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[quote=Anonymous]I need advice, and this could go in the Health and Medicine forum but it's really about my 68yr old dad.  Backstory is he has been morbidly obese his entire life.  He is 69yrs old and other than golfing multiple times per week, is basically sedentary. Think Donald Trump physique, honestly.

My mom just sent an email that they are at the follow up appointment with his cardiologist and will be having a heart catheterization at the end of this week or beginning of next.  Let's put aside my annoyance that although this is the follow up after what were apparently multiple tests last week, I'm only just now learning about this.  Ok, deep breath for myself.  According to my mom, if they go in through his wrist it's an outpatient procedure.  If it's through the groin, it's a hospital overnight. And if they find a blockage they'll put in a stent right there on the table.

My question is whether this procedure rises to the level of making the trip, which would necessitate either 10hrs in the car each way or an expensive last minute plane ticket plus time off of work, juggling child care and all the other logistics.    I know this is likely the start of years' worth of determining what rises to the level of travel to be onsite, versus weighing what procedures and appointments I just can't be there for.  FWIW, my sister lives two miles away from them, so I'd expect that she will be at the hospital with my mom, or at least nearby if something happens.

I don't know much about this procedure and am trying to figure out what to do. I can't afford the money or vacation time to race to their sides for every single health scare in the coming decade or two, but I also don't want to under-react to a circumstance either.  Any BTDT from posters with older parents and experience with this procedure?
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