"Cracked open…"

Monday morning I spent an hour with my cardiologist, after he read my Echo cardiogram. Knowing that I have a poorly functional aortic valve is one thing; having that translated into knowledge that then condition has grown more critical, so that surgery is being fast-tracked, is a totally different experience.

I still retain my anticipation for having this procedure done, but it isn’t quite as enthusiastic as previously. Now it is quite real, graphically so, and there is a rough timeline, and a sense of urgency around it. The experience knocked me for a bit of a loop: this is a life-threatening condition, and the surgery, while routine, still carried risks.

In short order, over the next few weeks, I must have a neurological exam – presumably to ensure that the stroke site is truly resolved. Then I will have an angiogram – doesn’t that deal with the state of the arteries around the heart, in this case? Then a surgeon will be introduced, another exam will ensue, and a date will be set. When? Who knows…before summer, I hope.

Dr. Hui is a straight-shooting, very open person. I got the whole picture, including a brief, but graphic, description of the surgery. The part that shook me most was the description of the entry. “They crack open our sternum, and clamp it open so they can repair the valve and anything else that may present itself.”

Dr. Hui was clear that the healing of the sternum was the longest part of the recovery in this type of surgery. It is wired together, and takes over six weeks to be secure. The point being that too much exercise before this time can compromise the integrity of the bone. The soft tissue will heal faster, but the patient’s recovery is predicated on bone healing.

I don’t remember too much more of the visit. I have been digesting the impact of the surgery and the lengthy recuperation all week. This information gives “recovery” a whole new meaning. Not only is my brain damaged, but also my heart is broken as well, at least physically. So I continue to digest this news, for now.