Pre admission

[john briggs]

Dear All: I haven't been given a date for my surgery yet but it should be within ten days. Yesterday I attended Pre-admission at the hospital . I met with four others who were havinf either valve repair/replacement (2) or bypass surgery. I'm having both and was the only "redo" having had a doble bypass in 1991.
The session went Well. We were given a talk by a member of the "Heart Club" which meets every week at a nearby suburb for support and exercise (beach walks) and diet advice. Hospital staff like the coodinator of the Cardiac unit, the physio and the Dietician gave us a talk and we watched a video. Then we had lunch and were taken on a tour of the ICU and the recovery wards. It was all pretty reassuring. The only lady turned out to be a smoker and had not yet given up! I've been off smokes for a week, but I was tempted to duck ourside with this woman and have a nice, relaxing gasper! Hang in there everyone!
John Briggs(Australia)

 

[Ross]

Try not to succomb to the cravings. Smoking is one of the hardest things to get over. Like I said in the other thread, (And please don't use this as an excuse to cheat) You may have to try many times before you finally give it up. You have to want to quit before it's really going to happen.

 

[Nancy]

Hi John-

Please keep your body as healthy as it is supposed to be by not ever smoking again. You never know what is in store for you down the road and if you make your lungs all black and tarry so they cannot function properly, you might have problems that an otherwise healthy person wouldn't have. Your heart depends on your lungs. I'm sure you know that already, but sometimes thinking into the future will help to put things into perspective.

My husband has had 3 valve surgeries, 2 lung surgeries and various other serious things. If he had been a smoker, I'm sure he wouldn't have made it through.

I used to smoke 25 years ago. It is a strong addiction. I still have dreams about smoking, believe it or not. I wouldn't dare ever even try one, or I would probably be right back in the habit again.

Hang tough and stayhealthy, you're the captain of your ship. Now I'll get off the soapbox.

 

[McCln]

John

John

I hope that you get the date soon and keep on hanging in there on the quit. I have been somber for 16 months and very proud of it. It make the hospital stay better when you are free of the nicodemon. You hang in there in that. You are so lucky to have been introduced to others at the hospital with samt thing, heart surgery. I wished that they had that here where I am. I was sent here by a very good friend before surgery. You will be alright. You will have a date set soon. Hang in there.

Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve

 

[john briggs]

waiting time

waiting time

Dear Caroline: Thanks for the support and encouragement. I should get the call this week. I'm managing OK without the smokes, but this week is a bit tough emotionally as it is the 4th anniversary of our son's birthday, June 13, and he died a week later in tragic circumstances> He had cancer which had regrown after massive surgery, and he had concealed it from his wife, children and us, and then went driving out into the country and crashed into a tree, killing him. We don't know if it was suicide or not-the coroner put it down to "driver fatigue", but it left us all devastated. That's the reason my wife and I started smoking again.
Kind regards,
John Briggs

 

[john briggs]

waiting time

waiting time

Dear nancy: Thanks for your advice. It's all so true. But it's a hard addiction to be free of. Do you know that 40% of those who've had their larynx removed because of smoking resume the habit? I thought I was free after five years, but I wasn't
John Briggs

 

[john briggs]

giving it up

giving it up

Dear Ross: Good advice. It's good to have a club like this to help with the trauma of surgery. Support groups of fellow sufferers are a great way to help recovery and to deal with all the attendant issues. I know when I gave up alcohol in the 70s I could not have done it without the support of AA and the opportunity to talk about one's struggles.
John Briggs

 

[Johnny Stephens]

John, the power of nicotine is undeniable. I'll be pulling for you to kick the habit, as it will definitely minimize your risk in the long run. You can do it.

My thoughts to you and your family during this tough time. That is a very painful thing to go through, I can attest to that myself. Peace to you and yours.