be trying to remove any other plaque build up in the walls of the carotid artery.

You also stated that one of his heart valves are "leaking" and surgery can be done to repair this heart defect. However, the first order of business is to make sure your father is stable enough, after the stroke, to continue various therapies.

Numerous web sites will give you more information regarding his condition but your best source of specific information is the physician and medical team.

Please keep me posted on your fathers progress. Let me know how your doing too as you are an integral part of his recovery process.

Cleo Hutton