Gobble Wobble

What's a "Gobble Wobble" run without pilgrims?

Getting ready for the start of the race.

Staying warm in the car while others are out running.

4.2 Miles non stop, all the way to the finish.

How many people are fortunate enough to have their picture taken with a Gazelle on Thanksgiving Day?

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is a day to give thanks, and I could go on forever about all the things I am thankful for, but since I know a turkey is in the oven and I don't have a whole lot of time, I'm forced to limit my list.

First off, I need to give thanks for my wife Dawn, and all she has tolerated this past year. From holding my tray in the hospital when I was puking so I didn't make a mess of the lovely gown they provided me with, making sure I eat all the right things and continue to improve my health, to making sure that I'm happy. Thanks Dawn.

I give thanks to my daughters Brittney and Brianna for being there to make me smile and a proud father with all they've accomplished and continue to accomplish. The happiness that they have brought into my life is immeasurable. I give thanks for my son-in-law Curt, as he is on the other side of the world in Australia playing his music and spreading the good news about Jesus to those on the other side of the world. I'm so proud of how he is using his gifts that he has been blessed with.

While I am thankful of family, friends and a good job, this year I have to give thanks for all those that have helped me as my health returns. Dr. Willekes, Dr. Foster and the entire Cardiac Rehab staff from Spectrum Hospital at the Blodgett campus. Fortunately there was a fun run this morning in East Grand Rapids where I could run with others and see how far I've come. So I ran in the first ever "Gobble Wobble", 4.2 miles around Reed's Lake. I made it the entire way, and my girls were there waiting for me at the finish line 41 minutes and 25 seconds or so after I started. I started out well running the first mile in 8:44, but I slowed down after that (it must have been the hills)with the last mile (from the 3 mile mark to the 4 mile mark) taking me 10:14. But those of you familiar with Reed's Lake, you know how hilly it is, I'm not trying to make up excuses but... None the less, I did the run, something I couldn't have accomplished these past two years had it not been for a lot of help and encouragement from more people than I can imagine. So thanks to all those who encouraged me and those who pushed me to get back into shape.

And most importantly, I have to give thanks to my God. Without him, none of this would have been possible, He has blessed me more than I deserve. He has answered my prayers and surrounded me with family and friends who helped make this all possible. I can't think of anyone who should be blessed the way I have been. It is humbling knowing that he is looking out for me and wants what is best for me, even though I have failed so many times along the way, but He still loves me and watches over me despite it all.

I hope your Thanksgiving is a joyous day, and you take the time to count your blessings.

Working Weekends

This business of working during the week and trying to get things done around the house is taking a toll on me. We had an especially busy weekend. Curt came up with the band (No Greater Sky), they had a show in town so we went and watched them Friday night. Nic and Clark left Saturday morning about 1 or so, while Curt stayed behind and slept in and left late Saturday afternoon to Ithaca. He did come bearing gifts for us. Brittney made a purse for Dawn, and I received some tee shirts for running with some custom designs on them.

We also had the pleasure of Brianna staying with us for the weekend since Hope was closed for the noro-like virus, she went back tonight (Tuesday). Sunday I spent the afternoon sucking up the leaves with the lawnmower and digging up canna bulbs in the rain snow mixture. While my chores getting ready for winter are closer to being done, I look forward to being able to relax on the weekend, after all, isn't that what they are meant for. One more session of cardiac rehab down at Blodgett, and then I have to push myself and get the exercise without them monitoring me.

That's all for now, I mainly just wanted to post the pictures of my new tee shirts.

Good morning. A champion is someone who wins a lot. A champion is someone who realizes that the reality of defeat, humiliation, and pain exists but refuses to be held back by fear. A champion is someone who is resilient, someone who has been knocked down in life, and possibly by life, but gets back up again..... After Fred Astaire's first screen test in 1933, a memo from a MGM testing director said, “Can't act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.” Its reported that the legendary Fred Astaire kept that memo over the fireplace in his Beverly Hills home. Stay focused... God is on your side!
God is Love

Rev Run

Saturday Surprise

This week was a busy one as I went back to work, but it ended on a very high note thanks to Brianna. Brianna's friend and one of her roommates Kim from Hope, had the chance to get a couple of tickets to the Michigan vs. Toledo game, she thought of Brianna and myself and asked Brianna if she wanted them. Obviously by the picture you can see that Brianna did get the tickets, so on Thursday she told me not to plan on doing anything on Saturday because she had plans for the two of us. So Friday night she informed me that we were going to the Michigan game. The weather was fabulous and the seats were on the side near the end zone that saw most of the action. In keeping with the theme of surprises, the Toledo Rockets provided a surprise of their own as they defeated Michigan 13 to 10 this afternoon. Despite that minor detail, it was great to spend the day with my baby. Thanks Brianna!

In regards to my health, it continues to improve each day, but I was presented with a new set of challenges this week as I went back to work. I didn't realize the changes I would need to make, who ever thought that waking up to an alarm clock each day would get to be so tough, and I need to be better disciplined at going to bed so I get enough sleep instead of waiting until I want to go to bed. I'm learning that I need to get things ready the night before if I plan on getting to my rehab at 7 in the morning like I'm supposed to be. I was able to jog 2 miles on the treadmill at rehab without stopping. When I went outside to run, I was not as successful, but I was able to jog a bit and then walk, I did this for about an hour. Unfortunately I'm afraid the weather isn't going to be so kind to me in the coming weeks and months, so when I get the chance to run outside now I want to take advantage of it, and it feels so good to be able to jog once again.

