Today is my final day of at-home recovery. This isn't the end of recovery, as I should enter cardiac rehab later this month, once I sign up for BFJV's health insurance. It's a special exercise program that will allow me to find my limits in a safe environment ( Read more... )

Starting on 1/2, I'll be back on the job with one provision-I can't do any heavy carrying or lifting. I've waited for this for *weeks*!

This week is a rare instance when the Feds shut their doors for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. Elizabeth & I arranged with a coworker & friend of mine, Liz Suckow, to check out the lights at Union Station. Well, due to one thing & another about parking lot shenanigans on Metro, Elizabeth & I took about twenty minutes more than we intended, & got to ( Read more... )

Now that I've been taking the right amount of iron pills every day, the anemia has gone down, but I'm not sure it's left. On the bright side, it's a temporary condition, so perhaps it will go soon. My body will manufacture more blood cells, & I'll be back on the recovery highway again ( Read more... )

Anemia does strange stuff to you. You take on fluids like crazy, especially in your legs, so you have edema, & your BP goes up. Nobody warned me about this, so I called Dr. Hausner this morning to ask for advice. She suggested bedrest with my feet propped up, which explains why you haven't seen much of me today. About an hour ago, Dr. H. called me ( Read more... )

Well, as I half expected, the checkup with Dr. Hausner revealed some things which hadn't been explored or explicated on Monday. The wound where the drain used to be still hasn't closed, & that alone was enough for her to revoke my return to work. Also, not all of the fluid got out. Some of it escaped into my lungs. It looks like New Year's Eve of ( Read more... )

Earlier today, Dr. Siegenthaler removed the dressings over my wounds & the drainage tube. As you might expect, I was worried about how he'd relieve the pain. Turns out that it took mere moments to pull the dressings (Ow!) & the tube (Yikes! OW!), clean the sites off, & apply a gauze patch to the former site of the tube. Thanks to Elizabeth, I was ( Read more... )

I want to thank everyuone for their kind thoughts over the last day or so. Yesterday's pericardial tap started out as a typical procedure. The anethesiologist heavily sedated me & given me local anesthesia for where he assumed my pain nerves for the area around my heart were located. But, as we all know, my heart is unlike those of others, & so its ( Read more... )

Elizabeth & I will show up at Suburban later this morning, & the operation could go into the afternoon. This operation shouldn't be as traumatic or as complex as the last one. In fact, the description of pericardiocentesis is pretty straightforward. My guess is that Dr. S. wants to have me on general anesthetic because chest pressure that might be ( Read more... )

I misspoke when I said Dr. Siegenthaler would just give me a local & everything would be simple. He'll be putting me under, & I may spend Thursday night at the hospital, depending on how well things go ( Read more... )