Just 3 short years ago I completed my journey over the mountain and was back in ICU. Life is great.
Before my surgery, I couldn?t walk more than 5 or 6 steps without stopping and trying to get my breath. I had no energy and because of my failing heart I was ORDERED by my Cardio to stop doing any type of lifting. Not fun at all. As I tell everyone now, I am 200 per cent better. I know some of you here have not been as lucky on this side of the mountain, but my recovery and re-birth was a joy.
As a matter of fact, other night I participated in a ?Fireman?s Blind Crawl?. For those of you that don?t know, the coupling of a fire hose is designed to allow a firefighter to ?find your way out? of a burning building during an emergency. During a drill you have to put on about 75 pounds of turn-out gear, air pack and mask. You are blindfolded, led out to a course (this one laid out in three bays of our fire house), placed at a coupling and told to find your way out to the door. Our training officer is a sadistic B***ard. His course consisted of over 300 feet of hose crisscrossing throughout the course. Obstacles are set up (tables, chairs, barrels, and other things). You are required to stay in constant contact with the hose line, crawling along on the floor around, thru and under these obstacles. I made over 200 feet before I just ran out of steam. Crawling under that last table gave me too much trouble. Even on my belly I couldn?t clear my air pack without turning almost sideways. By time I got on the other side I was just worn out. I was planning on either completing the course or not quitting until I ran out of air. You start with about 2500 psi. When I finally made it out from under the table I asked if I had any air left. I was told ?100?. In my exhausted state my mind didn?t compute that I had about 1000 psi left. I forgot that at around 500 psi an alarm goes off on the tank to let you know you are about to run out of air. It also felt that I hadn?t covered that much distance (I actually ONLY had about 75 feet left) so I called ?TIME?. I consider it not bad for an overweight and out of shape 60 year old. What really surprised me that after catching my breath for a few minutes I was able to help put everything back in its place. I was disappointed about not completing the course. I felt a lot better the next day when one of my fellow firefighters off-handily mentioned that the Chief didn?t complete it either. They didn?t tell us that when he came back in the waiting area after his attempt. I thought when I left that I was the only one that didn?t finish. I actually went further than he did and he is about 25 years younger than me!!!
I give this somewhat extreme example to show that there truly is ?life on the other side? of OHS. Some of us have a more difficult time but as is fondly said here ?The alternative is not too attractive either?. After struggling from the bathroom to my chair one night just before my surgery I told my wife that ?I didn?t want to live this way?. Unfortunately we sometimes have to live with the cards we are dealt. OHS gave my full life back and made me appreciate the small things we take for granted.
More than my new lease on life I must thank God that because of this experience I found y?all. Valve Replacement DOT Com was my life preserver along this journey. I had the usual ?why me? questions that all of us experience but quickly found thru this site that there are a lot of us out there experiencing the same fears. And there are also a lot of folks out there worse off than me. So to those in the waiting room, your time will come. But by the grace of God and the folks here you won?t be alone.
And to the family members that are making this journey with you, THANK YOU!! My wife was my voice when I couldn?t speak or think clearly (no comments Mary!!). I?m sure things would have been done to me (and not done FOR ME) if she hadn?t been there to say ?Wait a minute?. I?ve always said that our family members, friends and other loved ones making this trip with us have it a lot harder. They have to sit out in that waiting room (while we take a nap) thinking all the thoughts and waiting for that smiling face of the surgeon telling them we did great. Of course having to put up with the mood swings and other emotional baggage both before and after surgery can?t be easy either. Talk about PMS times three!!!!
As I was looking thru some pictures I found this one that Peggy took while I was in ICU. MY GOD, LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT CATHEDER!!!!
Actually that was an Air Conditioner Hose running under the covers to help cool me down from a low grade fever.
May God Bless,
Danny
Before my surgery, I couldn?t walk more than 5 or 6 steps without stopping and trying to get my breath. I had no energy and because of my failing heart I was ORDERED by my Cardio to stop doing any type of lifting. Not fun at all. As I tell everyone now, I am 200 per cent better. I know some of you here have not been as lucky on this side of the mountain, but my recovery and re-birth was a joy.
As a matter of fact, other night I participated in a ?Fireman?s Blind Crawl?. For those of you that don?t know, the coupling of a fire hose is designed to allow a firefighter to ?find your way out? of a burning building during an emergency. During a drill you have to put on about 75 pounds of turn-out gear, air pack and mask. You are blindfolded, led out to a course (this one laid out in three bays of our fire house), placed at a coupling and told to find your way out to the door. Our training officer is a sadistic B***ard. His course consisted of over 300 feet of hose crisscrossing throughout the course. Obstacles are set up (tables, chairs, barrels, and other things). You are required to stay in constant contact with the hose line, crawling along on the floor around, thru and under these obstacles. I made over 200 feet before I just ran out of steam. Crawling under that last table gave me too much trouble. Even on my belly I couldn?t clear my air pack without turning almost sideways. By time I got on the other side I was just worn out. I was planning on either completing the course or not quitting until I ran out of air. You start with about 2500 psi. When I finally made it out from under the table I asked if I had any air left. I was told ?100?. In my exhausted state my mind didn?t compute that I had about 1000 psi left. I forgot that at around 500 psi an alarm goes off on the tank to let you know you are about to run out of air. It also felt that I hadn?t covered that much distance (I actually ONLY had about 75 feet left) so I called ?TIME?. I consider it not bad for an overweight and out of shape 60 year old. What really surprised me that after catching my breath for a few minutes I was able to help put everything back in its place. I was disappointed about not completing the course. I felt a lot better the next day when one of my fellow firefighters off-handily mentioned that the Chief didn?t complete it either. They didn?t tell us that when he came back in the waiting area after his attempt. I thought when I left that I was the only one that didn?t finish. I actually went further than he did and he is about 25 years younger than me!!!
I give this somewhat extreme example to show that there truly is ?life on the other side? of OHS. Some of us have a more difficult time but as is fondly said here ?The alternative is not too attractive either?. After struggling from the bathroom to my chair one night just before my surgery I told my wife that ?I didn?t want to live this way?. Unfortunately we sometimes have to live with the cards we are dealt. OHS gave my full life back and made me appreciate the small things we take for granted.
More than my new lease on life I must thank God that because of this experience I found y?all. Valve Replacement DOT Com was my life preserver along this journey. I had the usual ?why me? questions that all of us experience but quickly found thru this site that there are a lot of us out there experiencing the same fears. And there are also a lot of folks out there worse off than me. So to those in the waiting room, your time will come. But by the grace of God and the folks here you won?t be alone.
And to the family members that are making this journey with you, THANK YOU!! My wife was my voice when I couldn?t speak or think clearly (no comments Mary!!). I?m sure things would have been done to me (and not done FOR ME) if she hadn?t been there to say ?Wait a minute?. I?ve always said that our family members, friends and other loved ones making this trip with us have it a lot harder. They have to sit out in that waiting room (while we take a nap) thinking all the thoughts and waiting for that smiling face of the surgeon telling them we did great. Of course having to put up with the mood swings and other emotional baggage both before and after surgery can?t be easy either. Talk about PMS times three!!!!
As I was looking thru some pictures I found this one that Peggy took while I was in ICU. MY GOD, LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT CATHEDER!!!!
Actually that was an Air Conditioner Hose running under the covers to help cool me down from a low grade fever. May God Bless,
Danny
