Checking in to give everyone a status update. Yesterday was 2 weeks post op and I have to say I am feeling pretty good, physically. I am still experiencing ...Read more
Checking in to give everyone a status update. Yesterday was 2 weeks post op and I have to say I am feeling pretty good, physically. I am still experiencing some pain but the meds and tylenol do a great job of handling that part of it. I have been getting out and walking around the neighborhood and I am doing about 12 minutes now. I still get short of breath and tire easily but seems if I take it easy all of this is easy enough to deal with.
Thanks to some wonderful friends I don't have to prepare many meals, just take them out of the freezer and nuke them. Eating health though the appetite is slowly coming back. Taste buds have been in hiding since surgery but with some hot sauce (haha) I can sometimes taste the food.....now the cream cheese frosting and jelly beans are somehow tasty (go figure).......
I have been reflecting on my recent experience and trying to come to terms with the fact I just underwent OHS. It still seems very surreal to me though and I can only say, I am grateful for my recovery and imagine this has something to do with it. I have not been bedridden for any length of time so it seems the limited physical movements, pain and shortness of breath are the only remnants of my recent experience.
Psychologically I think I am doing well and continue to meditate and thank my HP for this opportunity for emotional, spiritual and hopefully physical growth.
The blog and everyone's comments regarding their experiences have been enormously helpful to me. I hope that the sharing of my experience is helpful to some as well. I have follow ups with cardiologist and surgeon tomorrow so hope to get a clean bill of health. Maybe my driving restrictions will be soon lifted but not sure I am ready for seat belts across my chest......
Hi Everyone,
Sorry I have written in a few days but have been getting acclimated to being home. I came home on Day 3 after surgery because the docs thought ...Read more
Hi Everyone,
Sorry I have written in a few days but have been getting acclimated to being home. I came home on Day 3 after surgery because the docs thought I was doing so well though I think in retrospect it may have been a bit premature. My arrival home was not an easy transition but all things considered, I got through it and am now coming out the other side.
I spent Saturday resting all day trying to recover from Friday's events and by late afternoon/early evening was up and feeling better so we all watched 12 Years A Slave. An excellent film.....
Sunday I probably overdid my routine having gone up and down the stairs multiple times since I was feeling good. By evening, I was wiped out.
Sleep has not been a wonderful luxury since then since I don't seem to be sleeping through the nights and end up moving between the bed and recliner multiple times. Fortunately the pain has been tolerable enough to skip the narcotics and I am trying to stick with the Tylenol during the night.
Also had my first evening of accelerated heartbeats, not sure if this would qualify as atrial fibrilation they were talking about but I can say I hope not to experience it again.
Not sure my strength is getting better but maybe having been able to shower and shave yesterday shows some indication of progress. I continue to maintain a positive attitude but then I think I am too tired to go any other direction (thank God).
I have been receiving enormous support from so many people, it's been very overwhelming. Thank you!!!!!
Good morning all! I think it's now day two for surgery. My recovery seems to be going well. I spent the first evening in ICU and am thankful for Theresa's patience ...Read more
Good morning all! I think it's now day two for surgery. My recovery seems to be going well. I spent the first evening in ICU and am thankful for Theresa's patience and tolerance as I was quite out of it. I was blessed with receiving the less invasive procedure so they say my recovery should be 4-6 weeks.....
I was fortunate to have had the ventilator tubing removed before I awoke so cannot say I remember any of thst experience. The other tubes and catheter were removed before noon the day following surgery and I must admit having them removed provided more relief than leaving them inside of me.
I walked three times around the floor yesterday but may have been too rambunctious of one of them as I have been in more pain since then. This morning I got my first good cough, OMG!!!! That's all I can say....
I want to thank everyone who has been calling, texting and sending messages of support. The experience has been very surreal and still hasn't really set in. Yesterday's walk though was definitely a reminder of limitations to come. No status yet as to my release date but so far all the results have been positive.
I look forward to being home but at the same though the idea of leaving this safe environment seems a bit frightening.
more to come and thank you all for your love and support.....
Haha...what a day!!! I have been preparing myself the last three days for my upcoming rendezvous with the surgeon at 615 AM, Tuesday March 4.......had decided ...Read more
Haha...what a day!!! I have been preparing myself the last three days for my upcoming rendezvous with the surgeon at 615 AM, Tuesday March 4.......had decided to disconnect from electronics today and did a haphazard job at that....received a phone call from the surgeon's office this afternoon saying we have bad news! We have to postpone your surgery till next Wednesday.....then the hospital calls, we need your credit card so pay your deductible......
