Update on Jim Kelly-Evans

[skeptic49]

Day 9 ICU: got outta bed yesterday evening and sat in a chair finally. No strength. They stopped Amiodarine because of liver numbers, so I have been in Afib. Trying Metroprolol. Outta bed this morning and scheduled to go to the cardio ward and meet with pt. All tubes gone but two standard IVs. Urinary working still trying with bowels. So the journey continues.

 

[camgough]

Things are looking up buddy! Hang in there and everyday will be an improvement. You've been throught so much this past week, but as you say the light is at the end of the tunnel.

 

[shanwow1]

Hang in there! Having just recently gone through a fraction of what you are going through, I empathize. You are an inspiration!

 

[ottagal]

JIm,
This is a positive step....as the others have said...hang in there...one day at a time...slowly, but surely. Thumbs up.

 

[Cooker]

Afib zaps your strength. I remember well. They have several things to deal with it and will. Keep your chin up!!!

 

[skeptic49]

Day 11: cardiac floor...my Afib did a spontaneous conversion to normal sinus rhythm last night at 3:30 AM so I didn't need a dc cardioversion. I am hoping to enter acute rehab tomorrow or Friday. What a long haul this has been.

 

[cldlhd]

Hey Jim this is Chris from Bucks county , glad to hear the afib hit the road . One more positive step.

 

[Bina]

Day 11: cardiac floor...my Afib did a spontaneous conversion to normal sinus rhythm last night at 3:30 AM so I didn't need a dc cardioversion. I am hoping to enter acute rehab tomorrow or Friday. What a long haul this has been.

Your heart was very annoyed at being messed with....maybe now it will behave. These are still the very early days of recovery, if progress is slow, that's okay !

 

[pellicle]

Hey there

Day 9 ICU: got outta bed yesterday evening and sat in a chair finally. No strength.

yeah ... I hate that too ...

Trying Metroprolol.

sat ok with me ... hope it works for you

Outta bed this morning and scheduled to go to the cardio ward and meet with pt. All tubes gone but two standard IVs. Urinary working still trying with bowels. So the journey continues.

no kinchi huh ... hope they avoid the firehose up the date ...

best wishes mate

 

[river-wear]

Hi Jim, I'm just getting caught up on your saga. I'm so glad you're doing much better now and the a-fib resolved on its own. Hopefully it will stay that way! Your poor heart has been through a lot.

Best wishes for an uneventful recovery from here on out! (I also sympathize with the long hospital stay. I had a glimmer of freedom before being re-admitted 36 hours after getting out. Damn a-fib waited for me to feel cocky about such a smooth surgery.)

 

[Freddie]

I too am glad to hear that the a-fib has resolved and pray that it doesn't return.
Hopefully by now they have given you something and your system is working and moving along smoothly.
Take Care

 

[skeptic49]

Day 13...my insurance denied acute rehab but hopefully I can move to semi- acute rehab in the next day or so. I'm fine medically...everything running smooth, just not enough strength to go home right now. My INR is still a little low so yesterday they bridged me with Lovenox thinking I was leaving for rehab but it was not to be. Appetite is returning, taste bugs improving and I am walking further. If I had a few more days to build some strength I could go directly home, but it looks like I'll go to rehab instead. Got a copy of my surgical notes for the first procedure. They read like an accident report for a multi-train pileup!

 

[cldlhd]

So was the hemi arch planned? I thought you were getting the root and the ascending done. Been home 15 days Jim and really starting to feel like myself so you'll get there. Even had my buddy run me up to our normal happy hour spot yesterday , the bar owners got me a card-must be spending a lot there, and one of my buddies twisted my arm into having a drink. You'll be feeling like a normal human before you know it.

 

[skeptic49]

Hi Chris, Glad you got back to your old watering hole for a drink. That's great. No, the hemiarch and the two CABG were calls made on the table. My surgeon tells me that my aorta walls were tissue thin. My coronary arteries were not blocked but he observed that the had smallish, elliptical ostia so he decided to augment blood supply to the ventricles with two additional grafts. This kind of stuff is the reason we pick top shelf experts for our surgeries. Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know I'll get there.

 

[cldlhd]

Well now it's all done and it's just time to heal, you're not missing anything being inside. Its averaging 20 degrees below normal,not great walking weather.

 

[skeptic49]

Well today my stamina increased tremendously...walking, climbing stairs...just in the nick of time. I'm going home this evening! Hooray!

 

[pellicle]

Excellent news

 

[cldlhd]

Congrats! Trust me it'll feel great to be home.

 

[skeptic49]

Home, Sweet Home!

 

[ottagal]

Awesome, Jim!
There truly is no place like home.