Bart Surgery 9/8/03 - Update

[Bart]

Bart's wife here:
Bart has been doing fabulous since surgery - he was even walking back and forth down the hall and went up and down two flights of steps the day after surgery. What we didn't know is that he had been utilizing he temporary pacemaker. He had quite a bit of calcification around his aortic valve and the guess is that the "wire" of his natural pacemaker was slightly damaged with all the aggressive debrading of the calcium (as per his surgeon "the most he has ever seen", but since his surgeon is 35 who knows what that means).

The docs have been watching him today to see if possibly the pacemaker problem was caused by irritation/inflammation from the surgery, but now it seems as if he will be having a pacemaker put in tomorrow morning. So another surgery, albiet a much smaller one.

Odd thing is that he is having a little more difficulty accepting this than the valve replacement. I think since he was feeling so great and that pacemakers are usually associated with older people than his 46 year old self.

We'll see what he says a little later down the road, but he says his chest pain now is much less than 2 years ago when he had rotator cuff surgery on his shoulder. The bad part is that his other rotator cuff needs surgery too, but the heart valve took precedence now.

 

[Ross]

Thanks for the update. It's possible that the pacemaker will only be temporary. It's really early in the game to predict the outcome. If he needs it, he needs it. Tell him not to go nuts over it, this coming from someone who goes nuts over everything.

Tell him to hang in there and keep getting better. We'll see him on here soon.

Anything we can do for you? You getting enough rest, food, etc?

 

[Bart]

OK that didn't work right. Thank you for your good thoughts. I am doing well although I sure didn't like being up and to the hospital at 5:30 A.M. for 7:30 A.M. surgery. I have now caught up on sleep a little so I am not as cranky. Our kids are seeing less of me (7, 9 and 16) but they do understand and have been to the hospital to see him and now can talk to him on the phone too so they don't have to wait when they have something they want to tell him.

 

[Ross]

Make sure to take care of you! If your tired out etc, it's not going to help anyone.

The reply with quote thing doesn't work right for some reason. You have to do it in a 2 step process, first post just the reply and then go back and click edit and add what you wanted. I'll figure it out one of these days. Hank tried and well, it's not fixed.

 

[Bart]

Oh shoot, I didn't know you could hear me snoring when I fell asleep at the hospital yesterday. How many miles apart are Columbus and North Canton?

 

[Ross]

About 140 miles. It's a good 2.5 to 3 hour drive.

 

[Gnusgal]

Tell Bart that pacemakers are not just for old people. I've had a pacemaker since I was seven years old! I'm on my 4th one. Let me tell you, I'd much rather have it than not, as my ventricals don't listen to a thing my atriums are saying (complete heart block) and wouldn't beat at all if it weren't for the pacer. If he has any questions at all about pacemakers, I'll bet I know the answer (or can make something up ).

Great to hear he's feeling good, at least!

 

[MelissaM]

When you've psyched yourself up for one surgery, it is hard to get out of the OR and two days later hear you get to go back in - even if it is minor surgery. I know that would have TOTALLY bummed me out. Just when ya think you have gone "over the mountian" another mini-mountain appears. It is hard. Hang in there, both of you!

Melissa

 

[Ross]

Tell him I'm younger then he and I have many spare parts inside me. That's why I tell everyone I'm not human. I'm more machine now, then man.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi bart's wife (what's your name?)!
i'm glad that the "big" part is over for now. i can imagine how disappointed bart must be, as melissa said, having to face another procedure. bumps in the road can be so discouraging.
i think we all have this image of having the surgery, feeling so much better, resting, breathing, walking and going home to further recover. sometimes this is not the case and little snags come up.
please try to be positive, everything will be fine.
try and get some rest yourself , as ross said, it takes a great toll on spouses/caretakers.
please wish bart all our best and let him know that we look forward to seeing him back soon.
best wishes, sylvia

 

[ccrawford]

We're very glad Bart is doing better, and we look forward to hearing from him. Just think, he'll be feeling a little better every day and enjoying those sunrises and sunsets. Best wishes, Chris

 

[Georgia]

Hey, Bart's wife: you've got an awfully full plate there with those small kids and Bart. Be sure you have all the stuff you need before he comes home so you won't have to be running all over.

