Wade's Journal

Had the appointment with the cardiologist this past Thursday to discuss the results of the first echocardiogram I have had since the AVR surgery (think: sonogram for the heart) and blood work. He told me my echo looked \"beautiful\"....no leakage from the aortic valve & very little from the pulmonary valve, which is completely normal and well within acceptable range. He also said my blood work looked great. Blood pressure is great and my pulse continues to be on the high side, but he did not seem concerned about the pulse and told me it would slowly come down as my heart conditions with exercise. Speaking of exercise, he encouraged me to continue working hard in cardiac rehab (I\'m about 1/3 of the way through) and continue exercising at home on days I do not go to rehab. At home, I typically walk about 30 minutes on the treadmill at a 2% incline at 3.3 mph, plus warm-up and cool-down. Hey, gotta start somewhere..... He also assured me the residual soreness & tightness in my chest will eventually go away. In fact, the soreness is getting better and my range of motion is continually getting better. I am proud to report I can tie my own shoes now! My next appointment with him is in three months. He told me to try and forget about my AVR surgery and \"get on with life.\" He also told me to quit being a slacker (he was kidding; Natalie and I could both tell he was pleased about the results from the echo and the blood work). I\'ll update again if/when there is news or at the next appointment in three months, whichever comes first. Thanks again to all of you for the encouraging calls, notes, messages, etc.

I\'m sleeping better AND it\'s NOT IN THE RECLINER! Yup, that\'s right, two months after surgery and I\'m in a bed sleeping on my side again. The recliner was great for several weeks after surgery (in fact, it was a life-saver) but once I progressed beyond pain to just being sore and tight, it was time to get back into bed. Had my first echocardiogram since the surgery today. I will discuss the echo with the cardiologist at my next appointment (early July) but the technician said both valves (aortic & pulmonary) seem to be performing great! For those of you who don\'t see me regularly, I\'d guess I\'m 75-80% recovered. If you didn\'t know I had OH surgery and saw me walk into a restaurant or worship services, you would probably never guess it by simply watching me. The remaining recovery will come with time and exercise over the next few weeks and months. Cardiac rehab continues 3x per week and I attribute much of how well I\'m feeling with this regular exercise. I\'ll be doing this until sometime in September. Thanks again to all of you for the encouraging calls, notes, messages, etc.

Cardiac rehab 3x per week is going great. I\'m exercising on three machines for approximately 40 minutes. Although it makes me a little sore the next day, I\'m seeing progress (yah!!). Later this week, I\'ll have a complete blood work-up to see how I\'m doing - the first since I was in the hospital. Ran out of pain medication last Wednesday with no plans to refill. Since coming home from the hospital, I had only taken one at night to take care of any pain and during the final week I was only taking 1/2 pill. But now I\'m having lots of trouble sleeping. Some nights I\'m wide awake until 3:00 in the morning. Wondering if coming off the pain medication has contributed to that? (Sandy?) So last night, I tried something new: sleeping in a bed on my side (I\'m definitely a side sleeper; I get on my back to wake up). I tried this at 3:30 in the morning because I was wide awake and couldn\'t sleep on my back. Big, big mistake. Today my chest is extremely sore, so sore it\'s hard to walk. So, it\'s back to the recliner and I\'ll probably wait a couple more weeks before I try THAT again. Going back to work for Sprint tomorrow. I\'ve been off work since Thursday, April 28th. Since I work at home in front of a computer & phone, this shouldn\'t be a problem....I\'m really looking forward to it. Thanks again to all of you for the encouraging calls, notes, messages, etc.

