quote:

Originally posted by maxdog:
Yes she did work with Lawrie who was an excellent surgeon she says. I was referring to Chris Wyndom from Adalaide who was an electrophysiologist.

Both were known to be excellent MDs. I’m thankful that medical science has progressed like it has and folks like these and others are in the game.

Wife says that other than surgeons in cardiology, there are the plumbers and electricians (cardiologists and electrophysiologists). Guess that’s medical jargon.

When I went back for my follow-up surgery visit, I asked the surgeon if I needed to come back. He said, no, they were just the mechanics, I should continue to see the cardiologists, who were the doctors.

quote:

Originally posted by maxdog:
Yes she did work with Lawrie who was an excellent surgeon she says. I was referring to Chris Wyndom from Adalaide who was an electrophysiologist.

Ah. I haven't heard of Dr. Wyndom. My (another mother) brother/best friend had his Mitral Valve repaired by Dr. Lawrie. He has to be one of the most down-to-earth people I've ever met! Just a wonderful man and his team is absolutely phenomenal. He was recruited by Dr. Michael DeBakey YEARS ago, so that tells me something of his Cardiac credentials and skills right off the bat. I bet it's a total PLEASURE working on his staff! I'm sure he's teaching someone to carry the torch when he retires, which will be a sad day for the Cardiac Care community.

It was in the early 80s when I first started dating my wife and observed the cath procedure. We were in our early 30s. Many of the folks she worked with have moved on or retired. I’m 71 now.

Good grief, it getting close to 40 yrs ago.

August 2005. Triple Coronary bypass. Damn, it hurt.

Well I got mine on Tuesday, yep still in the hospital. I would have gone home today (day 7), but a little bout with AFib they are clearing up first. The first two days were rough, but every day since then has gotten significantly better. I am young guy for this (52) and exercise quite a bit so I think my recovery is going easier.

I had a feeling like I was losing vision and going to pass out riding my bike in the 90+ summer heat. I had to sit down, but 10 minutes later I could at least walk, and get out of the woods. I told my doc about it 6 months later at my next appt and he ordered treadmill test. Test didn't come out good so they ordered heart cath and found two 75% blockages. I walked five times yesterday without any help, I am off of pain pills, bored with hospital food and ready to go home. I will be back on the bike in six weeks.

I only felt bad the night after surgery. After that, it was odd in that, each day, I felt noticeably better than the day before. The difficult part is moving around, getting in and out of bed to sit in a chair with that chest incision. One word to the wise, you can make a conscious decision if and when to cough, so you have plenty of time to grab that pillow, not so with a sneeze. The first time I felt a sneeze coming on, I remember frantically looking for the pillow. TOO LATE! I felt like I had been shot.
The nights were the worst. I had a clock in my room, that I'm convinced only moved 10 minutes every hour. You sleep in fits and spurts. The nurses all are asleep at the desk. I was so glad to get out of there. Once I got home, I slept in a recliner the first 4-5 nights because we have a somewhat high bed and getting in and out of it was rather tricky.Today is 9 weeks post-op. Doing pretty much what I want to do, having trouble adapting to a regimen of pill taking and wishing this numbness in my chest skin would hurry up and go away. The three times a week cardiac rehab is putting a crimp in my shooting schedule. Still can't shoot shotguns for awhile. Other than that, life is good.

It took several years for the feeling to come back in the left upper quadrant of my chest. Leg where they took the grafts still feels different than the other one, maybe all in my head but it has a different sensation when I touch it down inside if that makes any sense.

Still, congrats you are on the mend.