A New Lease On Life

“Countin’ out the days,
That don't help to ease the days away.
The price you pay;
Homesick again”
“Homesick Again” by Nazareth from the album Close Enough To Rock and Roll, 1975.

How has everyone been? What is new with you? Me, oh I have a slight tale to tell…

Well Surgery is over, and I survived it all—in fact I am doing very well as of today as I am home. The surgeons and cardiologists replaced the valve with a new valve that may be able to function without the dreaded Coumadin medicine that does not play well with other medications.

To stop the leak, they had to install an arterial graft in the aorta root and the aorta itself. Then, from my understanding as it was explained and please realize I was on drugs, the graft is attached to the wall of the heart making it impossible to leak. The surgery on Wednesday took nine hours to perform because they tried to fix it first and then attach a different valve with some leakage still apparently occurring. So it was a bit more taxing on the body and the like, and obviously took more time.

On Thursday I was given a new baseline echocardiogram which measures thickness and leaks and tons of other things in the heart and mine is now functioning perfectly normally. Not only that, the day before surgery, I had a Cardiac Cath that checked the arteries for blockage and according to the cardiologist (and I quote) “I hope mine (arteries and chambers) are as large as yours.” The echo on Thursday was called (and, again I quote) “perfect” and “beautiful” from two separate doctors.

So here’s to a new lease on life.

I’ll raise a glass if I am ever off of Coumadin forever—and with the new Onyx valve (not sure on the spelling on that one), that could day could be a very real possibility. The new valve was designed by an engineer who also designed the St. Jude valve and the ATS (my previous one) valve—so the success rate has improved and improved. I was also told that this would be the last surgery that they can see happening. I will take that for what it is worth and hope and pray they are correct.

I would like to thank the following folks for their aid, if they can handle it being broadcasted across the web—no need to give last names: My lovely wife Pamela who was, as always, a positive force and beautiful partner to travel this life with. You can all be jealous because I have the perfect woman for me. I would also like to thank my parents Dean and Lois for being here and showing their concern and support. They traveled at the last minute from Florida to be here. As Mom said, “We were there for the first one; we will be there for the next one.” I would also like to thank my sister Karen who also was there on Thursday and showed support by making me laugh as she cheered when they allowed me to walk outside the room. She also led comforting words and took a day off work to support the family. I would also like to thank my brother Mark and his wife Mary for making the trip, even though Mark had a throat infection and did not come into the room. Still they waved and cheered and took days to support when Mark HAD to be feeling uncomfortable. They also gave me some cool Batman gifts and delivered a wretched comic joke from the guys at Acme. I also greatly thank and appreciate the efforts of my brother-in-law Jeff who is an ER Doctor and came from Indiana to help Pam and I. Jeff often explained medical procedures and helped calm me. I highly recommend having a personal physician. Anyway, Jeff spent four days with us and helped settle me in and was there as they explained the diagnosis and procedures to Pamela. Jeff is a true brother and kindred spirit who I admire more and more each day. I think he also helped explain things to my family and even helped diagnose Mark’s throat problems and my father’s newly acquired gout. I also thank my good friend, fellow educator, and partner in crime Milt for being there to support Pamela and me when the diagnosis was given and to spread the news to my fellow faculty members and friends and the students of my district. Milt is invaluable and I wish I can help him in a similar fashion some day (not for the same reason folks—no one wants heart surgery) as he conveyed news and squelched rumors and the like. He also helped my student teacher and my sub by reminding the kids that I expect their cooperation while I am away.

Tons of folks, many who may be reading this, have sent cards and letters, emails and the like. I appreciate hearing from all and I thank you. I will catch up as time goes by, I promise, I am just still a bit “loopy” as of now and still adjusting to the effects. I also thank the district for allowing me the time off to have this corrected.

Milt, my parents, my sister, my wife, and all have said my color looks good and my attitude improved since the last one. Maybe the experts are correct “let the doctors do the job and you will have less to fight.” I have tried to be positive about this, although I admit some shortcomings in that area privately with a few folks as nerves did get to me to a more than slight degree.

I am taking rehab slowly for a while and I will be back to action as soon as I can be. I want to visit my graduating Seniors as I love this current class; and I want to be there for the retirement presentation to our retired teachers because I will truly miss each of the three. We are losing some excellent educators this year. I hope to see you all soon. And for the rest who stumbled across this for other reasons, I promise to write something more cognitive and clever next week. Check in then.