I couldn't believe my ears! After spending the last 3 weeks at the hospital with this test and that test, coordinating my obligations at work, my home life, my dogs........all for it to vanish in a moment! My stress level went through the roof and I am ever so grateful my friend Patricia was here (from out of town) to help bring me back to earth. I called the surgeon's office back and the damn woman who had the never to say there was an emergency and they were going to postpone me since I was elective surgery decided I should speak to the surgeon directly. This is the second time she has irked the H _ _ _ out of me....the first time being when I had a concern about blood transfusions and she told me my surgeon doesn't use the stuff.....only to find out at pre-op that he put an order in for it, just in case.......thankfully my friend Patricia called the surgeon back after we had had a chance to weigh the options about waiting for a week or going in tomorrow at a later time on the same date.....
I have opted to go in tomorrow as scheduled but later in the day and can only hope there are no further delays..........having to refrain from eating, water, caffeine, etc....is now going to be a longer process as I lay waiting to see what happens.....after reading Adam's book and reading various people's experience, I can only pray my HP will grant me the serenity to find the strength to handle this as gracefully as possible.
There was only a 10% change of having surgery postponed and only a 10% change when they open me up that they'll have to do the full sternotomy.....I certainly hope today's events are not a harbinger of things to come.....
I have felt the whole spectrum of emotions, fear, anger, loneliness, and anxieties over the unknown which is pretty much everything. I have full faith in my surgeon and know that things will be as they were intended to be....I have always said I hope to use this as an opportunity for emotional and spiritual growth and its looking more and more like its going to be an extended growing period.
Thanks everyone for your support and I hope to be posting my status in a few days but a friend will probably send out updates!!!!!
Had my CT scan today and it turned out negative, no aneurysm so this is great news! I was told it was less than 4cm so I guess that is a good thing. I will ...Read more
Had my CT scan today and it turned out negative, no aneurysm so this is great news! I was told it was less than 4cm so I guess that is a good thing. I will be having the less invasive procedure through the rib versus a full sternotomy so I am grateful for this. Surgery will still be approximately 5 hours but I guess at this point, I am in good hands. Now in the process of winding things down at work and making lots of phone calls to connect with family and friends before the surgery next Tuesday.
I'll be checking out on Monday, no computers or cell phones as I just want to have a quiet day before I go in except for posting some final thoughts before my surgery.
Thanks everyone for the support and love I have been receiving, it's all be very overwhelming. I love you all !!!
Well I went to Scripps today to do my pre-op testing, blood pressure, blood work, EKG, X-rays, etc.....met my internal medicine doctor who I understand will ...Read more
Well I went to Scripps today to do my pre-op testing, blood pressure, blood work, EKG, X-rays, etc.....met my internal medicine doctor who I understand will be seeing me everyday when I'm in the hospital. I must admit I'm glad he is not the surgeon.......
These days I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. I know things will work out exactly as they were destined to be and I have enough faith to carry me through this adventure (or at least I think I do).
Insurance company denied the request for CT scan....hmm go figure, not sure what that is all about but I understand my surgeon will be contacting them directly. As I understand it, I may have an aortic aneurysm which is often found in patients with BAV disease and a CT scan would determine the extent of any. A negative result would qualify me for less invasive surgery but a positive result means a full sternotomy.....needless to say the waiting is a bit anxiety provoking but alas I am letting others do their jobs. In any event, I am planning for the full monty so if its not, well joyous news indeed! We shall see....
Jose, my nurse filled me in on what to expect as I arrive for surgery and afterwards and kept telling me I was young and would recover quickly. This from someone at least 20 years younger than I....(lol)....
The great news is I will be first up for surgery, 6:15 am so need to report for duty at 5:00am......guess I needn't worry about delays (hahaha)....I expect to be wheeled into ICU at about 11:30 am where I will be kept under strict surveillance (don't want the patient doing needless exercise) for 24 hours.....I hope to have the ventilator removed before I wake up and understand I can make that request!!!! Kevin, make a note of this in the event I forget, as if!!!! When I am ready to be moved from ICU they will deliver me to the 11th floor (not quite the penthouse 12th floor) but should make for some nice views!!!!
Next chapter to follow up with surgeon on Thursday and with any luck a CT scan in the am beforehand.......
Thank you everyone for the support and I certainly am trying to be positive and courageous as I enter this next phase!!!!
Hi everyone!!! Welcome to my journal. I am just setting it up and hope to have it all in place by the time I go in for surgery, March 4. If you know other ...Read more
Hi everyone!!! Welcome to my journal. I am just setting it up and hope to have it all in place by the time I go in for surgery, March 4. If you know other people I should add since I am a bit stressed and may not remember everyone or have their email addresses, let me know. Send me an email to markblabonte@gmail.com
I will write more information about what's going on shortly but just getting this established at the moment.
Thank you all for your love & support.