DownEast American Industrial Hygiene Association
News from Lyman Cousens: 12/06/06
I was diagnosed with a heart murmur back last February. Never had one before. Test showed my aortic valve was defective (made in Maine), 2 flaps instead of 3, and the 2 were getting tired. I was told by the cardiologist it might last 2 years but it definitely had to be replaced. I had no symptoms except some shortness of breath when exercising. So we (wife Doris and I) decided I'd retire in December (I'm 68), have the surgery and I could be on the Champions Tour by April. In August the cardiologist did some listening and suggested we find a surgeon. Doris did some research on the internet and found Brigham and Women's is in the top 10 nationally for valve jobs, just behind Jiffy Lube. No other N.E. hospitals were listed. So we went there and by the luck of the draw I was assigned to the Chief of Cardiac Surgery and Professor at Harvard Medical School. He moved the date up to November (2006 taxes), I moved it to October (just get it done) and my cardiologist in Concord prevailed on everyone to move it to September 25th, a week away at the time. (I shoveled some loam and had genuine discomfort so he was very nervous). On the 22nd I had a cath exam (angiogram) which showed all arteries were clean, good news, they didn't have to muck around with stents and bypasses.
Surgery was at 7:30am Monday and was done at 1pm. I have no idea what took so long, but with breaks, lunch, cell phones and whatever, who knows. But they had a pig's valve in inventory that fit, at least I hope it fits. I woke up at 7pm with two very awful tubes down my throat, one for breathing and the other, I was told, so they could look at the back side of my heart from my esophagus. Huh? My nurse(my very own nurse!) told me they would probably stay in until morning. Just terrible, I can't describe how bad. Anyway they came out in 3 hours at 10pm, much to my relief. They got me up to weigh me at 2am for some reason, then moved me out of ICU at 10 the next day, Tuesday.
My roommate in "step-down" was a bit out of sorts. He had been there for 6 days and upon my arrival took it upon himself to disconnect his tubes (I had 6 of them in various locations, I assume he did too). While he was flailing around setting off alarms and dumping pee on the floor I was scared to death it was all going to fall over on me, there being only a curtain between us. The nurses gave him a couple shots and that was that for the time being. I asked to be moved but instead they assigned one of the many Dominicans to sit with him 24/7. That worked!
After that, my stay was pretty routine. I was to go home Friday but at 4am I had some palpitation that got everybody excited so I had to stay another day to be sure there was no repeat. There wasn't and haven't had any since. One final hospital note...you cannot go home until you have a bowel movement. I was all set but Bill (my roommate) had not had one since the previous Wednesday, so on Friday (10 days) they give him this souped up laxative. About an hour later he tells the Dominican baby sitter he's ready to go. She lifts him up and he just explodes, literally explodes all over the room and then the bathroom. They evacuate me and bring in the bio-hazard folks in yellow suits, together with half a dozen more Dominicans all armed with mops. Half an hour later I was back in bed and Bill was sorely depleted but thoroughly cleansed. I was gone the next day and he stayed another week.
It took about a month after that for me to really get my strength back and after that I was anxious to get back to work. I sort of eased into it and by 6 weeks was pretty much at full strength. I started cardiac rehab at Concord Hospital last week, That goes for 6 weeks, M, W, and F for 2 hours. A real drag, but after this I can get back to the fitness center I had gone to up until last summer.
A couple of final notes
- 1) Have an annual check up. If I hadn't and my PCP hadn't noticed "a slight murmur that was not there previously"...who knows???
- 2) Cards and phone calls really do mean a lot. Not just at first, either. Man, it really brightens an otherwise very dull day when there is something in the mailbox. I never realized how much it means.
- 3) I was very lucky. Everything went as planned, Doris and my kids were very supportive. But I also behaved myself and did whatever I was told, and still do. This was nothing to fool around with and I think I acted accordingly.
A final note about Brigham & Women's...absolutely top-notch, a great choice. The surgeon had less personality than this keyboard, but he was there every day, twice a day. You do not need a P.R. guy! The food was just awful, terrible, inedible. But nobody complained when a nurse friend brought me a Danish and real coffee for breakfast, or a BLT for lunch and a slice of pizza for supper.
So, I'm back and doin' good.
Guess this ain't exactly "a little" but the price is he same