I did make it the entire week at work, I must admit towards the end of the week I was getting a little tired, but as I learn what I need to do be better disciplined in regards to my sleep habits, things will be better.

That's all for now folks. I hope the surprises in your life are enjoyable and make you happy.

Back to Work

Well it's Monday, October 6 and I went back to Meijer to work today. After a rough start to the morning, the rest of the day went very well. I'll need to get things ready the night before to help me out in the morning until I get use to things once again. Having to be at cardiac rehab at 7 is a little rough, making my lunch, coffee, getting dressed for the workout, getting my clothes ready for the workday and having my stuff for the shower and afterwards was just too much for me to handle in the morning when I'm use to moving at my own pace in the mornings. Once I got to work, it was a matter of remembering my different passwords to the various programs, and changing those that expired. They were more than kind to me at work, allowing me to ease into the workload and not dumping a lot on me right away, I really appreciated that. A few notes and hugs from those I haven't seen in a while and I was glad to be back. I did make it the entire day, and wasn't too tired when I got home. Dawn had dinner ready on the stove when I walked in the door, and I realize how good I actually have it.
Last weekend the entire family was home! Brittney and Curt were up Friday morning, I think it was one or two in the morning, and they stayed until Sunday night. Brianna came after her last class on Friday, and stayed until Saturday afternoon. It was good to have them home, but I don't see how they can stay up until the wee hours of the morning. Brianna went to bed around 3:30, Curt was 5 or 5:30, and Brittney never went to bed Friday night. Oh to be young and have that kind of energy.
This past weekend, Dawn tested my endurance as we went to the Outlet Mall in Birch Run on Friday, and then Frankenmuth on Saturday. I must admit, trying to keep up with Dawn as she shopped was a mistake, but it was a fun weekend none the less. Then on Sunday, Brianna surprised us by coming home for the afternoon.
So things are returning to normal for me, but having some time off, I'm not sure if I should become a teacher and get the summers off, or retire so I can enjoy my free time. I do know I did enjoy the break I had and didn't get bored or hooked on any soap operas, but I do know that I don't want to go through the surgery again just to get some time off.
Thanks for listening.

Week Six Update!!!

Back from an attempt at jogging, sweaty but glad I did it.

Today it has been six weeks since I had my surgery, and what a day it has been. I went to my last doctor visit for a while I hope. Today it was Dr. Kirk Agerson, he's my general practitioner doctor, and the one I went to see because my legs were swollen and he told me I had a heart issue, that was about two years and four months ago. Somehow my records were sent with another patient's information, they showed I was admitted to the hospital through the emergency room, the records state that I am an 87 year old that passed out while mowing the grass and needed to be resuscitated. So my doctor was a little confused, wondering if they just typed my age incorrectly. After getting the correct information on me, he gave me a quick check up, and was impressed. He can no longer hear my murmur, and was able to tell from the information the cardiac rehab sent along that I'm pushing myself at rehab. Apparently with the meds I'm on, I shouldn't be able to increase my heart rate like I am at rehab unless I'm pushing it. At least someone is noticing my hard work!

After my doctor's visit I went to my parent's house and cut their grass for them. When I got home, I felt the need to do something special since it has been six weeks since the surgery. So I decided to try to jog a little bit. So six weeks give or take an hour from when they completed my surgery I headed out for a jog. It took a little while to get my breathing so it was comfortable, I thought it would be natural, but it felt a little weird. Anyway, I was able to make it about 3/4 of a mile until I hit a stop light, but boy did that rest feel great, and the light did not stay green long enough and I needed to get going again. I decided that I shouldn't push it too much because it was so hot outside (that's my excuse) so I would jog until I started getting tired, then I walked until I caught my breath, and jog again. I went about 2 1/2 miles. While my incision was uncomfortable when I ran, it didn't hurt enough for me to stop. It just felt so good to be able to jog again, now I'll have to see what they decide to do with me in rehab.

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

This verse has taken on a new meaning for me now!

Week 5 Update - late :(

My friend Kathy reminded me that I haven't posted anything recently, sorry Kathy.

Let's see, what's happened recently. I did see Dr. Willekes, and he decided that my infection was bad enough that I needed to go on an antibiotic (Augmentin). So while the horse pills did reduce the lump in my chest, it also caused me to get diarrhea. So between that and the jalapeño peppers I've been eating from my garden, I guess I could say those pills are a real pain in the butt. Those pills are gone, but the lump is not completely gone, so I'll stop and see Dr. Willekes on Tuesday to see if he thinks it is cleared up enough or if more treatment is needed. Speaking of Dr. Willekes, Chuck being the nice guy that he is, said I really didn't need to come and see him anymore unless I just wanted to stop by and visit, so I asked him if we could do lunch sometime, and he said only if I was buying.

He did agree that I could go off the blood thinner (Coumadin), so I dropped that drug, so I'm no longer a bleeder :) I'm down to Baby Aspirinn three times a week, he did double my beta blocker (Toprol) to 50 mg a day and I'm taking my cholesterol reducer (Simvastatin). So not bad I guess, a lot of the others I run into are taking more drugs than I am.

