It was exactly one year ago today that I checked in at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for my pending valve replacement. Little did I know what a long, strange trip that would be! As I sit here at work, I seem to have flashbacks of little bits of the experience. You know what? The "bad" moments are the minority, and from this end of the first year, they don't seem all that bad. I do know that at the time, I was apprehensive, even quite scared at times - especially in early recovery.
But recover I am. I, like Larry (Mentu), feel that recovery is a process rather than an event and that even a year later I am still recovering. When I awoke from surgery, it was very hard to envision what even the very next hour might be like. Out here a year later, it is much easier to look ahead for a much longer time horizon, and I like what I see.
My most humble and sincere thanks to all of my doctors and my entire care team, and to all of you here who made this long, strange trip so much more bearable. I salute you!
But recover I am. I, like Larry (Mentu), feel that recovery is a process rather than an event and that even a year later I am still recovering. When I awoke from surgery, it was very hard to envision what even the very next hour might be like. Out here a year later, it is much easier to look ahead for a much longer time horizon, and I like what I see.
My most humble and sincere thanks to all of my doctors and my entire care team, and to all of you here who made this long, strange trip so much more bearable. I salute you!