Yesterday, I met with my cardiologist, Dr. Harris. Like my surgeon, Dr. Ryan, he was very pleased with everything he saw & heard. Lungs clear. Heart sounds good. Blood pressure is good. Sternum & incision seems to be healing fine. He said the soreness in my chest should really improve over the next two or three weeks. He also reduced one of my blood pressure medications by half and recommended I begin cardiac rehab next week. I will see Dr. Harris again in roughly a month and at my next appointment, I will have my first echocardiogram since the surgery. Cardiac rehab will be three times a week for 12 weeks. Fortunately, insurance completely covers the cost and I can participate at the Denton Regional Medical Center, which is only 10 minutes from my house. It is supposed to be challenging....the goal is to get me to a place similar to where I was prior to surgery. Given my current range of motion, I have my work cut out for me...LOL! Thanks again to all of you for the encouraging calls, notes, messages, etc.

On Thursday, I went to The Heart Hospital in Plano for chest x-rays and an appointment with my heart surgeon, Dr. Ryan. This was my first follow-up appointment since the dual valve replacement surgery four weeks ago. He said he was pleased with what he heard - my heart sounds good, my lungs sound good and the x-rays show my sternum is healing just fine. He took me off iron (whew!) and reduced the number of low-dose aspirins I take every day but otherwise kept my medicines the same. The appointment was also encouraging in that he said that I should really notice a reduction in pain, stiffness and overall lack of mobility over the next few weeks. Other than yearly appointments to review my annual echocardiograms, he has released me to my cardiologist and to begin cardiac rehabilitation. This appointment was also a milestone in that it was the first time I had ridden in a car or left the house in more than three weeks. Can anyone say “cabin fever??” I still have quite a bit of soreness and stiffness in my chest, limiting mobility, which affects everything from walking to taking showers to dressing to brushing my teeth and everything in between. It is also difficult to sit in any one position for more than 30 minutes or so. Dr. Ryan mentioned that when I go back to work in a few weeks, I will need to get up at least once per hour to stretch and walk around. Other than soreness, I don’t experience much pain. I’m down to one pain pill before bedtime and the rest of the time I can address it as needed with Advil. I’m still taking several short walks and using my incentive spirometer (a plastic device with a mouthpiece that measures how much air I can suck into my lungs per breath) to increase my lung capacity at least six to eight times a day. I’m nearly up to pre-surgery levels on the spirometer. I’m down to one or two naps per day and I’m mostly sleeping through the night in my recliner. My energy level is slowly coming back. I played Spades with Natalie and the girls last night for a couple of hours. Netflix is my friend although movies are getting really OLD. Actually, they got old a week or two ago. I was warned about two possible side effects of major open-heart surgery where the patient’s heart is stopped and they are placed on the heart-lung machine: temporary and minor loss of cognitive function and cardiac depression. I am pleased to report that, up to this point, I have experienced neither of these symptoms. I chalk this up to God’s providence and the constant presence of my loving and cheerful wife and daughters. Thanks to everyone who has called, emailed, texted or Facebook-messaged me, your notes are very encouraging! Thanks to everyone who brought food to the house (yummy). Thanks to my next-door neighbor, Greg, who mowed my jung….I mean, back yard yesterday. And thanks so much to my special Whataburger group – you know who you are, I love you all – I really enjoyed the get-together at the house. And, of course, to Natalie and the girls, my special full-time nurses! :)

Progress is measured in baby steps, small victories. For example, I took a few outdoor walks last week to the end of my street. Still shuffle like an old man though...LOL! It amazes me that things I could do without thinking a few short weeks ago are unimaginable now.... sleeping in a bed, taking a shower on my own, running up the stairs, etc. But things are getting slowly better. I\'m sleeping most nights all the way through in my recliner in the bedroom. I\'ve been asked about pain....there is low- to mid-level and constant pain in and around the incision area. Not the kind of pain that makes it hard to breath, but I compare it more to a moderate to bad headache that won\'t go away and affects all your activities. I still use a heavy-duty pain pill before I go to bed at night; during the day, I can go without, or use OTC Tylenol. My days consist of a loose routine that includes eating, walking, using the breathing exercise machine (incentive spirometer), looking at my computer, napping, repeat. Yes, I\'m getting bored, but I don\'t have energy for much else right now. My internal thermometer is a little messed up....sometimes I\'m hot, but more often I\'m cold. Not much interested in food until it is placed in front of me, then it tastes good. Anything sweet tastes sickeningly sweet (Natalie cuts her sweet tea with half water so I can drink it). Is everyone sitting down?? I turned down the opportunity for Dr Pepper earlier today!?! My biggest enemy right now is impatience (mine). I don\'t think I\'m making very fast progress. And then my family & friends remind me of the progress I have made.... Speaking of family & friends. It baffles me how anyone could make it through this surgery & recovery without the help of family & friends. Natalie & my two girls pull me through each day and take excellent care of me. Friends visit, call, bring food, etc. showing their love in endless ways. Questions, please let me know.... Wade

