Cardiac Rehab

I was at an evening meeting a few days ago filled mostly with hospital folks who are making a concerted effort to improve their communication with patients and family members. Any hospital with this as a goal is to be applauded. Sitting to my left with the director of Cardiac Rehab for this hospital. As we chatted he said something that just floored me. He said that recent statistics indicated that only 13% of patients eligible to receive rehab services after bypass surgery actually go to rehab! I didn't have time have time to question him more, but I plan to. As I look back on my experience with bypass surgery without a doubt one of the most helpful things I did was rehab. It helped me regain my strength and stamina. I had people to talk to who had been through the surgery, and I got some great information from a group of caring health professionals. If you have just had your surgery or are facing it soon please talk to you doctor about cardiac rehab. I promise you it will make a difference in your recovery.

My Struggles

Everyone has struggles. That is an undeniable reality of life, and after my bypass surgery several personal struggles came into clear focus. I have come to realize that I will have to deal with depression perhaps for the rest of my life. Right now I feel great, but for me it seems to linger in the background. The reason why I started this blog was because I had faced real depression after surgery and found little in the way of help, especially in the early days. I also struggle with my diet. One reason why I needed bypass surgery is that I loved the classic Southern diet. Just think of Paula Dean. I still love that kind of food. I know my diet has improved, but I am not where I would like to be. There are other struggles in my life that relate to my bypass surgery. More to come.

Heart Disease and Smoking

I just finished talking to a woman who is scheduled for triple bypass and valve repair surgery next Tuesday. She is scared. I know the feeling. She is concerned about how soon she will be able to go back to work. I know that feeling too. She has so much on her mind, but at the top of her list is her continuing struggle to quit smoking. She feels guilty. She tells me how hard it is to quit. I know that non-smokers just can't understand how a person who is about to have open heart surgery can still smoke. We forget sometimes that smoking is an addiction, but I know that if she doesn't quit her long term prognosis is not good. I hope she can quit. Her life depends on it.

Ordinary Times

I must apologize for being so delinquent in posting. Summer has been especially good, with the exception of gallbladder surgery. I seem to not be able to make it through a year without some kind of surgery, but it was uneventful, and easy to get over. Right now I am experiencing a great time in my life. My wife and I are just loving being grandparents. There is just so much to live for.

My message for those of you who are still struggling to find your new normal after bypass surgery is that that time will come. I wish I could show you what your new life will be like in time. Sometimes I go for days and don't even think about my heart. I think that's one reason why it has been a while since I have posted. There was a time when I thought my life as I had known it was over. I felt like and emotional and physical cripple. Today I can enjoy just plain old ordinary times. I went hunting last week. My wife and I went fishing. I played with my granddaughter. I might die tomorrow, but there is so much to live for. I know that I will always have to take medicine for my heart, and I also know that I still have coronary artery disease, but I have learned to live with it, and to not allow that reality to ruin my life. My journey continues, and right now I just love having an ordinary day.

Good Doctors

I now have a general surgeon to add to my list of doctors. I needed that kind of doc last week to remove my gallbladder. That also marked the end of my New Year's resolution for 2009. I thought I would keep it simple this year. No vow to loose 25 pounds, just a goal to go through a whole year without surgery. My 90 year old mother has kept this one for each one of her 90 years. Surly I could last one stinking year without a surgery, but no not me. Even though I failed at my resolution I did find a very good doctor. There is a sense in which laymen like me don't always do a very good job at judging the quality of a doctor. but while I might be limited in my ability to offer a peer review, I can, I believe, offer a meaningful observation or two.

This whole gallbladder thing started about three weeks ago with a trip to the emergency room convinced I was having a heart attack. My cardiologist, Dr. Stacy Smith, was concerned enough to do a heart cath. The cath actually looked great which made her suspect some gut issue. Off to the GI doctor. He confirms her suspicions and sends me to Dr. Carter McDaniel. He was able to schedule the surgery quickly. It went off without a hitch, and then he did something the day after the surgery which I thought was pretty cool. He called me, not his nurse, but him. He just wanted to see how I was doing and to see if I had any questions. The call was over in less than two minutes, but I wonder how often that is done? Maybe more often than I think, but I doubt it. Like I said, I can't judge a M.D. as a peer, but I sure can tell when a doctor communicates that he or she cares, and that still matters, and it still makes up part of my definition of a good one.

Chest Tubes

Even though it has been over four years now since my surgery that are some memories about the whole event that still remain fresh. I remember how strange it looked to have two rather large tubes and a wire protruding from my chest. For me the tubes were the most uncomfortable part of my post-op experience. I couldn't wait for them to come out, but I also dreaded the experience of having them removed. I had been told that it would hurt. I think it was two or three days after surgery when the nurse came in and announced to me that the time had come for the tubes to come out. She then just walked over and started pulling. The pain was intense, but short lived. As soon as those tubes were out I cannot tell you how much better I felt. This was one of many things that I wish a survivor would have told me about prior to my surgery.

Team Inspire

I just wanted to let folks know about a great website that is a fantastic place for support and information for those of us who have gone through bypass surgery. It's called Team Inspire. Anything you can do to avoid going through this alone will help you and once you visit this site you will know you have a group of kindred spirits who have been there and are ready to listen and help any way they can.