PART 2 —- MY CARDIOLOGY EXPERIENCES

When I last updated this article in July 2015, I thought that everything was fine, and I could say that everyone lived happily ever after. But that was not the way it was meant to be.

When I saw Dr. Friedman in January 2016, my heart rate came in at 150. I wasn’t all that concerned since that was only one of two times during that month when my heart rate registered high. However, as the months went by, the number of incidents of high heart rates began to increase. By April 2016, my heart rate was over 100 at least half of the month.

And it was even worse in July 2016 when I saw Dr. Friedman. He suggested that I have another cardioversion. He wanted me to have it the following week. I actually managed to postpone it until October 6. Not that the time difference really changed anything. The cardioversion that I had on October 6 lasted all of 20 minutes. The heart rate lowering effect of the procedure disappeared quicker than the effects of the anesthesia. This made it obvious that there were some serious electrical problems with my heart.

They decided to try one more cardiac ablation. This was scheduled for Thursday, December 1, 2016. As far as I could tell things seemed to go well. However, when I woke up Dr. Bauer said that when he was doing the ablation he encountered some blockages. I said, “That’s too bad. But tell me how the ablation went.” Dr. Bauer said, “You’re not hearing what I’m saying. Because of the blockages, I was not able to do the ablation.” I asked what was the extent of the blocked arteries. Dr. Bauer said, “We don’t know yet. Tomorrow we will do a cardiac catheterization to know for sure.”

So on Friday afternoon Dr. Friedman, along with several nurses, performed a cardiac catheterization. Dr. Friedman is usually a very easy going person, but when he presented me with the results of the test he was quite serious. At least three arteries were heavily blocked, plus my mitral valve looked bad. He said, “You need to visit a cardiac surgeon — the sooner the better — to get some bypass surgery.” I asked, “Let’s say that I have this surgery. How much time will I be away from work?” Dr. Friedman said, “At least a month. More likely 6 to 8 weeks.” I said, “Then it’s not going to happen. I can’t be away from work for that length of time.” I’ll be checking out of the hospital by 9:00 tomorrow morning.”

As it actually happened I checked out of the hospital on Saturday at 11:45, after three cardiologists and a medical resident spent time in my room and tried to convince me to at least seriously consider open heart surgery. I ultimately agreed to meet with a cardiac surgeon, Dr. William Ogle, to discuss the benefits and risks of the procedure.

On Wednesday, December 21, 2016, I met with Dr. Ogle and his Physicians Assistant (Tom). Dr. Ogle said that the way to go was for me to have a triple cardiac bypass, along with a maze style ablation, plus a repair of the mitral valve. I said, “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, so if I decide to have this surgery I definitely want you to perform it. However, at this point I haven’t decided to have the surgery. I would like the opportunity to try to fix it myself using diet, exercise, supplements, and a few other ideas that I’ve read about on the Internet.” Dr. Ogle assured me that those techniques would be of no value based on the extent of my blockages. The longer that I waited the more likely I was to have a heart attack.

During the next several weeks I had visits with Dr. Bauer, Dr. Friedman, and Dr. Niesen. They all agreed with Dr. Ogle that my hopes to fix the heart issues with anything less than surgery were not realistic. I had similar discussions with people from work, family members, friends etc. Seems that everyone knew what needed to be done — everyone except me. Because I was so close to the situation I just couldn’t see the obvious.

But I kept trying. As the months went by I found myself having more bad days than I was having good days. I was continually tired no matter how much sleep that I got. Eating nutritious foods and doing light exercises (I could no longer do heavy exercises) helped very little.
In April 2017, I got a letter from Dr. Ogle’s Office asking that I schedule a follow up visit to further discuss me having the surgery. So now I found myself in the situation of having to actually make a decision on the subject. What would that decision be?

An incident at work the following week helped to determine what that decision would be. As we were concluding a supervisors meeting at work my Manager, Connie, asked that I come into her office. She said, “Wayne, what I am about to say to you is not something that I am saying as your boss, and it is not something that I am saying as a taxpayer who is paying your salary. Rather, it is something that I am saying as your friend.” She definitely had my attention.

Connie said, “These past few weeks I can’t tell you how many times I have seen you dozing off in meetings and conference calls. You never did that sort of thing before. Why are you doing it now? I’d be willing to bet it is due to the fact that your heart is getting weaker every day. I know that you don’t want to take time away from work to get your heart fixed. And we don’t want to lose you at work. But I would rather lose you at work for a few months than lose you forever.” Those were powerful words that made sense. She said, “If you are willing to have the surgery I will personally pick you up from your house, drive you to the hospital, and stay in the waiting room until the operation is finished.” I told her that I would accept that offer, and decided then and there to have the surgery.