I've been to my Cardiac Rehab three times already, it does feel good to work out and sweat once again, and they've been pushing me pretty hard. With all the old timers in the gym, I look like a real stud compared to them, I don't even need a cane when walking over to the treadmill. Along with my Rehab, they had me attend "Risky Business Seminar / Heart Healthy Living". While the largest chunk of time was spent on nutrition, they also covered stress management, exercise, risk factors and pharmacy / medication. Needless to say, I do need to change some of my eating habits, I'm not sure I'll like that. But on a positive note, a small glass of red wine a day is good for you.

So hopefully that updates you a bit, in less than two weeks I'll be wandering the halls of the Meijer office buildings once again. I've a lot to get done these next couple of weeks, people that want to join me for breakfast or lunch, a couple of things on Dawn's list still are not done, my Mom and Dad always have a small project they want done. I'd better get busy instead of surfing the internet and looking for deals on craigslist.

Enjoy life, and take care of yourselves.
John

Four Week Update

I should have posted this on Thursday, but I wanted to wait until I had a little more information,
It has been a busy week, Monday I went to a lab to give some blood to be tested, Wednesday I went down to Blodgett to get the information I needed for my cardiac rehab, Thursday I went to Dr. Foster's office to have a an echocardiography done, and then on Friday I met with Dr. Foster to discuss the results of my blood tests and the echocardiography. So it was a busy week with medical stuff.

While it would be nice if they told me that things are perfect, truth is that they are much better, but not perfect. I still have some regurgitation, but it is no longer classified as severe, but mild to moderate. Instead of leaking at multiple points, I now have one jet (one point) that is leaking. I meet with Dr. Willekes next week, I'll have to see what he says about the severity of the regurgitation. Speaking of things not being perfect, the blood work showed that my cholesterol is a little high, where it is ideal to have it under 200, mine was 208, and according to American Heart Association, 200 - 239 is Borderline - High Risk. My HDL (good) cholesterol isn't too bad, it was 47, and the average for men is 40 to 50, with the higher the number the better. My LDL (bad) cholesterol is 139, under 100 is Optimal, then it goes to 100 - 129 Near Optimal/ Above Optimal, 130 - 159 is Borderline High, 160 - 189 is High and over 190 is Very High. My Triglyceride Level is 111, and under 150 is Normal. On Monday I go back to Blodgett as part of my cardiac rehab to learn what I should be eating in order to benefit my heart. This is an all day class, from 9 until 3. So between being educated on my eating habits, and the prescription from Dr. Foster, my cholesterol levels should return to the levels they need to be at.

After I meet with Dr. Willekes on Tuesday, if I get his okay, they want me to start my rehab on Wednesday, with the goal of me being able to return to running races if I so desire to do so. They took me down to the facility so I could see the equipment I will be using, and while I did notice the treadmills, stationary bikes and a few other things, the one thing that I really noticed, is that no one in the room was near my age. I think I'll need to dye my hair grey so I fit in with the cardiac rehab crowd.

I'll see what Dr. Willekes says about my infection as the one incision continues to ooze a bit. They want me to leave it exposed as much as possible, so if I don't have a nice shirt on, I do so that it dries out. Unfortunately just when I think it is healing, I some how manage to open the wound. Poor Dawn has had to wash our sheets more than she should because I've managed to get gunk on them. I think I'll just cover it up with gauze every night in an attempt to keep the sheets a little cleaner.

Four weeks after my surgery, I am doing much better. I can shower and wash my incisions without Dawn's help, I'm sure she's glad for that. I feel that I'm getting plenty of exercise, but they tell me that I need to set aside some time each day for exercise, and walking Buddy doesn't count. Dawn took me out for a walk this week, and I was able to keep up with her brisk pace and still manage to hold a conversation with her while we were walking, so that was encouraging. I joined my lunch group from Meijer for lunch on Tuesday, and went to the office afterwards to say "Hi" to a few people, and I ended up being there for almost three hours. It was good to see everyone, but i didn't get my afternoon nap because I stayed there too long. It won't be long until I get back there working, and to be honest, I'm actually looking forward to being there.

To those that are wondering, my garden is doing just fine, if anyone wants some tomatoes, let me know, we've got plenty. And no, I have not started watching any soap operas yet, and I don't plan on doing so. If the weather cooperates, I may try riding my unicycle and see if I can't figure that out before I go back to work. Right now, the date that they set for my return to work is October 4 which is a Saturday, go figure. Dawn has Friday and Monday off from work the weekend I'm scheduled to return, so I may take Monday October 6 off and start up on Tuesday instead, we'll have to wait and see.

Quick Update

After Dr. Willekes looked at my incision, he was not concerned with the infection, he termed it as a superficial infection and felt that a suture was the cause if it. All I'll need to do is drain it as needed and keep is clean. Where it is located, the chance of the infection spreading in minimal since the muscles in the chest provide a barrier that will keep it from going any further. Good thing I'm so buff.

He was happy the way the swelling has gone done and feels things are looking good. One thing he did mention that threw me for a little loop was a comment of his saying he felt I was still anemic, and might still be down a couple of pints of blood which may be why my pulse rate is still elevated. I know they only gave me blood components such as plasma and platelets, but I didn't get any whole blood transfusions, but it makes me wonder how much blood I lost during the surgery.