I hope he got a recliner before he had surgery; it is a great asset for the majority of us. Lying flat is difficult for many. And get a two-step stool for the shower for him for the first couple of weeks. He'll want to bathe in the worst way and won't be able to get in the tub and the shower for some reason makes you light headed for a while. Sitting is a good thing.

And you might want to lay in a few fruit juices (not necessarily orange; and if he's on coumadin, definitely not grapefruit); it's just that stuff doesn't taste good for awhile; mild fruity stuff seems to be the least objectionable.

Good luck; hope he gets taken care of and blows that popstand real soon. Take care of you and let that 16 year old help, too.

 

[nadi]

Thanks for posting!

I hope all is going well now. Tell Bart its all down hill now.

Remember to take care of yourself also.

 

[Nancy]

Bart's doing well after surgery. Nice to hear that he's walking around. I'm hoping his heart settles down and he doesn't need a pacemaker. But my husband has one, and he doesn't know it's there. It's just something that keeps him safe. Millions of people have them old and young and in between.

 

[Gisele]

Hi

Hi

Glad to hear that Bart is doing well and make sure to tell him that we are all cheering for him over here. Please do make sure that you take care of yourself as I am sure that you are so focused on him right now. Keep us posted on his progress.

 

[Bart]

I'm back in the saddle. (really a recliner). I see that Megan has kept you informed.
They kept me a full week. INR went south. Wanted to go home so bad by today that I couldn't stand it.

I know that this will be short as I am having to hit the keys twice to get them to work.

I have to much to get done to let anything get in my way. Pacemaker blocked my vision for a minute. Did anyone else have fantastic hallosounations when coming out of the procedure. I knew that I was and decided I would share them with everyone. I think everyone was smiling by the time I was done. Many were just shaking their heads also. It was the most fun I had all day.
Pacemaker had to be "interrogated" on Friday. Thursday Night was very rough. No Sleep. Heart felt like it was spasing all night. Turned out it was. I needed Zanaz by the time they were done. I have never been pushed that far before.

Every event makes you stronger.

Why do the Dr's tell you that you cant feel the Pacer working. It was still not work 100% when they were done, but they told me it would smooth out and it seems to be doing just that.

I can tell that rehab will not be bad, and should be making the block 3/4 by weekend. I can always sit in someone's drive if needed. (Might have Megan follow me in the car.

All for now thanks for the support. forgive the spelling.

How about eyesight anyone's affected?

Bart

 

[Ross]

Welcome back to the other side! It sure is good to hear from you.

If I were to go into my dreams and hallucinations, you all would most certainly waste no time locking me up. Mine were horrible and I had them for a good 4 weeks, not just a few days, so your lucky there.

Eyesight--Mine seems a little off and has with each surgery, but all in all, not too bad. What are you experiencing?

 

[Gnusgal]

So good to have you back! I agree that you can feel the pacer from time to time, but you certainly get used to it. Just like getting used to the tic-tic-tic of a mechanical valve. I've had a pacer for 20 years now, and while I can sometimes notice the pacemaker is kicking in, I take it to mean that at least it's working! I hope you adjust soon. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away.

I did have problems for a little while with my eyesight. Turns out the slight stigmatism I had before going into surgery got worse in one eye after the surgery. I wore a contact to correct it for a few weeks, and then was able to go back to my regular prescription. Hopefully yours will go back to normal soon.

Take it easy and get to feeling better quick!

 

[nadi]

Welcome Home!!

I am glad to hear that all is smoothing out for you.
remember to pamper yourself a little)

I also have eyesight problems since surgery. I am now having to wear my glass all the time instead of just reading or working at the computer. I hope yours straightens out soon.

Take care,

 

[Nancy]

Hi Bart-

Welcome home. Sounds like things are going along like normal.

Several people on the site have had hallucinations. The concensus is that it's from a combo of the anesthesia leaving your body and porbably mostly the pain medications. Joe had them. He saw dust storms in the hall and he worried about them, LOL. I had to go out and pretend to look at them so I could assure him that it would be OK. He also had some visions problems which eventually straightened out.

Take it slow and easy for a while. You're doing well.