So, combined, that makes thirty-two more years and counting :smile2:
But eight years ago tonight, I was in a Los Angeles hotel room. There was a tribute to the late John Ritter on television that night. Nearly a month prior, he had sadly died from a dissected aortic aneurysm. Sobering food for thought, that, especially since I was scheduled for open heart surgery the next morning, my failing bicuspid aortic valve desperately needing replaced. At that time, it was unknown how much, if any, of my aorta would need repaired or replaced, and whether my mitral valve might also need repaired or replaced.
Even though I'd already had heart surgery nearly 25 years before this, to repair the often related coarctation of the aorta, I was frightened. Surrounded by my husband and sons and other family who had traveled to be with us throughout my surgery, we all enjoyed pizza and wine together that night. Remembering the difficult salt-free and fat-free post-operative diet I'd been put on following my first heart surgery, I tried to savor the small amount of pizza I allowed myself. And that wine was good.
Fast forward to the next night, past my awakening moment and heartfelt prayer of thanks. My first thought was, "I'm so glad I woke up!" My second thought was, "Can someone get that awful thing out of my throat!" And my next thought was that, "Here, I've survived another heart surgery only to die of thirst!" I'd forgotten the unquenchable thirst, following a major surgery like that. I spent the night harassing my poor nurse for ice chips. Since the guy behind the curtain next to me had tossed his cookies all over everything, my nurse was a hard sell with my ice chip negotiations. The next two days were a bit of a blur because my kidneys hadn't properly woken up. Happily, that issue resolved and my real recovery began.
I had to trudge back up to Los Angeles and be readmitted for A-fib/A-flutter a few days after my first hospital release. And I was later re-released in time for our home to barely survive the 2003 wildfires. It wasn't an easy time for us. That's probably one reason why I am not looking forward to when this porcine valve needs replaced.
But, eight years later, I look back on that amazing surgery and think how happy I am that I've enjoyed another eight beautiful years of wonderful life! I was so very ill before my valve replacement that I knew I was dying. And the surgery allowed me the opportunity to feel really well again. Unfortunately, I may be one of those people who produces a lot of calcification. I have slowed down a bit. My replaced valve was small anyway, apparently because of all of the calcification that had developed around my native bicuspid valve. And it has gotten even smaller. For the past three or four years, my valve opening has been just barely on the plus side of 1 cm2. But I'm also told that it is still working very well also. So, for now, I'm still good to go.
So it's really, "Thirty-two more years and counting!"
My best wishes to you all, ~Susan :smile2:
But eight years ago tonight, I was in a Los Angeles hotel room. There was a tribute to the late John Ritter on television that night. Nearly a month prior, he had sadly died from a dissected aortic aneurysm. Sobering food for thought, that, especially since I was scheduled for open heart surgery the next morning, my failing bicuspid aortic valve desperately needing replaced. At that time, it was unknown how much, if any, of my aorta would need repaired or replaced, and whether my mitral valve might also need repaired or replaced.
Even though I'd already had heart surgery nearly 25 years before this, to repair the often related coarctation of the aorta, I was frightened. Surrounded by my husband and sons and other family who had traveled to be with us throughout my surgery, we all enjoyed pizza and wine together that night. Remembering the difficult salt-free and fat-free post-operative diet I'd been put on following my first heart surgery, I tried to savor the small amount of pizza I allowed myself. And that wine was good.
Fast forward to the next night, past my awakening moment and heartfelt prayer of thanks. My first thought was, "I'm so glad I woke up!" My second thought was, "Can someone get that awful thing out of my throat!" And my next thought was that, "Here, I've survived another heart surgery only to die of thirst!" I'd forgotten the unquenchable thirst, following a major surgery like that. I spent the night harassing my poor nurse for ice chips. Since the guy behind the curtain next to me had tossed his cookies all over everything, my nurse was a hard sell with my ice chip negotiations. The next two days were a bit of a blur because my kidneys hadn't properly woken up. Happily, that issue resolved and my real recovery began.
I had to trudge back up to Los Angeles and be readmitted for A-fib/A-flutter a few days after my first hospital release. And I was later re-released in time for our home to barely survive the 2003 wildfires. It wasn't an easy time for us. That's probably one reason why I am not looking forward to when this porcine valve needs replaced.
But, eight years later, I look back on that amazing surgery and think how happy I am that I've enjoyed another eight beautiful years of wonderful life! I was so very ill before my valve replacement that I knew I was dying. And the surgery allowed me the opportunity to feel really well again. Unfortunately, I may be one of those people who produces a lot of calcification. I have slowed down a bit. My replaced valve was small anyway, apparently because of all of the calcification that had developed around my native bicuspid valve. And it has gotten even smaller. For the past three or four years, my valve opening has been just barely on the plus side of 1 cm2. But I'm also told that it is still working very well also. So, for now, I'm still good to go.
So it's really, "Thirty-two more years and counting!"
My best wishes to you all, ~Susan :smile2: