Billy's Journal

Hi! I'm Billy's wife, Ann. He's asked me to help share his story, while he reads over my shoulder! Billy is 70, is 11 mos out from OHS. He retired in 2006 from construction work, after a cancer diagnosis. No previous history of heart problems. When he was diagnosed 8 yrs ago with lung cancer, he felt life was over for him. He is #11 of 12 siblings, & 8 of his siblings have already died of lung issues (COPD and/or lung cancer). His doctors didn't expect him to survive the lung cancer - so he wasn't told about the aortic aneurysm that also showed on the scans. As his advocate I obtained copies of all reports. After reading about aneurysm, was able to discuss issues w/his oncologist, w/o him knowing. His doctors agreed with me that he didn't need to know about aneurysm, as we all felt he would give up the fight for lung cancer. Behind-the-scenes conferences w/top specialists concurred "at that time" that he wasn't expected to survive a large ascending aortic aneurysm surgery, on top of the cancer treatments. Somehow, I lived with this knowledge, and he survived the lung cancer! (BTW, once he learned the aneurysm had been kept from him, he said he was glad he hadn't known before.) Fast forward to summer 2013: Headache took Billy to ER (later deemed caused by optic neuropathy, possibly from chemo, so new eyeglasses & eye drops). ER found no cause for headache, but told him about the aneurysm & referred to cardio surgeon ASAP. Thus began several months of testing and hard decisions for him. 1) If he did nothing, the slowly growing aneurysm was sure to rupture; 2) with surgery, he might not survive the operation & he must consider the potential complications - staying on ventilator, stroke, etc. So proud of my strong husband of 50+ years! He is a survivor!

Surgeon came to Dallas from the Cleveland Clinic to establish a Cardio-thoracic practice for heart-lung transplants at Baylor Hospital. He required a clearance from cancer before tests could proceed. Oncologist helped to qualify, then began the pre-surgery & pulmonary testing (due to COPD and the radiation damage to chest area.) Surgery was set for 11/14/13, but cancelled in pre-dawn hrs before we left home, when an emergency heart transplant came in. Already prepped, it took a week to once again be placed on the schedule. Surgery on 11/21/13 took 9 hrs the first day. Because of bleeding, his chest was packed w/gauze, half closed, & he was kept in coma until the next evening. After another 2 hr+ session, returned to ICU, to remain for 10 days. Moved to recovery floor for a wk, released to home, but was returned to recovery floor after one wk at home. Stayed another wk to work on fluid retention. Hospital recovery obviously took longer because of lung issues, as the repairs to heart area went exceptionally well, and were external to heart itself, other than aortic valve.

Summary: On 11/21/13 aortic root and ascending aortic aneurysm (7.6 cm) were replaced w/mechanical aortic valve w/attached composite graft. A couple of coronary arteries were also replaced w/grafts. Surgeon is quite pleased at outcome of a complicated & challenging surgery! (Lots of radiation damage to surrounding tissue.)