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Grayling813 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 3:54 pm Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
My brother had quadruple bypass a couple of years ago. As Bro. Carl said, walking is good medicine and it definitely helped my brother recover.

Thank you, sir! Right now, a walk to the living room is taxing. One end of the house to the other, which is about ~60ft in a straight line, is just plain exhausting. Fortunately, we have resting spots for me at both ends (Master Bedroom and Home Office), and in the middle (Living Room, Dining Room, or Kitchen) if need be. So, I can go from one end of the house to the other, rest for a minute, get what I need done, and then head back and rest at the end or along the way. We're following Doctor's Orders as if they were Holy Writ. Things I'm not allowed to do:

Ride my Harley (I definitely wanted to cry about this one, but I can barely hold myself upright, much less me and a 1,000lb motorcycle.)
Drive our car (Free WFH days for 6-10 weeks? I'm down with that.)
Smoke (I quit on 8/18 when I landed in the hospital this last time. Mrs. RottenApple quit the day I came home. No tears about this one.)
Can't extend my arms all the way (This is WAY more difficult that I thought it would be. I'm now regretting making this 36" deep desk.)
Can't reach behind me (Funny how I never noticed how much of this I did until I wasn't allowed to because it causes my chest muscles to expand and I could pull my sternum apart if it's not knitted together enough.)
Can't raise my arms over my head (washing a full head of hair has now become a painful chore.)
Can't lift anything over 10lbs (I can barely lift a gallon of milk to fix little Granddaughter RottenApple her milk for breakfast this morning!)

It's maddening! But, as a former engineer and now Systems Administrator, I understood the logic behind the restrictions even if I don't like them. The doctors and nurses love that I push myself to do more, to do better, to BE better. They just worry that I'll push too much and end up back in the hospital. Mrs. RottenApple keeps me honest about how much I'm pushing. Maybe by the end of next week, I'll be able to walk the drive and back (about 1/4 mile) to check the mail.

Boxerrider wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 10:14 am Excellent news!
Dad had his prostate removed at Ascension Providence several years ago and was also pleased with the surgeon, facilities, and staff. Getting back in shape will be tough - stick to it. It sounds like you have a great motivator!

Thank you, sir. We loved the team they had put together at AP to get me through this. Kind, courteous, wouldn't take any bull (not that I ever tried to give them any), kept me moving forward along the path even when I was in tears and wanted to die. And, yes, it's only been 2 days out of the hospital, so I still go through that. I suspect that will lessen in time as I get stronger. Right now, I couldn't fight off a 3 day old kitten. 2-day old: Maybe, but it's gonna be close.

We went to bed last night ~2130. I woke up at ~0030 CT, needing to use the restroom. When I got back to the bed, I stood there and stared for a minute. I started shaking and crying because I knew how much it was going to hurt to get back in bed. So, I went to my home office and I've been up ever since. Mrs. RottenApple helped me to lay down ~1200 and I napped until ~1600. That woman is a Super Trooper! How or Why she ever put up with me is beyond my ken.

puma guy wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 9:39 am I just saw this. I've been out of town and didn't take my computer. Man you've been through it, so sorry. You have my fervent prayer for recovery and comfort. My prayers for your dad continue as well.

Thanks, Puma. I can't imagine how Pop is taking all my crap along with what happened in July.

carlson1 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 28, 2024 6:34 pm I have done this before my friend. Get up and walk as much as possible. Trust me it helps even through you think you are dying. I squeezed the stuffings out of the red heart pillow they gave me. After it was over and the recovery process I did feel much better. We are still praying for you. I am glad you are home and if you are like a lot of folks you rest better at home. Take care.

Carl

Thank you, Carl. You have your own issues to deal with right now and yet you take the time to pray for a nobody like me. I cannot tell you how grateful and humble that makes me.

Our granddaughter, who has SEVERE abandonment issues, came face-to-face that Opa "almost left her". (She is constantly saying, "Don't leave me Oma\Opa!". I broke down and lost it. It hurt physically, but that was the thing that broke my heart and strengthened my resolve to get through this.

Thank you, Good Sir. For teaching this RottenApple a lesson he never even knew he needed. Mrs. RottenApple and I are most grateful to you.

Greetings, folks!

I am alive (barely), well (recovering), and am at home (with Help). I figured a video message would be entertaining, at least a little, but I can't maintain my breath long enough to read this message.

So, I'll spare you the photos of my scars for now. Almost all of the bruising was directly caused by the personnel at Ascension Providence of Waco, TX. However, it wasn't their fault. Navarro Regional Medical Center pumped me up with over 20,000 mls of Heparin, which is a blood thinner. By the time Navarro had me transferred to Ascension Providence, anytime the nurses, techs, phlebotomists, or even a rogue mosquito looked at one of my veins, it either blew or it retreated as deeply as it could go.

The folks at Ascension Providence were top notch. They tried to be as gentle as they could, cause me as little pain as possible, but for somethings, there wasn't anything they could really do except move forward as quickly as possible. I arrived at Ascension Providence of Waco on 8/19. Navarro Regional refused to release the images and results of the cath lab for 3 days. Once Mrs. RottenApple got on the phone and threatened no images & result = no payment, Ascension Providence had them within an hour.

Just an FYI, we've fired the new "doctors" (PCP & Cardiologist) at Navarro Regional.

Once Ascension Providence had the results, it took 1 day for them to determine that a "Cabbage times three" (yes, folks, there is now medical proof that I'm a vegetable), aka a Triple Bypass was needed. They got me into surgery in record time. It was so fast that Mrs. RottenApple didn't have a chance to get to Waco before I went under.

I understand it took longer on the ventilator for me to start breathing on my own again. I don't remember a thing. Except pain. Lots and lots of pain. To me, the following is hearsay as I was unconscious. Apparently, after putting me out and on the vent, etc., etc., they cut open my chest, sawed my sternum in half, took 3 "donor vessels" (left ankle, left knee, and left groin) and used them to bypass the dual occlusions in the Widow maker artery and a secondary occlusion in a secondary but important artery.

After that, it was sew me up, get me in ICU, eventually move me to a room, and start recovery therapy. My meds sometimes changed on a daily basis. Even today, I got 7 new ones as we were leaving. And these supersede my previous meds.

And now, 10 days later, we are back home. I still have a long, long way to go. Typical recovery time to even START feeling normal is 6-10 weeks. For a Triple Bypass, it could be even longer.

Thank you for any well-wishes, prayers, offerings, animal, and human (just kidding!) sacrifices you may have made on behalf of Mrs. RottenApple and myself.

Thank you all for your prayers and well-wishes. With luck, I might just be able to go home today. I should find out in a few hours.

I don't normally do this for myself, but this time I'm making an exception due to the circumstances.

This past August 23rd, I had open heart surgery for a Quadruple Bypass. July '24 was a rough month for my family, and ended in this. I've been in and out of the hospital several times since July 31st. That finally ended when I was transferred from Navarro Regional of Corsicana to Ascension Providence of Waco on 8/17. From the 17th to the 22nd, it was just a ton of lab work and meds getting started to build up in my system. On the 22nd, Mrs. RottenApple and I had to make a decision. TBH, if I had known then what I know now, I would have taken a non-surgical option. I would also probably be dead by now.

Folks, if you find it in your heart to say a little prayer for me, please do. I could really use the help right now.

Also, and perhaps more importantly, if you could pray for my father, PawPaw. He's lost so much in the last 2 months that I'm sure he could use it too.