Happy Halloween!

Halloween! Ready for the trick-or-treating. Maybe that is why I woke up and couldn't sleep, or maybe not.

Yesterday afternoon after school Kim brought the kids to the office for a Halloween party. At work they had games and candy and even a Haunted Lunch Room (Great work John). The kids had a great time and it was good seeing them at work as well. Last night Kim wasn't feel quite up to her normal self so the kids and I carved the Jack-O-Lanterns. Each one is different and special in its own sort of way, the pumpkins are pretty cool too.

Looking forward to a great weekend. It will be a nice distraction.

Pre-Op Checks Today

Today I finished my final checks before the surgery. They took blood twice (and I didn't pass out) and they took chest X-rays. I got to see the waiting room and got more familiar with the layout of the hospital. The nurse gave me the spirometer that I will use after the surgery and gave me instructions cleaning the day of the surgery. The nurses were extremely helpful and encouraging. It made me feel confortable and encouraged that everything ran so smoothly.

I also got to meet Sharon from Cardiac Rehab. She talked about the importance of getting up and moving around after the surgery and she trained me how I will get up from a chair after the surgery. Her group will be helping me with walking in the hospital 3 times a day starting as soon as I am ready and out of ICU. She also talked about a Cardiac Rehab group in Lee's Summit that I go to 3 times a week after coming home to help the recovery process.

I had a good feeling leaving the hospital after the pre-op checks. I felt like and knew the drill for next Wednesday and that there were skilled and kind people that were going to help me through this.

Popcorn Celebration & Visit with the Surgeon

Last night we had the weekly Scout meeting. I was Popcorn Kernel again this year and I thought I would try something new. I promised the boys in the Troop that the top 5 sellers could put a pie in the face of a Troop Committee member. Since the popcorn sale is over we did the reward last night. As you can see Ryan made the top 5, actually he was the top seller, and he picked me for the pie. It was fun, but even after a shower I did smell whip cream for the rest of the night.

27 Oct 2009 - Kim and I visited with Dr. Forman today. The visit went pretty well. He went through the caterization test and the catscan test to with us and answer a number of questions.

We finalized the plans for the surgery. I'll be getting a St. Jude heart valve and the surgery will last about 4-5 hours. I guess everything is set for next week regarding the details. Thursday I do the pre-op tests at the hospital and then everything is in place.

Nothing Special - Just Some Information

Yesterday I spoke with Sandy the nurse at Dr. Mazzella's office. She is very helpful and answered all our questions (at least the one's we could come up with right now) about visits in the hospital and medications. It is has been really interesting meeting with different people through this process. Sandy has been great about answering and anticipating questions and not making me feel like she needed to move on to the next patient. Dr. Mazzella should give her a raise.

I had alot of questions about the bloodthinners I will need to take after the valve job (Thanks for that image Brian). I think I am setup for the blood testing that I will need for the bloodthinners. There is a lab (Quest Diagnositics) that is covered by the insurance and has locations close to work and close to the house. Sandy said they could get the information they need from them online, so it sounds like that is the one. She said getting this done now gets us ahead of the game. One step closer.

Flu Shots, Potluck & Football - A Good Weekend

Yesterday Kim and I got our Flu shots. Thought this might be a good idea to do before the surgery. We went to the CVS at Longview and it worked out pretty well. The nurse giving the shots was very friendly and helpful. One of the questions on the form I filled out asked if I took bloodthinner medication. I thought this was interesting and wondered if I would not be able to get the shot in the future, since I will be on bloodthinners after the surgery. She said it wouldn't be a problem to get the shot in the future, but you couldn't receive a shot if you had a bleeding wound at the time. I learn something new everyday. This was an opening to talk about my up-coming surgery. She asked where I would have the surgery, and she mentioned that Research was a good hospital to have it done. Which was nice to hear.

Last night we had a potluck dinner at the house with our neighbors. It was a great time. The food was good, lots of kids playing, and good company.

Today was a good day. We watched the Chiefs with the Wankum gang which is always fun and the Chiefs finally won. Miracles do happen.

Today I Scheduled the Surgery

Well today I scheduled my heart valve replacement surgery. I spoke on the phone with Lisa at Dr. Forman's office. She was very helpful and explained the next steps which will include some paperwork and a visit to RMC for a pre-surgery anesthesia test. I'll do that on October 29th.

With the 2 prepatory tests (the catheterization and the CAT Scan) out of the way, I scheduled the surgery for November 4th at Research Medical Center. I'll receive a St. Jude mechanical valve. Based on my visit with Dr. Forman, who will perform the surgery, I didn't want to put it off too long. At least this way I can look forward to pumpkin pie and turkey at Thanksgiving.

Everything I read I will be in surgery for 5-6 hours and in intensive care for 24-48 hours. I'll be in the hospital for 4-7 days and have a 4-8 week recovery. Hopefully all will go well with the recovery and I will be good as new for 2010.

Now that the surgery is scheduled it is both a relief and a little worry rolled into one. I appreciate all your support, your thoughts, and your prayers. Times like these it's good to have family and friends.

CAT Scan Today

Today I had a CAT Scan completed at Research Medical Center. This was the second test that is needed before scheduling my surgery. The CT was completed on my chest and only took about 10 minutes from the time I laid down on the table until the time I was finished. The nurse gave me an IV and the scan started. After 3 or 4 series of breathing in and holding my breathe, the nurse injected a dye into my IV. The dye she injected for the test really gave me a hot flash which was a really unusual feeling that I could feel warmth from my head to my toes. One scan with the dye and I was done.

The nurse said the test results would go to the doctor this afternoon, so I should hear something probably tomorrow.

My First Posting

11 October 2009 - Today I created a blog to post information regarding my upcoming heart valve replacement. I hope this is a good way to communicate with friends and family regarding how things are going.

We'll see how it works.

I wanted to capture a little history with this first post:

9 Sept 2009 - Visited Dr. Mazzella and had my regular Echo-cardiogram. The results indicated a change from the previous results. He suggested I see Dr. Forman, a surgeon to discuss.

12 Sept 2009 - By the way do you think this sweat heart in my shirt was a sign from God.

22 Sept 2009 - Visited Dr. Forman. He explained my condition and indicated I needed to have my Aortic valve replaced. He used the data to explain the how much my valve opened (0.6 square cm, normal is 2.0 square cm). He also talked about the pressure drop my valve caused and that this could harm my heart permanently if it were not addressed. I asked how worried I should be, and he said "you should worry about this everyday". Needless to say his words have moved me to action.

28 Sept 2009 - I had a cardiac catheterization completed today at Research Medical Center. They gave me medication, so I do not remember the procedure, but I do remember the prep and leaving the room where the test took place. Dr. Mazzella performed the test, it went well and I was home by 1:00. Kim was with me during the morning and the recovery.