John's Posts

Recovery has not been without its challenges. I wound up coming down with pneumonia after returning from Cleveland. Coughing after OHS is not fun. Then, I landed in the ER Friday before last because of my first bout of atrial fibrillation. My HR went to 140 bpm, but fortunately I converted back to normal sinus rhythm on my own within 40 minutes. Then, on Tues of last week, during a follow up appointment with my cardiologist, my HR went to 150+ bpm, which landed me back in the ER where they were unable to bring my HR below 150 bpm for the next 7 hours. By 1700, the plan was to move me to the ICU overnight and then run a TEE and cardiovert me using electric paddles first thing Wed morning. Fortunately, I slipped back into normal rhythm and went to the telemetry ward overnight. The following day, during an echocardiogram, the doctor discovered I also had a pericardial effusion. The cardiologist came in and told me his plan was to have a surgeon open a permanent "window" in my pericardium through a 4" incision in my abdomen and insert yet another drainage tube the next day. This struck Melanie and I as a pretty scary prospect just three weeks after OHS. Fortunately, we talked him off the ledge and they were able to treat the issue using medications. I was just released from the hospital yesterday, and have developed a debilitating case of nausea due to the strong meds I'm taking. Discovered yesterday that puking brings an entirely new level of hurt compared to coughing:-) Any of these complications is reasonably common after OHS. Somehow, I managed to get all three! The current plan is to continue to let the medications run their course and go back to the cardiologist on Friday for a status check on the effusion. If things have worsened, I'll likely travel back to Cleveland for further treatment. But, I'm praying for the best. Anyway, that's the news from Lake Woebegone. I'm upright and moving forward. Despite a few setbacks, things are bound to get better!