Another thing of interest was my itemized bill from the hospital. Do you realize they charge just as much for a vicadin tablet as they do for a baby aspirin?

Three Weeks After Surgery

We'll it's been three weeks since my surgery, and the day isn't shaping up like I planned. Part of one of my incisions is looking slightly infected, so I called the surgeons office yesterday to report it like I'm suppose to, and they wanted me to come in and have one of Dr. Willekes' associates look at it. No problem I can head there after lunch and have him look at it. Then late afternoon yesterday I got a call from Dr. Willekes' office and they asked if I could come in at 3:30 because Dr. Willekes will be back into the office and he'd like to see me. Dawn is wondering why he wants to see me, I think it is just because I'm his prized patient, I think she just worries too much about me and is looking into it more than she should. But as it turns out, the later appointment is better than the earlier one because Dawn will be home from work and can go with me to the appointment if she wants. Besides, Dawn's car didn't start this morning, so she took the van into work, and I'm waiting for the tow truck to show up. Therefore I wouldn't have a vehicle to go to the earlier appointment, so things are working out after all. But since I don't have a vehicle, that means I can't go out to the garden today, but as luck would have it, it is raining out and I don't need to go out to the garden to water it.

I did have to walk Buddy in the rain this morning, he didn't mind, and with an umbrella I didn't get too wet, just my feet. I was hoping to go out for a brisk walk by myself today to see how I feel pushing it a bit, but I'll have to wait and see if the weather cooperates.

If it weren't for some minor discomfort in my right side chest, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm scheduled to go to a cardiac rehab session next week, that should give me an indicator as to how I'm doing and how much I should push it. Seeing Dr. Willekes this afternoon will be a good thing, just so he can see how I'm doing and perhaps he'll give me some things that I should be doing that I may not be doing.

If I get any news worthy information from Dr. Willekes, I'll make sure that I share that, otherwise that's all for now, I hope all is well with everyone out there in cyberspace.

Labor Day Weekend

What a beautiful weekend! Here's a shot of the garden being watered, I didn't dare get a shot too close of the garden because of all the weeds that are growing, hopefully I can get out there and get it cleaned up a bit so I can take some close up pictures of the different plants. Even though I'm starting to get tomatoes and peppers, they came a little late this year, but I was a little late in getting my garden planted. Perhaps God knew I should get it planted late, if I had it planted when I should have, things would have been ripening when I was in the hospital and the Cramer's would have been busier than they already were taking care of my side of the garden.

On Saturday Dawn took me out to Holland to take advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoy at least one more day on the beach before fall arrives. While it was hot out there and the water was somewhat warm, I behaved myself and didn't go into the water further than up to my knees. It felt good to get out of the house, I couldn't help but wonder how many people were staring at my scars and bruising. Hopefully I didn't scare too many little kids, at least I don't look as bad as I did a week earlier.

Here's the main reason we headed out to Holland. Brianna moved in to Hope College while I was in the Meijer Heart Center, so I didn't see her dorm room yet. She was out at the beach on Saturday with her friends, for some reason they made sure they were far enough away from us. After we were at the beach for the afternoon, we went back and saw her room, it wasn't too messy yet, but then again she's only been in there a couple of weeks. We went to Fricano's Too with a couple of her friends for pizza before heading for home.

So I'm getting better each day, the incisions are healing up nicely and I can lift my right arm all the way over my head finally. The right side of my chest still feels a little weird, while it doesn't hurt, it seems to be getting more sensitive than it was before. If I try to jog a few steps while walking Buddy it hurts if I let my chest bounce at all, so hopefully that gets better soon so I can see if I can resume running before winter gets here. People have asked me if I feel better than I did before the surgery, at this point I can't say I do. The test will be how I feel if I can start jogging again, or if I go for a walk with Dawn and let her walk at her pace and see if I get tired.

That's all for now, I look forward to seeing you all in the near future.

Cord Replacement

Someone mentioned to me they really didn't understand about the cord from my valve being replaced, so I'll attempt to explain it a bit. The cords are attached from the mitral valve to the lining of the heart, they work similar to the spring on a screen door, they allow the valve to swing into the lower chamber (Left Ventricle), but stops it from swinging into the upper chamber (Left Atrium). Because my Mitral Valve was prolapsed so severly, my Mitral Valve did swing partially into the upper chamber of my heart, this caused the cords to get stretched out to the point that it was no longer preventing the valve from swinging into the upper chamber. So Dr. Willekes made the decision to cut a cord and replace it with gortex so that the valve would stop at the proper point and hopefully prevent problems down the road.

What day is it?

Not going to work each day causes one day to be similar to the next, I hope I remember to put the trash out on trash day.
I didn't make it to the garden yesterday, Brianna called and her Mac computer died, so she needed to go to the Apple store and they gave her a new one. Since she was coming in, we ate dinner together, BLTs with the tomatoes coming from the garden, so that has to count for something. Given the choice of spending time in the garden or with my kids, the kids are going to win out every time. We are going to make an attempt to go out there again after Dawn gets out of work.
Dawn did allow me to drive to the lab today to get my blood drawn for testing, I drove a whole 2.9 miles round trip all by myself. Things are quiet around the house today, the neighbor kids aren't even chasing each other around, perhaps I'll each lunch and take a nap, doesn't that sound like a good idea?