On May 3, 2017, I met with Dr. Ogle. I told him that I had decided to go ahead and have the surgery. He set me an appointment for Thursday, June 8, 2017. Later that day I informed Dr. Friedman and Dr. Niesen of my decision. They both agreed that I was doing the right thing. I also informed Connie of the date of the surgery.

For the next five weeks or so, I was constantly debating with myself whether or not I was doing the right thing by having the procedure. It helped a lot that everyone who I talked with assured me that I was doing the right thing.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017, was my last day of work before the surgery. The surgery was scheduled for the following morning. Many of my co-workers came in my office to wish me good luck with the following day’s surgery. At the end of the day I was presented with a get well card signed by everyone in the office. That gave me a lot of motivation to do what was necessary to get this issue fixed.

I awoke on June 8, 2017 (the day of the surgery) at 3:00 in the morning. No, that is not a typing error. I did say 3:00. Connie picked me up from my house at 4:00, and drove me to Saint Mary’s Hospital for my 5:00 appointment. Talking with Connie helped to reduce the fear that I was definitely feeling.

After getting checked in at the surgery center, Connie told the receptionist that she wanted to stay with me as long as possible. The receptionist said, “Well, I’m afraid that this is where you will have to part company. We are taking him into the surgery area in a few minutes.” Connie wished me good luck one more time, as I was taken to the surgery area.

The next few days, which I spent in the ICU, were almost a blur. I was told that the surgery was successful, but now it was time to begin the recovery and healing process. I got plenty of visitors while I was in the ICU. People from work, family members, my doctors, friends who I knew from various walks of life. If I were to make a list of the people who visited me I am sure that I would miss many of the names. The reason being that for several days I spent so much time sleeping and recovering from the anesthesia, that there were people who I was told had visited me, and I just don’t remember.

The nurses and other staff members in the ICU were great. I had a nurse assigned to me for the day shift, and another one assigned to me for the night shift. One nurse who I especially want to mention is Kate. When I first met her I thought that she was this mean nurse who had no business in the health care field. But after a few days I realized that she was probably one of the finest nurses who I have ever met.

The thing about Kate is that she told me what I needed to hear, rather than what I wanted to hear. She insisted that I get up and walk around the hall when all I wanted to do was sit in a chair, or lie in bed, or sleep in bed. And when she would take me out for a walk she always insisted that I go a little further than the point where I was ready to stop. The point eventually came where I began to look forward to the walks, whether they were with Kate, one of the other nurses, or one of the physical therapists.

Same way with the meals. For several days after the surgery I had no appetite. I dreaded being handed the menu and told to order some breakfast, lunch, or dinner (as the case may be.). But towards the end of my stay I did begin to get hungry, and began looking forward to the heart healthy meals that I was served.

On Wednesday, June 14, 2017, Dr. Ogle came into my room and gave me some good news and some bad news. The good news was that I would be leaving the hospital later that day. The bad news was that I would be leaving the hospital later that day. OK, I had better explain these two conflicting statements.

The reason why I was being released on Wednesday, rather than on Friday as planned, was that my healing was coming along better than they had expected. However, because of the sudden change in the release date it meant that my brother Howard, and my sister-in-law Patti, found themselves rushing around to get things ready for my release that same day.

It is now June 26, 2017. That is 18 days after the surgery. I have made a lot of progress, but I still have a long way to go before I will be ready to return to my normal lifestyle. I cannot lift anything over 8 pounds for several more weeks. I can’t drive a car for at least several more weeks. It will likely be another 4 to 6 weeks before I will be able to return to work.

I do walk (rather slowly) several times a day, which include two 15 minute nonstop walks. They are helping to increase my endurance and leg strength.

And this entire process has changed my outlook on life. Things that seemed like big deals a few weeks ago are now not even worth thinking about. It has also made me realize the value of family, friends, and co-workers. Not sure where I would be without them. But I would like to thank every single person who played a role in my healing process.

And this article is far from being complete. It is a work in progress that will continue to be updated as the weeks go by.

And this article is far from being complete. It is a work in progress that will continue to be updated as the weeks go by.

POST SURGERY

When I was released from the hospital on Wednesday, June 14, I didn’t return home. My brother Howard and my sister-in-law Patti decided that it would be too risky for me to go home by myself, so they invited me to stay with them for a few weeks.

The first week or so it was obvious that I wasn’t ready to be on own yet. I was still in a fair amount of pain, and could only walk short distances before having to stop. But as the days passed, and I followed the instructions from my doctors and the hospital staff, I began to see improvements. I would get visits several times a week from home health nurses who worked for Saint Mary’s. They would check my vital signs, change my bandages, take pictures of the surgery sites etc.

