About Me (In My Own Words)
One might think that my heart surgery happened at the worst possible time in my life: Two years prior to my diagnosis my wife of 47 years had died, my grief at her passing created serious depression, I was living alone. But by the time of my diagnosis I was in great physical condition for the first time in 40 years; I had the unequaled love and energy coming from my daughter Michelle and her family; I had acquired a wonderful friend in Chloe, the first dog I ever owned; I received very good information from sources like this one; and I met a fantastic lady online, Laraine, who gave me a new chance at life at the venerable age of 73.
As I approached surgery I was physically and mentally in great shape to see a bright future ahead. I am now celebrating my first anniversary after the surgery and want to share with you all some of the wonderful things I have learned about life after 70 through this incredible experience.
But first the technical details: Following my diagnosis I researched all institutions within 100 miles that performed these operations: UC Davis, Stanford University, Mayo Clinic, San Francisco Med Center. UC Davis and Stanford Universities impressed me the most. I chose Stanford due to its reputation and also because my daughter lived 15 minutes from the campus -- My wife and I could drive our RV to my daughter's home, spend the night, and then they could take me to the surgery appointment and bring me back when my stay in the hospital was over.
My surgeon recommended a pig valve. I felt that decision was best left to him given his experience. I received the St. Jude Medical TF-21A and also one bypass.
Everything worked so well. I left Stanford very much impressed and thankful that I had access to their outstanding services. I felt that I was an incredibly lucky guy.
My doctors told me that my recovery was smooth and quick -- something I believe I owe to the tremendous support I had from family; the excellent work of the Stanford Clinic and my surgeon Dr. Ha; my follow-up cardiologist Dr. Zhu at Marshall Hospital in Placerville; and my primary care physician -- the best doctor I have had in my life, Dr. Tony Jerant at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA; and certainly not least, to the long hikes my wife and I had been taking in the Sierra foothills.
(I left this journal for awhile -- It is now about 1.5 years since my surgery)
Things are going great. My wife and I are becoming world travelers -- something we could never do in our previous relationships since both of us were married to spouses with long-term illnesses. We've gone to Europe, China and Hawaii and will soon be headed for New Zealand -- a hiker's paradise.
(I left this journal for another long period -- it is now more than three years since my surgery.)
Amazing. No dizziness, lots of energy. I have joined a gym and work out twice a week. Laraine and I have also taken two more, long trips: New Zealand and Eastern Europe. What a life. We work hard every day and enjoy a great social life.
That ends my journal for now. My best wishes for all of you. Heart surgery is not something to be dreaded -- it is a new life.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Placerville, California
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My surgery date is:
August 28, 2014
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Richard Ha
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My hospital is:
Stanford Medical Center
