Well, I got through the heart surgery.
I woke up in recovery intubated, which I’ve never been before. I had been warned, but it’s still a kind of F---d up process. I was basically awake at 6pm, but there was nothing to do so I went back to sleep. My nurse interpreted this is my still being affected by the anesthesia. Since I couldn’t talk I could tell him I was awake, and this guy would be a total failure at charades. It wasn’t until mIdnight that he finally realized I was fully conscious.
There was a legitimate concern about how well I could breathe on my own after having my chest cracked open, they did a breathing test on me but I failed 2 out of 3. What I didh’t realize was that while I was taking the test they were using the intubation to restrict my breathing so I couldn’t inhale. Then they made me wait another hour before trying again. During that time I figured out that they were measuring how hard I could struggle against the resistance, so I aced the test on the retry. They finally extubated me at 1:30 am.
The fact that my insurance made me come to this hospital, instead of Harbor UCLA, where they couldn’t perform the stent procedure because there were complications already had me angry and frustrated. Being intubated for about 6-hours unnecessarily did not help my mood.
Generally, I’m not an angry person — so that will pass.
I’m alive. I’m going to be healthy. This is what matters.
They got me out of bed and sitting in a chair already as part of the rehab. I’m gonna have to walk some laps around the room at 11am. Then some more later. They have tubes draining the fluid from my chest and an external pacemaker. They also have me on Norco and occasionally Morphine. So I’m a little loopy.
I’ll check in with updates as they are relevant.
Thanks for all your support.
[8:20am]
They just gave me a breathing treatment and an electric back massage that almost made up for the extended intubation. Almost.
I haven’t been able to reach my wife Robin yet, but I know some of the nurses called her last night when the surgery was completed, so she knows I’m alright.
[9:15 am]
They had me walk a few laps around the ward, my breathing and conditioning are good. I usually walk a couple of mile a day at home.
And I reached Robin on Facebook, she may be brought here by my old friend Rocco (yes, the guy who works as a set painter who was lecturing me on Facebook last night. He’s fine to come as long as he doesn’t — like — talk. About anything.]
[12:30 pm]
My cousin Mitch and his wife were just here to visit me, I told them the cliff notes version of the story to date starting when I first started feeling chest pains about a month ago, to the adventure a Harbor UCLA’s emergency room to here and now. It’s a crazy story.
I’m doing well, with meds the chest pain is subsiding. They brought me some pudding and juice so I’m getting to eat again. Things are looking up.
[8:48 am Thu]
They have me on a cycle of treatment, I’ve got up and walked around the ward 5 times. 4 times yesterday, once this morning. Breathing treatments and massage, insulin to maintain blood sugar. Various drugs. They keep me pretty bust, but I was able to catch up on some sleep last night so I’m finally ready to be fully awake
My wife was supposed to stop by last night but didn’t.
[12:39 pm Sat]
Dr. Omari says I’m likely to be released tomorrow. I haven’t been posting because they keep me pretty busy and I’m losing tons of sleep — so when they don’t have me walking, getting my blood sugar checked, taking meds, taking chest X-rays or eating — I’m trying to catch a nap.
The pain in my chest has subsided and I’m pretty mobile so I agree I could go home and continue recuperating there. I’m gonna call my case manger to try and set up everything for my home recovery.