It all started at Midnight

Around midnight on the 27th of November I just could not catch my breath. Around 4:30 AM it started to get challenging to just breath, so I called for backup, my Mom came and took me to the emergency room.

They rushed me in, it seems breathing is an important enough issue to get you straight in past the cold and flu people. They hooked me up to 0xygen and started monitoring me and admitting me. It seems that my oxygen level was under 80 and most people are above 92 and your should be around 96 to be normal.

That day they did an ultra sound on my heart and decided that my heart was operating at only 20% capacity, most people around my age are averaging between 60% to 75%, I know that might scare you that the high number is only 75%.  They scheduled me for a Heart Catha-dire (spelling) the next day and found that I had 3 major arteries blocked at 96% or greater.

It was determined that I needed a triple by-pass operation (open heart surgery) and I had severe COPD and adult onset diabetes. Happy Birthday to me (it was 10/12 and I was still in the hospital that day).

Here is what the cardiologist said, "I don't think you will survive the surgery so we are going to cancel the triple by-pass and consider hospice for you". It says right here you are going to die boy, hey wait I am only 48. After long lectures from my Lung Doctor, my Heart Doctor, the Hospital Committee chairwomen, my Doctor, they kept me in the hospital to see if they could get me to a point that I would survive the surgery and do the triple by-pass, because of my age, if I were over 60 they would not have even tried.

On 10/7/2010 I had the triple by-pass, on 10/15/2010 they sent me home one scared young man, I have to change my life and save my life, I have to quite smoking.

More to come ....

Open Heart Surgery

Wow, I have been gone a little bit, on 9/27/2010 I had to call my mom and get a ride to the emergency room, it seems that breathing is important.

I am going to add an item to the must have list, besides water and food, it seems AIR is handy as well.

So, here is the short version, I am home from the hospital now and will give you detailed information and a play by play this coming Monday. Right now the short version goes like this, no air = oxygen mask = testing = heart cath = 3 blocked arteries = triple by pass = open heart surgery = major life changes. I will have more time this coming Monday to fill in the blanks.