Two weeks ago, I was out walking around my neighborhood and I began experiencing chest pains, especially when walking the incline up President Street from 4th Avenue. I have been ultra-stressed-out due to five years of ongoing dialysis coupled with concern over my 92-year-old cancerous mother's declining health and mental acuity, most of which I kept bottled up while I soldiered on, so I suppose something had to give. Anyway, heeding the warnings of my body, I immediately checked in with my cardiologist. He gave me an EKG and a genral examination, and he ordered me to report to Mount Sinai's Morningside hospital's cardiac facility for a more thorough evaluation. I went the very next day and underwent a cath scan, and when all was said and done. I was told I would need a cardiac bypass. I was then given the basic information on what to expect and prep for going forward, and I was given an appointment for a consultation with the surgeon who would be performing the procedure. That appointment happened today, so I arranged for my Wednesday dialysis to be moved to Thursday, which means I will be doing two days of dialysis back-to-back. I just got back from my consultation with my cardiac surgeon and his fellow, so here's the skinny:
Three of my coronary arteries are calcifying, largely due to my kidney disease, and also because my stents simply can't handle the accelerating calcification anymore. In fact, the major stent is almost completely blocked, specifically for the artery called "the Widowmaker," so me heeding my body and going in to get checked out a couple of weeks back was definitely the right move. We are talking a triple bypass and, yes, it is open heart. The admission info is documented below, so keep it hand if needed.
I will be admitted on August 6th at 10am, with dialysis being performed at Morningside either on the 6th or the 7th, and with testing being done on the 7th. The surgery will occur on the 8th and the procedure will take around four hours, after which I will remain intubated and sedated for six hours in the ICU. Once that's done, I will be taken to a private room, where I will remain for 5-8 days. During my post-op recuperation, I will receive physical therapy, and if all goes well I will be released. If not, I will be sent to a rehab facility, so I'm going to warrior up and give my physical therapy my all. (To bolster the warrior frame of mind, I am looking into obtaining either a horned helmet or a winged helmet to be worn during my convalescence.)
Once back at home, they will assign me a nurse who will periodically drop by to make sure I am okay and doing everything right with my post-op care. And I'm looking at about a month of recovery with soreness, so I hope they hook me up with some bitchin' painkillers.
So, that's what's going on. I will keep you informed as things progress, and if I accept any visitors, they will be my closest circle only. As previously stated, I do not like visitors during a hospital stay, as visitors make me feel like I am obligated to entertain, while my focus is on healing and getting the fuck out of there. I will have my phone and my laptop and I will be in a private room, so communications will be open once I am out of surgery and after I am extubated and weaned off of the anesthetic.
Your support is appreciated more than I can express, but now is the time for warrioring up, and subsequent focus on the healing.
