Swenson.” A woman not much older than me sticks out her hand to shake mine. “I’ll be keeping an eye on your father over the weekend. Dr. Fontaine told me that we’re looking to do a CABG on Monday, if not sooner.” “So it’s scheduled for Monday?” I ask hopefully. “As far as I know.” “But if he needs it sooner, you’ll be ready?” “Of course.” “This is just so hard,” I admit. “Not knowing … and not having him conscious to talk things through. I mean, I signed the surgery release for him, but this is all so new to me. I don’t want to make any mistakes…” She nods with a look of understanding. “It’s hard, I know. But we really do have your dad’s best interests in the forefront. And Saint Joseph’s may not be the biggest hospital, but our cardio unit is one of the best. Did Dr. Fontaine explain the cooling treatment to you?” “Yes. Do you think it’ll help?” “It should definitely improve his prognosis.” “That’s reassuring.” “If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.”
