Finally…An Update!

The Author approximately 24 hours after surgery.

Sorry it has taken so long to post an update. The remote updating function I had come to rely upon was not functioning properly so I could not post while in Hospital as I had planned.

Nevertheless, here I am to give you a week’s (plus) worth of scoop on my surgery.

• Let me start by saying that the staff of NYH – Columbia Presbyterian is first rate.
• I walked into operation theatre at about 8:30 AM on Thursday the 15th and I finally regained consciousness at 1:00 AM on Friday
• Unfortunately, my blood pressure was too low to remove the intubation and I had to wait an awful four and a half hours before it eventually was.
• I ended up spending two days in the ICU instead of the typical one. The reason escapes me right now because it was there I came off all the anesthesia, learned how much it hurts to have your sternum split and was introduced to pain medication.
• Regardless, I looked better than a person who had just received open-heart surgery had any right to look. My performance on the Incentive Spirometer was through the roof.
• When I finally was moved to a stand down room, it turned out that I was Anemic and nearly required a transfusion. Luckily, my Hemoglobin and Hemacrit increased independently and was able to have my chest tube removed.
• I was also a superstar with the Physical Therapy. Superstar is perhaps a mite self-aggrandizing since I was likely 30 years younger than the average patient (Including me!)
• While I was doing well, small setbacks (like a low-grade fever) kept me from being discharged.
• But they sprung me on Thursday night at about 7:30 and I was glad to be home.

I would like to thank the staff of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital who was there 24 hours a day watching over me and all the other patients. I would also like to thank my Parents, my family and my friends who either visited or sent me their best wishes or prayers.