Home Alone

First off I want to comment on things said regarding yesterday's picture. Those are bruises on my neck, not hickeys. And so what if I was sucking my gut in a little for the photo. On a related note, I do weigh 6 pounds lighter now than I did when I went in for the surgery, and I'm not real sure why.

Dawn went back to work today and left me on my own. I'm glad that they trust me being home by myself, Dawn called once to check on me and Brianna called a couple of times as well. Is today what I can expect to be a normal day for me? Wake up, enjoy a cup of coffee, make the bed, get dressed and take Buddy out for a walk, make me some breakfast (today's menu featured a three egg ham and cheese omelet, a side of Maple and Brown Sugar Cream of Wheat and a glass of orange juice), shave and shower. I haven't figured out what to do with the rest of my day yet, though I did finish reading "Saving Private Ryan" this morning. Dawn says I can't drive or ride my bike yet, once I get those liberties granted to me, I'm sure I'll head to the garden for some physical therapy and relaxation. She did promise that she'll take me to the garden this afternoon once she gets home from work. Not much else to report on, I still can't lift my right arm very high, and it hurts when I do. There are things I'd like to try to do, but I think I'd better wait until I'm healed a bit more and my strength is close to where it use to be.

Make it a good day, and I'll talk to you all later...

Photo Update *Warning*

I thought I'd throw a picture out there so you can sympathize with what Dawn gets to look at. As you can see, 11 days after surgery and the incisions are healing up pretty well. The bruising is actually getting a touch better, but it still looks a little nasty. The largest incision is the one by my nipple, it measures 3 1/2 inches in length. Modern medicine, isn't it wonderful.

On a more pleasant note, Dawn took me out on a walk today and we went about 2 1/2 miles. I was a little tired, but it felt so good to get out today it was so nice, not too hot and not too cool.

Hope all is well with everyone out there.

Monday Morning Update

I just thought I'd send out a quick update so people can tell how well I'm actually doing.

Dawn has taken me out to the garden a couple of times now, the first visit wasn't nearly as long as the second visit was, but it was very therapeutic. The second time we went out there, I set up my camp stool (wooden frame w/canvas seat type) to pick some peas. Things were going along just fine until one of the legs from the stool sunk into the dirt forcing it to spread further than it is designed to. Needless to say the canvas ripped and I ended up with my rear end on the ground. We ended up picking more jalapeno and banana peppers, better boy, roma and cherry tomatoes, beans and peas from our garden. I went over to Cramer's garden, and his "Italian Ice" tomatoes are getting ripe already, so I did swipe a couple of those. Once I'm getting around by myself and my "Italian Ice" tomatoes are ripe, if you know I'm going to be seeing you and you like cherry tomatoes, ask me to bring some along. These are about the size of a ping pong ball, yellowish white in color, and sweeter than your average tomato. I ordered these specifically from Burpee and grew them from seed, so they are my prize possession out of the garden this year. Next time I'm out there I may take a few pictures, but right now there are too many weeds for me to be proud of my garden.

Dawn brought me out on Thursay to join her Mom and brother Dave for lunch.

Other accomplishments include Dawn taking me to see the movie "Swing Vote" Friday night.

I've taken Buddy (my dog) on three walks all by myself now (Dawn does make me take the phone along just in case), the longest one being almost a mile long.

Went to an open house in honor of my neighbor Jean's 80th birthday on Saturday. It was perhaps a mile from our house, so Dawn let me drive home from there. I did hear about if when I turned left on a side street but failed to use my turn signal.

Sunday was a busy day, perhaps too busy, I'll have to wait to see how I feel today to be sure. I walked Buddy both in the morning and again in the evening. Went to church Sunday morning and walked up a couple of flights of stairs to the studio there instead of taking the elevator. We went to Dawn's Mom's house after church and I'm glad we did. Our nephew Ryan is heading to Toronto with his girlfriend Olga, so they stopped by before they headed east. Then we went to the garden and later on I walked up to the neighborhood grocery store to pick up a couple of things so we could have garlic, spinach pizza for supper. We like it, but because I'm not suppose to have too much of foods high in vitamin K because of one of the pills I'm on, Dawn had to skimp on the spinach on half the pizza. Then I took Buddy for a longer walk last evening (close to a mile) since the weather was a little cooler (I'm not suppose to be out walking if it is over 80). All these screwy rules they expect me to remember.

My weight has maintained or dropped each day (yes I have to keep a log of that as well).

I've had a couple of nurses visit me to draw some blood and check my incisions, but I don't think they are going to come back after Saturday's visit. Somehow they had my information screwed up with someone else, and they thought I was home bound, but that fiasco is a blog by itself.



Medically I'm on three pills a day is all. Coumadin which is a blood thinner, Toprol is a beta blocker for chest pain and high blood pressure and 81mg Asprin as a preventive measure. I can take Motrin and Tylenol for pain, but it has been tolerable. I think I've taken 3 Tylenol since I came home last week Wednesday.

