Joyce's Journal

It has beena while since writing. I feel so good, no more coughing, walk every day all the scars are healed up, just a little tender. Sure feel that the vavince is the way to go. Good luck too all who need the surgery, it\'s a piece of cake.

I am doing real well. Had an infection in my arm from an iv and went to the surgeon today and he said he didn\'t want to open up, just stay on antibiotics. Otherwise I am pain free, no medicines, and taking my walks with \"old faithful\" Wayne has been so supportive. Will get back to driving next week. Sure are thankful for the DaVinci method, no big scars and all the holes are healed up.

Haven\'t written lately. It\'s a big job getting back to normal. I haven\'used pain medication after the 3rd day in the hospital. The robot marks are almost healed. Went to the doctor today and don\'t have to return for 3months. I have run into a little trouble tho, when in the hospital the I\'ve tube came out of my arm and I have an infection at the site. Tomorrow I have to go to a surgical center and have it drained. Spent the morning getting an ultrasound. After heart surgery you can\'t even get your teeth cleaned without antibiotics so we were worriied Things are going along, tired, will take a while. More later Joyce

We just got home. Praise the lord. It\'s been quite an adventure but successful and I dont have a huge scar down the front of my chest. The places in my side are about healed up, tender but that will go away. Will keep you up to date, monday I will go to my cardiologist for a check up and medication changes, will not have to return to Atlantana! Bye for now

Hi all The Doc released Joyce today. We traveled about half way home today (200 miles - 200 tomorrow) Had a good trip, nice weather. Joyce is tited, otherwise doing good. We hope tone home tomorrow..

Hi A note from Wayne. happy to report, Joyce continues to do well. She was released from the hospital yesterday. We are just around the corner from the hospital inthe motel and will be here for a couple days. Then home and good eating. - my cooking. The Doc and staff have been great. We know it was all in Gods hands, But God used them in a wonderful way. The surgery went well. In five days she is out of the hospital, very little or no pain. It is days like this we become more aware, we are just one heart beat from eternity. It is also days like this I am aware, I am the luckiest man in th world. A loving wife of 61 years, wonderful family. Neighbors and friends, and our church family and Sunday School class as we study the Bible and walk together with the Lord. We look forward to being home soon. Dorothy said it best, \"there is no place like home\"

Hi A note from Wayne. Joyce has a little set back. We thought we would leave the hospital yesterday, that did not happen. The Doc came in today and said heart is not regular, and it must be regular before she can leave. Hopefully we can go to our motel tomorrow and be there a few days. The Doc will check again, and if all is well and the heart is regular, we will leave for the land of sugar and honey. HOME. I will let all know as, when we know.

Joyce had another good day, but she had a little blip this afternoon. She was all set to be discharged to the hotel next door, where she will spend the next few days recovering. But at the last minute, she developed some atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat that is not uncommon after heart surgery. The doctor gave her some medicine, and it seems to be working, but they wanted to watch her one more day in the hospital before letting her go. So, she will stay there tonight and Deb will look after her. If all goes well, she will come to the hotel tomorrow. She seems to feel great and is getting visibly stronger everyday. She is up and walking almost every hour. She is getting less and less pain medicine. And she is back to her joking and dry sense of humor. We\'ll save those stories for later. Thanks to all for prayers and so much support. And thank God for His providence and blessings.

Hi everyone. A note from Wayne, Happy to report Joyce continues to do well, We are not sure when we can leave the hospital, She will go from here to the motel for a few days and if all continues to go well, then we will be on our way home. Thanks for your phone calls ans prayers.

Joyce had a good day and continues to improve. She had a chest xray and an echocardiogram that both looked good. Her confusion has basically disappeared and she has been up and walking a little bit. She\'s eating more, little by little. If her oxygen levels and temperature remain good, she may even be allowed to go to her hotel room next door to the hospital tomorrow. We\'ll find that out on Saturday morning. For now, Debbie will spend the night with Joyce again tonight. Wayne was with her most of the day today. Check out the photo under the link at the top of the page. We\'re very grateful for continued blessings and continued love and support from so many. We\'ll keep you posted.

Joyce had a very good night. She ambulated to the door and back, used her incentive spirometer religiously. Vital signs have been stable. She has been drinking and will get a cardiac breakfast this morning. I have taken care of a lot of post op patients but I want to tell the world this amazing lady should be the poster child not only for post op patients but for open heart post op pts. I truly can say I have never met a lady like her and she makes me very proud to be her daughter-in-law! We also need to give glory and thanks to the one that makes it all possible, our lord Jesus Christ, whom thru him all things are possible. Thank you everyone for your many prayers! God bless you.

So, just a hair over 24 hours after major heart surgery, Joyce is out of ICU and in a private room at St. Joseph\'s hospital. We are so thankful. Her chest tube has been removed and she is talking more and more. Her vitals look good and her pain is gradually declining. She has a lot of recovering to do, but the doctor is pleased and we, her family are so grateful. Her \"private nurse,\" daugher in law, Debbie, will spend the night in her room tonight and mom is calmer and more relaxed with her there. So, we continue to thank God and his instruments, the doctors and nurses who have been amazing and taken such care of our mom. And thanks to all for prayers and wonderful support. We\'ll keep you posted.

