Thomas's Posts

I am so happy to report that one year has passed since my AVR surgery and I am doing GREAT! I cannot begin to thank everyone that touched us in some way, but please know that Kim and I are truly thankful for everything. I thank God for watching over us and putting many special people in our lives. I give thanks to Dr. Boruff (Jeff), Dr. Marietta, Dr. Briggs, the medical team at Vanderbilt; Dr. Petracek (surgeon), Dr. Slosky (Cardiologist), Dr. Eagle (Anesthesiologist), nurses, staff and Dr. Wes Thayer (my good friend from college). Vanderbilt is top notch in my books and I trust and recommend their heart team. One year has gone by and many key words and phrases represent the year: Prayers, Kim, my family, oh no, tired, fear, tears, anxiety, insomnia, heart flutter, Dr. appts, Echo, research, Adam Pick, The Patient's Guide to Heart Valve Surgery, phone calls, face to face meetings, insurance, HR, short term disability, understanding boss and co-workers, surgeons, types of valves, measurements, Google, Youtube, Facebook, my friends, logistics, Thanksgiving, dinners with friends, pre-op, writing letters to my children just in case, saying goodbye to my children and in-laws, TEE, Cardiac Cath, needles, "the shave", bactroban, the holding room and briefing, praying with Stephen, saying my goodbye to Kim, friends in the waiting room with Kim, hearing Kim's voice, thumbs up, "I made it", "the vent", seeing Kim for the first time, PAIN, crazy dreams, "hit by a train", "breathing on his own", "no more dilaudid or morphine = hallucinations", "no more percocet = itching!", ice chips, moving to step-down floor, seeing my mom, pain killer that works with no side effects = Tramadol, chest tubes out, "what's that ticking sound?", first walk, sitting in chair, Jell-o, needles again, one pint of blood, insulin, coumadin, visits from friends, guestbook entries, phone calls, Libby's cookies, "4 laps and we are gone!", discharged, Kim driving me home, back seat, pillows, snowing, home safe, seeing kids for first time!, hugs from my kids, 3 little nurses and one little doctor, Jeff checking in on me, my first breakfast, chocolate milk, recliner, pillows, cold, television, I-phone, laptop, Blue hands, ambulance ride, Parkwest ER, alcohol swabs, embarrassed, feeling better, first INR check, Christmas Day! New Year, bowl games, first trip outside the house with my buddies for BCS game, awesome kids, loving wife, no sleep, Ambien, sleep, not more than 6 pounds, feeling better, Pericarditis, feeling better, walk to the mailbox and back, visits from my buddies, more energy, first sled ride down the hill, low sodium, INR checks, Cardiac rehab, "you're too young to be here", 1st visit back to Vandy to see Dr. Petracek, "doing great", first time to drive, plane ride, back to work, DISNEYLAND with the family, turkey hunting, gaining some weight, fast pitch softball with Kaci & Molly, football with Conner, swim team, Lainey at the City Meet Finals, re-elected to the school board, back to school, Kim and I in NYC alone!, 3rd visit back to Vandy to see Dr. Slosky, test results — GREAT!, No more Beta Blockers!!!!!, Halloween, deer hunting, Thanksgiving, pheasant hunt in South Dakota, December 15th — my new birthday, the joke my friends played on me - my twin in my front yard with blue hands & blue gloves all over my car, and my family & friends joining me on my one year anniversary! What a year it has been and so thankful that I am back to 100%! My goal for the start of year 2 is to finish the Knoxville half marathon on April 3, 2011. Thanks again for your prayers, encouragement and support! Here's to year #2! Thomas

The title is very fitting to this journal entry. Seems I cannot get a good length of time going and I hit another hill on the recovery ride. Kim and I made the soggy and wet journey over to Nashville to see Dr. Petracek on February 5th. My visit went great and he was very happy with where I was at 6 weeks post-op. He took me off some medications and gave me the green light to go back to work as well. I celebrated my 39th birthday on February 6th and took 2 of my daughters to the father / daughter Valentine dance. Everything was going great until Thursday, February 11, when I started feeling bad. By the weekend, I had severe pain in my left shoulder and back, fever of 100+, and some discomfort in my side. This Monday, I called Vandy and spoke to the nurse there and told her what was going on. I was instructed to go to see my doctor here ASAP for tests. My PCP (Jeff) took charge of the situation and by 1:00, I had an echo, a lot of blood work and some other tests. The concern was that I had Endocarditis in my new valve or Pericarditis. If you need to choose an "itis" you would go for Pericarditis. Jeff discussed my test results and echo with my cardiologist here in Knoxville and my surgeon at Vandy. They all agreed on Pericarditis and the treatment started. I am on an anti-inflammatory medication as well as an antibiotic until we know for sure a bacterial infection is not present (30+ hours so far and no positive)! I already feel better as the pain is on its way out and the fever is gone. I should be good to go by the weekend. I am so ready to get all of this behind me and soar over the hill back to cardiac rehab. I use the roller coaster analogy because it really seems like you hit so many ups and downs in this road to recovery. I can tell you that I am looking forward to no more hills until we ride the real roller coasters during our spring break trip to California - DISNEYLAND! Thanks again to everyone for the support! Thomas