I think my chest drainage hole has finally stopped oozing and it is now openly exposed. The rest of my incisions are healing up nicely. I have limited mobility in my right arm, it hurts to extend it over my head, I force it occasionally just because I like pain. Things on my right breast area are taking a while to heal, I tried to jog a couple of steps just to see how it felt, and it didn't feel good at all, as a matter of fact it hurt. So I know there is healing that needs to take place there yet. I'm kind of curious how torn up I am under the skin I am on my right side. I do the breathing thing fairly consistently, I'm suppose to do it every hour, but I don't think I'm that consistent with it.

I'm still not sleeping through the night yet, but now when I get up I'm able to go back a sleep without much trouble. One other thing I've noticed is that I'm starting to get stubbly growth back on my legs, chest, stomach and every where else Clifford shaved me, and it itches...



So that's where I am today, I can't tell if I have more energy yet or not because I have yet to experience what use to be a normal day for me. I definitely feel better than I did last week, and expect to feel even better next week.

Pictures *Viewer Discretion is Advised*

Posted by Brittney

Dad got home before 2 this afternoon; he called from home to let me know they got there safely. From reading his last couple posts, I know he was more than ready to get out of there. And I have a feeling the nurses were begging Dr. Willekes to release him already.

Now that he is home safely and doing much better, I thought it was time to post some pictures to give you the graphic truth of what we have all been looking at.

Let me remind you what he looked like just before going in:

That was 5:30 AM. This was him at 6:15 PM, three hours after his surgery was over.

Scary huh? That's what took so long for him to wake up, they had to wait until they could safely get the breathing tube (the big thick one) out of him.

This next one was taken Sunday night.

See the bluish line on his chest peaking out of his gown? The nurses drew that to mark his swelling. His face was all the way out there!

Finally, these are taken on Tuesday, looking much better.

Here's a shot of his battle wounds. Under his nipple, it looks like a wrinkle, but that's actually the incision. The major white tape under that is where his drainage tube was hooked in. The other smaller tape above it are other incisions I think. The one on his neck was a cath attempt. Notice the nasty bruising under his chin. It's also like that around the side. His chest is bruised too, and you can see where they had to relocate an electrode thing (the circle under the top left one). I think he accidentally ripped it off doing something (trying to escape?)

His arms are all sticky from the tape and the IVs, they gave him little swaps to wipe it off, but it was a lot of work. We think he should just shave his arms and get it all over with in one easy step. I don't think he'll go for that.

Now that he's home he'll have to get a picture of him happily roaming the house. He figured the blogging out without much assistance, we'll see about pictures.

Finally Home

I finally made it home about 1:30 this afternoon. Once home I walked to the mailbox to get the mail, helped Dawn bring a few things in and then called my girls to let them know I was home. Buddy I think was a little mad at me for being gone so long, he wanted to go out so I got down on my knees and put his rope on and let him go out into the backyard. Our neighbor Jill saw me and waved so I went and talked to her for a little bit. After letting Buddy in, I laid down on the couch for a while, but another neighbor has Stanley Steamer over cleaning the carpets and they were making too much noise so I went and laid in my bed and quickly fell asleep. Lord it is good to be home.
Other than being a little sore from the incisions and being a little tired, I have a hard time believing that I had open heart surgery less than a week ago. Dr. Willekes stopped by to see me before we left, Dawn was wondering and asked him if he determined what caused it, he called Barlow's syndrome. I looked it up and it didn't answer much for me.
I guess it is time for Buddy's walk, so I am going to join them and see how I do.
Lord, it is good to be home.

The Green, Green Grass of Home

I just met with the nurse from the surgeon's office, and she gave me the best news I've had in over a year. They are going to let me go home this afternoon!!!!!!! Despite the amount of drainage, they feel I'm healthy and young enough where my body should handle it okay. I can't wait to get home, plot how I can disappear from Dawn long enough to possibly get up to the garden just to see life once again.
While the entire staff has been great here at the Meijer Heart Clinic, and I'll miss them some, I'd be happy if I never have to see them here on the seventh floor again.
I'll send more at home, but I want the nurse know that they can have somebody come and rip this tube out of my chest, and I want to start packing up my belongings so as soon as possible I can smell the outside air once again!!!

Will Wednesday be the day I get to go Home?

I'm convinced that they are trying to mentally break me. During the wee hours of the morning, I got up to well wee, the clock said it was 5:00. I decided that it was not time to get up yet so I laid back down. After a while, someone walked in, since I heard them I laid still and was thinking about jumping up and scaring them when they got closer, but they didn't come closer. What are they doing? Standing there watching me breathe? Finally she said Mr. Wilson, I'm hear to draw some blood. Well, she is armed with a needle, so scaring her is out of the question so I opened my eyes. The clock showed 5:15. Wait a second, I know I slept longer than 15 minutes this last time. What are they doing to me? After she took some blood from me (it is taking them longer to find a vein to use, I've got to be close to being tapped out) another gal stopped by to weigh me, so I said sure and walked out to the hall with my briefcase of chest drainage, I don't think she expected me to go out there and when she turned around and saw me if gave her a little start. At least I scared someone today.
I'm weighing about a pound more than I was when I came in almost a week ago, but about 17 pounds less than when I came up from surgery. I walked over a mile yesterday in the halls of the seventh floor. So I'm feeling pretty good that I should go home today. When Paula came in to check on me I asked her how my chest drainage was, she said she got over a 100 units from me last night, so it wouldn't surprise her if they decided to keep me another night. Not what I want to hear, but it's not her call. She put a new iv catheter in this morning, she said that if she puts in a new one, that it will be good luck for me to be released. Since she put it that way, I let her try to find a place to put it. After she found a place on the hairy side of my left arm to put it, she taped it down good so I can remember her when I go to remove it later.
I decided to shave and pull a chunk of tape off from the side of my neck, it's been bugging me for a while. After that, I took my drainage briefcase and went to the lounge area to get a cup of coffee, they looked at me a little funny as I passed the nurses station, but they didn't say anything. So as I sit here to kill time and wait for breakfast (usually doesn't get here until 9), I hope and pray that today is the day they'll let me go home!