Wow! A WEEK has flown by since Wade\'s surgery... we all are settling back into home and a pretty good daily routine of walking, breathing treatments, visiting, reading, movies, meals, etc. Wade is making progress although he is a bit impatient to be fully recovered. That will be many weeks/months ahead, so we have to take recovery in small bites... right now a bit more strength, a bit stronger breathing, peaceful rest times to let Wade\'s body heal! One milestone we are keeping our eyes on is his appointment with Dr. Ryan in a couple of weeks... I can\'t wait to listen to Wade\'s heart. :)

Phase one: measure time not in days but hours and minutes. How was your blood sugar at 2:00? What is you O2 levels? Pokes, shots, blood donations, x-rays, etc. Phase two: measure time in days. How many short walks can I take today? Am I increasing my lung capacity with the spirometer?

Four days, but it feels like four weeks in some ways. Thank you family, friends, colleagues and everyone else who kept me in your thoughts & prayers the past few weeks. Your many expressions of care and kindness to me and my family are really so overwhelming that a simple thank you doesn\'t do it. For any reading this board who are awaiting your OHS, know that the first few days are very tough, but they get better. Do what your doctors, nurse, respiratory therapists and other professionals advise and have those you love the most nearby - if you\'re like me, you\'ll do a lot of hard hand-squeezing. Thank you Natalie, Dad, Mom & Chris!! For anyone reading this board contemplating a doctor or facility for your AVR surgery, I can\'t heap enough praise on Dr. William Ryan and his surgical staff, and The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano in north Texas. An exceptional facility with folks who you can tell want to be there to make a difference. Professional & patient, every one of my nurses has treated me like a guest. I am not naive and think my recovery from this point will be linear. I know there will be bumps in the road, that full recover will be lengthy and sometimes challenging. But here it is four days post-surgery and I can see a little light at the end of the first phase of recover. AND I\'M GOING HOME THIS AFTERNOON! Little steps, short walks at a time...I\'ll keep you updated.

Phenomenal day! Wade turned a corner quickly in his recovery... he has walked several times today through the hallway, initiating most of the walks. Pain meds have been figured out and Wade\'s body has been able to focus on healing rather than dealing with pain. This has definitely been a great second day! Thank you, God. :) Wade wants me to relay to all of you our heartfelt thanks for your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Wade has had a very busy day! The huge accomplishment is that Wade WALKED 200 feet! It was his first stroll. :) The physical therapist showed him how to get in and out of bed, in and out of a chair, and walk carefully. Wade also has worked on his hourly breathing therapy. He is not close to being marathon-ready, but has made large strides in his recovery today. He is quite a determined guy!

Wade\'s first night and most of this morning went as to be expected... no surprises yet other than his demand for ice and popsicles! :) He was in a chair for a couple of hours and has had a few breathing exercises and treatments. He also had a small, light breakfast. Wade had a bump in the pain meds road a little while ago, but sometimes what works has to be figured out. He is now resting comfortably.