We saw mom this morning and she looks very good. She no longer has the breathing tube and is alert. She has started talking, although it\'s more of a whisper. She is no longer confused and remembers some of yesterday, but not much. She had a difficult night, in that she is very, very thirsty, which is normal. She could not rest well because of it, but this morning she is taking sips of water and getting some relief. The nurses actually had her up in a chair in the night for about an hour. She is in some pain still. She still has a drainage tube in her side, but that will come out in a littlel while. The doc says she has had little drainage, almost no bleeding. In fact, she did not even get any blood yesterday. She also has osteoporosis, which makes it difficult to lie in one position in bed for long, so this morning, her back is hurting. But these are all predictable and relatively minor. Thank God for this robotic surgery. Thank God that my mom is not facing recovery from a traditional open heart procedure where her chest was split open. Sometime today, she should be transferred out of ICU, where she will have a private room and, with Debbie (my wonderful wife), who is an RN, mom will have a private nurse. She trusts Debbie so much. This morning, while we visited her, mom tried to sit up on the bedside. Debbie was beside her helping her. The ICU nurse noticed from across the room and said, \"Mrs. Beck, you need to wait until I help you. You need to wait until the nurse arrives.\" Mom said, \"The nurse HAS arrived.\" She was talking about Debbie. Our family is so grateful that Debbie is here with mom. She is an angel to us and a natural born nurse. If anyone was ever born to be a nurse, it\'s Debbie. The surgeon spoke to us this morning and said, \"For a 79 year old who just had two heart valves repaired, she is doing very well.\" That was very good news to us. Lynne will be heading home to Florida this morning. We all slept better last night. Thank God for many blessings. We\'ll keep you posted. Mark

Visiting hours on the ICU end at 9pm. Joyce was more alert this evening, but still somewhat confused from the anesthesia, which is perfectly normal. Her numbers look good, but she is not quite ready to come off the breathing tube. Hopefully, that will happen in the next couple of hours. She recognizes us and is able to wave, point and gesture to Wayne for him to kiss her on the cheek, very sweet. We will be back at 6:30 am to visit again, and hopefully we will find her no longer confused and ready to transition to a regular hospital room. The doctors and nurses are pleased with her progress and say she has come through thus far with flying colors. Again, thanks to all for prayers and well wishes. We\'ll keep you posted.

As of 4pm, Joyce is out of surgery and in recovery. She is still not out of the woods, but the doctor was very pleased and said she did well. We got to see her in the recovery room. She is still on a ventilator, breathing for her, and will be for anohter few hours. They will slowly allow her to start breathing on her own and, if all goes well, we should be albe to talk to her (and she with us) duing visiting hours at 8:30 tonight. But, for now, her numbers look good and we are very grateful. Thank you, God, and thanks to all for many, many prayers and well wishes. More to come...

Icu nurse just came out and said they were finishing up and the doctor would be out soon. Relief is on the horizon! It\'s been a long day and we\'ve made a mess in the family waiting room with candy wrappers, lunch debris, magazines and stuff scattered everywhere. More after we talk to the doctor.

As of 1:20, Joyce is still in surgery, but doing well. Mitral valve has been repaired and they are working on the tricuspid valve, which they diiscovered was leaking before they started the surgery today. She is about 3/4 of the way through; hoping she\'ll be in recovery by around 3. Thanks to all for the prayers. Keep in touch..

This is Lynne, Joyce\'s daughter. Today is here. I\'m at he hospital with my brother and his wife. Mom\'s been prepped for surgery and they are about to take her to wherever they operate. The family will meet in one area. I\'m nervous and anxious. We\'re so fortunate in that we\'ve never had to deal with anything like this before. But on the other hand, we\'ve never had to deal with anything like this before and it\'s scary. Here she is...we\'re on our way. More in a bit.

Spent from 9:00 until 12.30 today at the hospital having tests. Evèryone Has been so kind and caring. All the tests turned out very good and nothing showed up to stop the procedure tomorrow. Have to take 3shlowers between now and 6:30in themorning with germicidal soap. Mark and Debbie arrived this afternoon as did Lynne. We all went out to dinner at the Japanise steak house. Was a nice evening and now it\'s time for bed. The surgery should be overby12:00. More later

We just got back from seeing dr. Murphy. We reallylikehim. Tomorrow I have pre op testing in the morning for about 21/2 hours and then wait until the next morning at 6:30. Tomorrow some of my family will be arriving in the afternoon. I got the ok from the dr. That we can go eat a great dinner in the evening...the last supper!!!!!! More tomorrow...oh by the way, we drove through terrible rain this morning but got here ok!

We made it up to perry Georgia, about 150 miles from atlanta. Will see the doctor tomorrow afternoon. The weather is terrible, rained just past the Florida line and it\'s chilly. Will write more after we see the doctor. Bye

The days are getting short before we leave for Atlanta. Think about it all the time. Next Monday at 2:30pm we have a pre-op appointment to see Dr. Murphy. I will write you when there is something to say in the meantime just wanted to let you know how the journal works. The girls will keep you posted when I won\'t be able and maybe send some pictures along also.