Still in the Heart Hospital

Brittney brought me the computer so I'll shall attempt to update things. They decided that I need to stay another day before they remove the drainage tube from my chest and then discharge me. Dr. Willekes has been stopping by to see me daily and tolerating my off the wall comments. Today I asked him if he has learned anything from my surgery, and he explained to me that on Monday he is going to perform a similar surgery, but because of the problems with getting into my neck atery and went into my chest, so on Monday he is going to in on her chest instead of messing with the neck, he never had to do that before. So it is good to know that something he learned on me will benefit others in the future.
I have so many stories to tell regarding the food, how they conviently wake you during the night to check with you on important matters such as how you're sleeping and other things that keep you awake at night. I awoke one morning to Have Randy Oesch in my room wondering what I was doing there. It has been interesting, looking forward to the meals, I even get the Grand Rapids Press with dinner Monday through Friday. My Mom and Dad just got here so I'm going to close for now, but I'll post more later. I think I'm becoming a real Dr. House, as I walked by their rooms and try to determine out why they are here.
Later all, I can't wait to talk to you all reall soon.
John

Saturday morning update

Posted by Bri

I am at the hospital right now with Dad. He has been really tired and just wants to sleep all day. He is still very sore and it hurts him when he makes the smallest movements. He still has the chest tube in, which is pretty painful for him. His neck is still swollen, but not near as bad as before. He has been able to walk around a couple of times down the hall a little ways and back.

Mom says earlier this morning he asked the doctor if he really needed the surgery. I think he is starting to second guess if all this pain was worth it, because he wasn't in this much pain before the surgery. But the doctor reassured him that it was much needed, and they couldn't have waited much longer.

Right now Grandpa and Grandma Wilson are with my mom and I. Dad is sleeping and Grandpa keeps drifting off too. We are watching a weird movie on TV, but Grandma and Mom seem to be enjoying it. Grandma Miller is suppose to be here any minute as well.

Well that is it for now, they are taking Dad's IV out of his chest and are going to put it somewhere else that will be more comfortable for him. We will keep updating you!

Noon Update

Posted by Brittney

Just got off the phone with Dad again. He is very nauseated and can barely hold down even water. He is also quite tired and they gave him something more for his pain. He told me his "insides" hurt. :-( it sounds like his tongue is still swollen or something because he sounds a little drunk.
They did move him to a new room on the 7th floor. I don't know what visitation is like right now, but he's pretty much just lying around and barfing, so I'm not sure you want to be there. But just for reference, he is in room 7817. My grandparents and mom are there with him now. When I called Mom & Grandpa were out getting lunch.
When Bri gets done with work today I think she is heading over there. Hopefully she can update the blog then because I'm doing this from my darn iPhone. Either way, we'll keep you posted.

Friday Morning

Posted by Brittney

I just got a little update after landing in Cincinnati: At sometime in the night the new nurse (John) woke Dad up a little and was giving him simple commands, which he was able to follow. He still wasn't able to open his eyes because of the swelling, so they let him continue resting. Dad woke up around 6:30 this morning and thought it was 6:30 at night! My mom got to the hospital around 7, and he asked her what took so long for him to wake up. She had to remind him that he had heart surgery :-) That's about all I know right now, we will let you know when he moves to a different room.

Late Night Update

Posted by Brittney

One last update before I go to bed! We were finally able to see Dad at 6:15 tonight. We were given a short time to visit him, then could come back every hour. It was pretty shocking how swollen he is. The doctors said there was a lot of fluid, plus they had trouble getting a cath in his neck, so that added to the swelling. His whole face and neck were huge, but did go down a little by the time we left. They also sat him up more in bed to try and help the swelling go down. His one arm with the IVs in it was also pretty swollen, but his other hand and feet weren't bad at all. He still has the breathing tube in him, and will until he begins to come around and the doctors believe he can breathe on his own. The biggest concern is all the swelling, especially in his throat, tongue, even his lips, which may make it difficult to breath. They will try to keep him sedated until the swelling gets down enough. 

There was one nurse sitting in there for the evening, her shift just ended at 11 and a new nurse will come in to sit with him. After we saw him at 6:15, Brianna & I went home to walk the dogs. Boy were they happy to see us! Mom went in again at 7:15. We got back to the hospital in time to go see him again around 8:15. Visiting hours end around 9 and they encourage families to go home and get rest then because there is really nothing to do at that point. We said goodnight to Dad and left; we were the last ones there and the floor was pretty much shut down in the waiting area. 

