Ram, how are you doing?

[Christina L]

Ram,

With Susan having her surgery tomorrow, it made me remember that you will be having your surgery soon (looked it up and is October 28, right?).

I am wondering how you are feeling mentally and how you are preparing for the big day??

God bless -
Chris

 

[mamsram]

HI CHRIS

HI CHRIS

Well I've been busy preparing for winter. Keeps my mind occupied. Yard stuff, lawn tools etc.
I've also been getting my things organized for the steps I have to take. I've visited with my two daughters, written directions to hospital, bought train tickets, reserved a place in Boston near hospital (Best Western--they have special rates for hospital families--$149 per nite ). I have a book to read for Fri. when I will do the preop stuff. A lot of wait time, I understand. All the packing is being planned, not much for me just pjs and slippers and such and oh yeah my discman and some of my favorite cds. I put a t.v. in the living room and bought a " pick me up/ put me down" chair to put in front of it.
Sat. my son will be coming up from Virginia Beach and we will have a family day

Mon. I will have the angio, cath, or whatever they refer to it as. This is the time it will be determined if I will have minimally invasive or the 'BIG DIG" .I wont know until Fri. if its an overnite at the hospital. Or if the OP on Tues. is early or late???

Mentally, I want to get the ball rolling, and let the chips fall where they may. I have done all the things that I believe to be the right steps and now will rely on the experts to do their jobs and DO IT WELL.
AND THATS THE WAY IT IS------Thur, Oct.23rd 2003
Keep smilin and movin forward

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Ram,
You are so organized! I hope everything else goes as well. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Take Care

Dave
_________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical

 

[EVELYN]

Hi Mams

We just got back from Florida....what was supposed to be a 3-day stay turned into a 6 dayer....anyway, we're home and all is well. Yours was the first thread I opened....I will put you in my prayers starting now. I know you will be absolutely fine!!! If your wife would like to chat, please feel free to give her my address.....sometimes it's worth it just to have a friendly ear of one who has been there.

You will be very fine, my friend.......I just know it.

Evelyn

 

[Christina L]

Wow

Wow

Ram,

Your attitude amazes me. It sounds like you are well prepared for the surgery. The "big dig"??? - you are starting to sound like Ross.

Your family sounds so supportive and that will get you through this with flying colors, with, as you said, the skill of the surgeons and I know that Boston is one of the best places to have this done, also.

Have a wonderful weekend with your kids!

I am doing sort of the same thing - just trying to keep busy and not think about what is coming up. It does help to keep my mind occupied with other things.

God bless -

Chris

 

[Granbonny]

Ram

Ram

Heard it was snowing in Burlington, Vermont today. You can get the snow shovel out.. But, you will not be doing any shoveling anytime soon. Better put that on the list of things to do. Hire a kid.. Bonnie

 

[MelissaM]

Best of luck as you prepare for your "big day" Ram!

Another thought for your pre-op day is to get one of the travel-sized board games. We had a blast playing travel Scrabble in-between appointments!

Melissa

 

[Les]

Ram,
Best wishes and thoughts are with you! You've got a great attitude and spirit that will carry you right on through!
_________________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[mamsram]

another step

another step

Thru with pre-op day. Piece of cake. all I did was give. I gave info on me. They gave info on what to expect from them. I gave 4 vials of blood (one needle) 2 containers of urine, 2 chest x-rays(front and side) b.p, temp.ekg and arm and leg strength test (seemed silly, Im nowhere close to feeble) and a test to see if there was adequit blood flow thru both arteries leading to the hands. (those are strong arteries and they will use those if I will need any bypass stuff. Also had a discussion with the anethesiologist.

Thanks ev, I gave her your message.
THE BIG DIG---thats the billions in cost over-runs bondoogle that is to transport traffic under the city of Boston. One of the most expensive construction undertakings ever

Well thats all for today folks I'd just like to say I'D MUCH RATHER BE SAILING AWAY TO KEY LARGO but we do what we have to do!

Don't let the good in life pass you by, grab ahold of it and savor it, it is so valuable--we need it to counter the bad and make life worth living.

 

[Rain]

MY friend, RAM....

MY friend, RAM....

I just want to let you know, I too am thinking of you. You?re right .....we just ?do what we gotta do?. I did everything I could think of to prepare for the surgery, then it was just putting one foot in front of the other until it was over with and I could get back to my ?real? life.

I?m 100% sure that a positive attitude is worth more than all the pills in Boston. So you have obviously got this surgery whipped.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[mamsram]

Its a beautiful sunny day. My family will be here this evening. I looked out the window to the trees in my back yard. It is so beautiful. I am going out for a walk and to be into my own thoughts for awhile.

I feel like a" bottle of rain" is coming my way. (a new beginning)

cheers friends

 

[bvdr]

God Bless you on your Journey Ram!

 

[Granbonny]

Hi Ram

Hi Ram

Hope you enjoyed your walk..it is a beautiful day on top of my mountain, too. I just helped hubby get a 170 lb. 43 in t.v. unloaded off back of truck..down the steps..up on front porch..and thru the house. See what an age 63 year old woman can do..after valve replacement. And they say, women are the weaker sex... Do enjoy these last 2 days..it will be about 6 weeks before you get much energy back. Let the wife spoil you. My hubby did for 1 year..then he said..O.K. that's enough...get out and pick some cotton. Enjoy the kids too this weekend...Bonnie

 

[starkone]

Ram...

I hope you know my thoughts are with you.
I know you will do well, you are in the best of
hands at Brigham!
Will be thinking of you often this week!
Fondly,
Karen

 

[wweir]

Ram,

I also want to send you best wishes as you get ready for the 28th. It sure sounds like you have everything under control and now just waiting to get this operation out of the way and then on to full recovery.

When I think back to the days before my operation I remember doing all the things you are doing in an effort to not really think about things. After arriving at the hospital at 5am on the day of the surgery and subsequently being wheeled into the pre-op area an hour or so later, I must tell you that I had this incredible sense of overall calm come over me. It was a really nice relaxing feeling. This was not a feeling that I thought I would have at that particular time, but I did.

One bit of advice I might share, based on advice that I got, tell them to put the catheter in after you are knocked out, not before, they agreed. I then asked if everyone in the operating room was sober, as it was a 7:30 am operation they said yes, and then it was lights out and waking up in ICU.

We will all be with you Ram and you will be fine.

Walter

 

[Nancy]

Hi Ram-

I want to wish you the very best surgical result possible. You'll do just fine.

So Bon Voyage and smooth sailing. We'll all be waiting to hear how things went.

Talk to you later

 

[Christina L]

God speed

God speed

Hi Ram,

You are in my thoughts and prayers today, tomorrow, the whole week. You are such a neat man - have so much of that New England spirit in you - I love that! Your kids are lucky to have you for a dad.

We will be praying for you and waiting to hear the posts that you came through the surgery with flying colors.

God be with you through it all -

Chris

 

[Georgia]

Ram, best of luck

Ram, best of luck

You are a poster child for preparation. Good for you. You'll appreciate all you've done and at some point in the future you'll try to pat yourself on the back.

Just one more thing you might get someone to procure for you - a small, two step stool for the shower; for the first couple of weeks showering tends to make you light-headed. And if you're anything like me, I wanted to spend a LOT of time in there. (there are a lot of chemicals being eliminated from your poor ol' bod and - at least to me - washing the smell away was a major preoccupation).

May your mountain turn out to be a molehill and the truck miss you altogether. Our prayers are with you.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi ram!
just wanted to let you know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
wishing you all the best tomorrow and we look forward to hearing how it all went.
God bless, sylvia