Rehash and Rehabilitation

 

Scrolling through some old pictures I found this one entitled "Pillow and Vanilla."  Brought back memories, memories best covered with chocolate sauce, the pain not recalled.

The pillow was my best friend from the latter part of January through most of March.  It was given me by the caring staff members at IU Methodist Hospital following the open-heart surgery.

Why then am I dragging this forward into an October post?  Simply this:  memories and gratitude.  2016 has been the year that we hope to look back on through the mists of memory and say "It was all good."

From the January experience through August I went through four "surgical procedures."  Misty memories? I don't think about the pain anymore, nor do I feel it.  Gratitude?  I thank the Lord for his tender mercies, for healing, and for providing capable and talented medical professionals of the caliber I dealt with so frequently this year.

I was not much more than back on my feet until it started with JoAnn who was diagnosed with breast cancer in June.  She has had surgery for removal of the offending lump and today will have her eighteenth radiation treatment.  Projection:  two more after today followed by cancer-free health and wellness.

Again, thank you, Heavenly Father, for your tender mercies, for healing, and for providing capable and talented medical professionals.

We are blessed.

My Beloved Beautiful Better Half has a birthday tomorrow, 10/5.

Three Good Days

Day 1.  Sunday last we were blessed to be able to attend morning worship service.  After church we went home where BBBH heated the tamale pie in the oven, then we drove to Frankfort for a family party.

Most of the people seen in these pix are either children or grandchildren and in many cases great grandchildren of BBBH.  The occasion: Granddaughter Michelle, her husband David and their children Mikayla and Lucas were visiting from their home in Germany.

Day 2.  Monday we were blessed with a visit from my sister Vee and her husband Elvin who came all the way from Kansas.  They arrived about 10:30 and stayed until sunset.  Eating of good food and visiting made up most of the day and of course there was not enough time to touch on all the things we wanted to catch up on.

Day 3.  I have suffered for weeks with swelling and pain in the left eye.  Tuesday another visit to the ophthalmologist resulted in the agreement to go with the surgery (DSAEK) which should relieve the pain and likely will restore vision to the eye.  Procedure is scheduled for June 8.  I am not wishing my life away, but it cannot come too soon!

A Tiny Note and Update!

Progress:  an hour in physical therapy is a welcome relief from the tedium (how many episodes of "In the Heat of the Night" can one watch? nostalgic in so many ways:  "back then" it was the nonagenarian mother-in-law's favorite show) from the tedium, I say, of the daily routine.

Update:  Trip to surgical team in Indy.  Passed the one-month test with flying colors!  I may now lift up to 25 pounds, raise my arms above my head.  And I forgot to ask if I could resume my normal sleeping posture.  I have slept on my back for the past thirty-two days.  Anyway, other good news: I can drive provided I am not on any opioids.. (I haven't had one of those in two weeks!)  I am to be released from nursing home on schedule: February 25.  Now that is more than an update, it is progress.

Downside:  (Because I don't always see how full the glass really is) There are a couple of unintended consequences of the procedure, but they are being addressed and are a minor annoyance in the over-all scheme of things.  Care to be taken until the end of April, for it takes three months for complete healing to eventuate.

I am elated.

Heart. Heart, heart.

Sometime during my stay in recovery following the open-heart surgery, I was given a red pillow, a red heart=shaped pillow embossed with a graphic of a real heart, veins, valves and all, on one side and the "IU Health" logo and "Methodist Hospital" on the other.  This, I was told, could be clutched to my chest to ease pain particularly when coughing or when attempting any sort of motion.

I soon found I was pleased, nay thrilled, to have the thing.

Nine years ago at the age of 44 Delbert, the elder of my sons had a heart attack culminating in a quintuple by-pass open-heart surgery.  He visited me in hospital while I was still in ICU.  Noting my pillow, he told me, "That will become your best friend."

He was right.  Today marks one month since the surgery and I have slept with that pillow clutched to my chest every night in the interim.  It got a "break" from cuddling me but once and that about three in the morning a couple weeks ago when I inadvertently knocked it to the floor.  I could not get up to retrieve it and I was uncomfortable with the idea of pushing the call-button to ask for someone to pick up a pillow.  So I bemoaned its absence for about two hours.  Help arrived, and I have cherished Pillow carefully since then.

Then.  Then after I was discharged from hospital and sent to rehab I received a call from my younger son, Ken, who told me that while I was in hospital he had had a heart attack at work, was helicoptered from the remote site of the occurrence to Lexington where the cardiologists were able to work their magic via placement of stents in his heart.  He had advised my spouse, my sister and his siblings but inveigled them to vow that they should not tell me, because he did not want me to worry about it while I was in my circumstances.  He called and told me after I was in the nursing home, and his co-conspirators had kept their word.  Kenneth was on his feet and back to work in a matter of days.

Heart of My Heart

I tend to be less forthcoming about my health issues but BBBH has plastered my "condition" all over her facebook page, so I might as well open up.

An earlier exception to my reticence was published here four years ago when I had the corneal tissue transplant because that is an interesting and relatively rare surgery, and besides the readers might have gotten a good laugh at the pictures of the swollen and bandaged me. 

I have according to my cardiologist a very strong heart but a seriously occluded aortic valve as well as some arterial narrowing in the heart.  Surgery is the only remediation.

I got a call today from the office of the cardiovascular surgeon.  They will see me on December 22.  The good news in this is that I will likely not be admitted for surgery before Christmas.  The bad news is that I will likely not be admitted for surgery before Christmas.

Further good news is that JoAnn's facebook friends and relatives have flooded her notes with good wishes and more importantly promises of prayers for our well-being.  This is appreciated immensely, more than I can tell.

Having started this here, I shall feel compelled to keep you updated.

Photo by BBBH,Galaxy S4, unbeknownst to the subject until it appeared on fb.