Mom called the hospital again just now before going to bed and was able to talk with the same nurse who was in there earlier this evening. She said he had begun stirring a little and moving his arms. She tried to get him to open his eyes, but his face is still too swollen. They will make him get a good night's sleep and hopefully come morning the swelling will be down and they can get the breathing tube out. 

He's on a few different medicines via IV, has the breathing tube plus a stomach pump in his mouth, a catheter, and a drainage tube out of his chest. And some little grey lines we think are probably attached to the sticky things that keep his vitals (which were good). We can't wait to see him without all that stuff stuck in him! 

Why do they have to put gymnastics on so late tonight? I need sleep! Tomorrow is another early morning, I am flying to Pittsburgh to meet Curt for his uncle's wedding on Saturday and my flight leaves at 6:05 AM. I'm sure Mom will call the hospital again before we leave and I'll try to get a short update for you to wake up to. I'll be flying all morning, but Bri will try to update anything important and we will post if he has been relocated or anything. 

Good night or good morning, depending on when you get this! Hopefully Dad will be feeling good soon and can update this blog himself, I know you are all waiting to hear from him :-)

PS- Yes, we did take a picture of him, he wanted to see himself. We won't post it until we can get his consent, like I said, he looked pretty gross. You've been warned...

Out of Surgery

Posted by Brittney

We just spoke with Dr. Willekes, the surgeon. Dad is out of surgery and everything went well. They repaired the valve with the da Vinci machine, but Dr. Willekes decided to make a new cord (see picture below -is it too graphic? sorry) by sewing one right onto the heart. They use Gor-Tex stitches to build a new one. To do that Dr. Willekes had to go in by hand, which meant cutting a little more into the main incision, but only added an inch or so to it. 

He came off bypass fine, and the leak subsided once the heart got down to a slower pace. Now they are unhooking him from everything, and getting him situated in his room. We will have to wait a little bit to see him, but he will most likely still be sleeping. They guesstimate that it will be 4-5 hours before he comes off the anesthetic, at that point they will take his breathing tube out. I've seen that on Grey's Anatomy and ER, he will have to cough it up I bet - ouch! 

That's all for now, we will be able to see him in a little bit and he will probably look pretty nasty. Brendan from work wanted a picture, but we'll have to see how bad he looks, I don't want to scare anyone :-)

We have now been in the hospital for almost 11 hours. We've been eating Goldfish crackers, Yo-Go's, and Granola bars. We had lunch a little bit ago and then Grandma & Grandpa Wilson came. We are all just waiting to see him now and then the dogs need walked and fed. I want to sneak them into the hospital so they can see that Dad's alright, because I know they will be concerned. But I think they are too big and too noisy to get past the nice lady at the desk. 

That's all for now, we will update later tonight when he gets off anesthetic and everything. He will be in ICU for now, then we will let you know where he ends up tomorrow. 

Thanks for all your positive thoughts and prayers, now we just want a good recovery!

                                                                                   

1:00 Update

The nurse stopped by a little after 1 with news that they put the band around the valve and everything was going well. I'm not sure what exactly the band around the valve means, but it's part of the repair. She will be back again, probably after 3 with another update. Hopefully at that point they will be wrapping up. 

She's just here...

He is off the bypass machine, they are examining the valve. There is a little leak so another doctor is looking at it to determine whether they need to do something different or replace it somehow. But right now his heart is beating on it's own, they just want to make sure it's all done correctly.

She will be back again at 3 when her shift ends to tell us exactly what is up and what the doctors have decided.

11:00 Update

The nurse came back, like clockwork. She must have a timer set in there or something. They have started the surgery with the robot and everything is going well. She will be back in two more hours with another update. :-)

At the hospital + Update at the End

Posted by Brittney

Here are some photos from this morning. We arrived at the hospital very early (5:15 AM) and had to wait a couple minutes in the waiting room... 

After awhile they took us all back to a little room. Dad put on his gown and slipper socks and we all waited. A nurse named Cliff shaved Dad smooth while we waited outside the room. Then a nurse put a big IV in his hand and asked about 100 questions. She was very friendly. Another nurse, I think her name was Pam, came in to introduce herself. She will be in the operating room with Dad and be giving us updates every couple hours. Then Dr. Willekes came in and went over a few things. He assured Dad that he had a very good night's sleep last night, unlike the rest of us. After Dr. Willekes, the anesthesiologist came and introduced himself, Dr. Parekh but we may call him Shyam. He promised to take good care of Dad; he was very friendly as well. 

After Shyam talked to us about a few things we gave hugs & kisses and left Dad in their care. We went to get some breakfast, donuts from the cafeteria, and now we are hanging out in the waiting room in some comfy recliners with our laptops. There are a quite a few other people in the waiting room as well. 

In the meantime, the operating room might look something like this....

We should be getting an update shortly that they have started things, I will post again then when we do hear. 

Don't forget you can sign up to receive the email updates to the top & right of this page to get any updates delivered right to your inbox. 

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers, we all appreciate them! 

Oh, the nurse just came and gave us an update: They have some of the lines in him and still need to put more in. They had to put another IV in, plus a couple things in his neck (which I think will make it look like he got bit by a vampire) in addition to the holes for the robot arms. So he is sleeping, but the actual surgery hasn't started yet. (Wow, that takes a long time to put those lines in!)