William's Heart Valve Journal

One year ago today I missed St. Patricks Day,

Just a quick note to say, Captain Bill is doing great in every way

Last year, I was out like a light, so I could play on another Green Beer Day without a fight. Because of Dr. Gillinov', his team, Doc McWilliams and my great wife. I now have a full and healthy life.

Cheers and Happy Boating
Captain Bill

PS to those having you valves replaced or repaired..the weeks fly by and you will rowing your boats in no time.

Well well … lets sea what’s happening in the world of Captain Bill almost six months after he has had his valve job. My first thoughts are that you may be asking; will I ever be normal again? Will I be able to walk to my mail box or to the nurses’ station without a shot of Tequila at the rest area? The good news is YES! The Bad news is it takes work, guts and determination. I finish my Cardiac Rehab this Friday and will move on to elbow bending and pole dancing lessons next week at a real gym. I have been so focused on my recovery that I have not taken the time to check on my fellow heart surgery friends. Duane, Fran and Cheryl you all will always be in my heart (the repaired version, with a 60-70% re fraction rate and a average blood pressure of 112/70) we have a common bond, yet some us are in a tropical paradise while other of us are land locked in a muddy old lake or where it snows in September. The encouragement and information this journal has brought me is priceless, everyone’s journey is different but we all share common water. I’ll drink a toast to everyone from aboard the See Whippet II, with my first mate Lori and deck hands Rhino and James Bond at my side. Just a note, I have new puppy I named Gillinov; he’s a very smart dog.
What have I been doing this summer while in recovery mode? My week days are filled with morning work outs 3 days a week, building my business back from when I was off for a few weeks really months,, and relaxing on our boat. It’s kind of hot in Oklahoma, today 107 with a heat index of 120, and I can tell you it’s not good for anyone, especially if you had your impeller replaced a few months ago. If I shift my eyes real fast sometimes I do get a bit dizzy (not while drinking) I think its “Pump Head” and is getting less and less as time goes on, it does save me on drinking. I get the effects without the calories. So I can say even with the economy in shambles, health care reform and business up and down. I am doing great or even better than great. Just like my shorts say “Life is Good’. God is great (that is not on my shorts).
I’ll check in from time, now I have a dentists appointment to go to……………………………………………………..
Happy boating
Captain Bill

Pump Head. You might want to Google that because, I have it. I’m feeling better, breathing better with exercise and my chore requests around the house are increasing. My wife asks me to take out the trash or pick up some tree limbs from the last tornado that blew through and I just forget she even asked me. I had hundreds of phone numbers memorized, that I now have to look up. I had thousands of specifications memorized, now can only recall about half of them. My anniversary is in 10 days and I am already forgetting to buy her that diamond necklace she wants. I have pump head. Pump Head is something the doctors talk about around the water cooler, but won’t confirm is real.
Cognitive impairment or Pump Head is what happens while they hook you up to the heart lung machine, I have lost 20 percent of my brain capacity and it is all centered on yard work, house work and office work. I do still remember all the baseball players’ names, golfer’s names, statics, time the next game starts, scores for the past decade and my favorite drink recipes. Its just the stuff that requires work or being attentive that I seem to forget about. Maybe it’s not pump head, but selective hearing. Either way, if it was in the fine print about recovery I missed it along with “recovery may take longer than expected” “weight gain can occur due to lack of exercise and excess fluids” I did read the part about heart valve surgery may “increase your life”, “your happiness” and “you might have to re-think your retirement funds due to a longer healthy life”

I m not 100 per cent yet but I am about 89 percent and going up each day.

7 weeks, there is light at the end of the tunnel and I am hoping it is not a train. Blood work came back with improvements; my tequila level was low so I do need to work on that this weekend. I started Rehab this week. I thought I was doing well until the 90 year old lady next to me turned her treadmill up to 6 and took off running. I really though 2.5 was pretty fast…How I am sleeping you might ask. Better, but not normal, I get in a good 4 or 5 hours and it is starting to feel normal, so I am taking advantage of it and mowing my lawn at 4:00 am… I do have a few relaxation tips and a prescription my doc has given me, my neighbors want me to follow her instructions. Not much pain until I sneeze or cough and I still am not 100 percent back, but I can say I am maybe 80 percent me and going up a percent every few days.. I can only play the “I’m too weak to wash my own boat” card one more weekend before they figure out I now have the energy to wash my own boat (unless my lake friends read this). I feeling better each day.

Happy boating
Captain Bill