Wade continues to do well. He was extubated about 45 minutes ago, and is in and out of sleep. He is fairly hoarse, but that will clear up as his throat has time to rest from the tube. He has done a lot of hand squeezing, and has responded well to questions. Ponnie, his nurse, plans to give him some ice in a little while. Unless there is a major change, I am signing off for tonight so I can get ready for some sleep. :)

Wade had a successful Ross Procedure... everything with his heart was perfect for it. Dr. Ryan did a bypass on the back of Wade\'s heart, which we knew was a possibility. Wade is sedated and still on the breathing machine, but the plan is that the breathing tube will be removed around 8:00 pm. So very thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers... we praise God that this most important step in Wade\'s health has been very successful.

You know that feeling when you\'re near the top of the first long hill of a good roller coaster, the chains stop clinking, you go under the sign that says, \"No turning back!\" and, for a long second, you coast at the top right before the coaster screams down the other side???

Another evening of great family time. Natalie and the girls. Dad & Mom. Chris, Jeana & little Keegan. And MIchael (Christi, Micah & Carson couldn\'t make it). Ate at Moma\'s Daughters\' Diner in Plano. Went back to the hotel & visited for an hour or two.... Couldn\'t have been a nicer time (well, maybe if we had had a Spades tournament.....).

Was a non-event. Registered. Signed a bunch of papers. Gave a few vials of blood (and other body fluids). Took a couple of final chest x-rays. And \"see ya tomorrow morning....\"

Thought I\'d test the navigation of this journal before Friday. I plan to update this once or twice a day, or when there are any major changes. Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers and support!

Took delivery on a new recliner from Haverty\'s. Was going for your standard leather recliner with a handle or button. But I found this one that reclines/raises your feet electrically and was sold. It does not raise up to put you on your feet. It simply does the job of the typical handle or button - electrically. The HUGE selling point, though, was not the fact that it will raise your feet electrically....it\'s that there are seemingly an infinite number of positions instead of the three places you can recline in a manual recliner. Wow.... And it really didn\'t cost a lot more than another leather recliner. See a couple of pictures of the recliner in My Photos...

Dr. Ryan is going to try the Ross Procedure in a couple of weeks. Our fall-back plan will be a mechanical valve. Has anyone else had the Ross Procedure who would care to share their experiences or opinion?

As I wait for the big day, it occurs to me that I have much to be thankful for (pardon the grammar): 1) Jesus Christ. Son of God. Savior. Lord. Because of him, I don\'t have to fear death and I\'ll never stand alone. 2) My wife Natalie. Loving, strong, patient partner. She takes great care of me. I love her. A lot. 3) My two teen-aged daughters. They love me to pieces and spoil me rotten. And I\'m nuts about them. 4) My parents, brothers & their families. We\'ve remained very close over the years and they mean so much to me. 5) Extended family, Natalie\'s dad, sisters and their families, and a large network of other friends. What would we do without family & friends? 6) Church family(s). Good friends from several congregations are praying, sending cards, emailing and calling with encouragement and continually offering assistance. And I\'m sure at the appropriate time, there will be food. That\'s what church families do.... :) 7) My job. I can\'t imagine more supportive and caring folks than the ones I work for and with every day. 8) The blessing of opportunity. I know if I had been born in many other parts of the world, this life-saving surgery might not be available to me. And if I had been born just a few short decades ago, my condition might not have been diagnosed, much less treatable with a replacement valve. 9) The cardiologist who diagnosed my condition, the surgeon and medical team who will be fixing my heart. In advance, thank you! 10) Strangers who have had this surgery in the past. They have taken time out of their lives to write me and call me offering up advice & encouragement. I wasn\'t trying for a \"top 10\" but that\'s the way it worked out. This list is dedicated to all the important folks in my life.

Surgery is scheduled for Friday, April 29th. I\'ll have pre-op tests on the afternoon of the 28th. Preparations are well underway. Bought an electric recliner last weekend - wahoo! Depending on the day (or moment), I\'m either dreading the surgery or impatient to get it behind me.