During those next three weeks I managed to lose 18 pounds, which I definitely needed to lose. Every day I would walk a little further, until I got to the point where I would be walking 30 minutes nonstop in the morning, and another 30 minutes nonstop in the evening. Sometimes I would walk in the house, and sometimes I would walk in the nearby park. Each time I went walking, I would remember what Kate and the other staff members in the ICU told me — increasing my walking speed and distance was the first step towards recovering and gaining my independence.

On July 12, I visited Dr. Ogle, and was told that things were looking good. I was cleared to drive a car that day. I was also told that I could return to work the following week. So these would be two steps towards me returning to my “normal lifestyle”.

I returned to work on Monday, July 17, 2017. It was great to be back at work. Virtually everyone in the office stopped by to see me, and told me that it was good to have me back. Now I know why I like my job!

Several weeks ago I began attending cardiac rehab three hours per week. (Three days, one hour each.) Until now I had no idea what cardiac rehab consisted of. But it is a great program. Registered nurses and physical therapists design an exercise program for each patient who attends. The patients are closely monitored, and wear heart monitors the entire time. The exercises that I have been doing in class so far include walking on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, and doing arm exercises on a machine. Every week I notice my strength and endurance improving. Also, the exercise classes are sometimes interspersed with classroom lectures on heart health, such as diet etc.

Some of the nurses and therapists in the cardiac rehab area that I would like to recognize are Linda, Carla, Jeana, Heidi, Landy, Heidi, Jena, Miranda, and Marsha. And probably a few more who I am not remembering right now. Small world here. Linda is the mother of Stephanie, who works in the cardiac cath lab. Stephanie was mentioned in Part 1 of this article. She was the Registered Nurse who started my IV before my first cardiac ablation on August 13, 2014.

One thing that started when I was in the ICU and was furthered by my workouts in the cardiac rehab unit is my learning the importance of exercise for the heart and for a person’s health in general. I try to walk 20 to 30 minutes every morning. On days when I do not have cardiac rehab, I also try to walk 20 to 30 minutes in the evening. I don’t know if I will ever be able to return to running or even slow jogging as I had done in a previous lifetime (I’m talking about the time before my heart issues.) But it is something to hope for.

CARDIAC REHAB UPDATE:

Today is August 3, 2017. Things went very well yesterday afternoon at cardiac rehab. After I was finished with the exercises Marsha (yes, we are all on a first name basis) came to talk to me about my progress. She said that my strength and endurance are improving well, and my “vital sign” numbers are looking good. She especially liked the fact that I managed to lose 18 pounds and have kept it off.

When I first got the heart diagnosis in December 2016, I wondered how this could have happened when I led such a healthy lifestyle. What I am now realizing is that I really did not lead a healthy lifestyle, and it is probably a miracle that I didn’t have the heart issues even earlier.

I recall an incident that happened back in November 1964. I was in the Ninth Grade, and that month we received our first quarter report cards at school. One of the boys in my class complained to the Gym Teacher, Mr. Miller, that he only got a “C” in Gym Class, when he believed that he deserved an “A”. Mr. Miller said to the boy, “You’ve got a selective memory. You’re remembering the ‘A’ that you got in football, but you have completely forgotten about the ‘F’ that you got in track.”

Same thing with me. In believing that I had led a healthy lifestyle I remembered the good things that I did, but forgot about the bad things that I did. I remembered the salads that I ate, but forgot about the dressings that were probably loaded with sodium, sugar, and fat. I remembered about the times that I ordered fish in restaurants, but forgot that I ordered it fried. I also forgot about the “junk food” that I ordered as side dishes with the fish, when I could have ordered broccoli or steamed vegetables.  I remembered the times that I exercised, but forgot about the fact that I only did it sporadically, rather than systematically.

So hopefully I can keep up my current practice of living what is a healthier lifestyle than what I lived in the past.

GRADUATION DAY

 

 

On September 29, 2017, I “graduated” from cardiac rehab. After 36 classes (three classes per week for twelve weeks) I had finished the program. And it was a much better program than anything that I could have imagined.  Between the endurance exercises, the strength exercises, the classroom lectures on heart health etc, I was in a lot better shape after I finished the program than I was before the class began.

If any heart patient is ever given the opportunity to go through a cardiac rehab program, I would definitely recommend that they take advantage of it. You will be happy that you did.

At the end of the class all of the nurses and therapists personally wished me good luck, and gave me a nice card with their signatures. After telling the staff members and the other class members goodbye for the last time, I just hoped that I could make it to the elevator before I started to cry.

So the classes are over, but I haven’t forgotten what I learned in the classes. I general walk 30 minutes every morning, and walk another 30 minutes every evening. Occasionally I will even replace the walking with slow jogging.. Other times the walking will include up and down a few flights of stairs. Also, I will occasionally intersperse lifting some light weights during the walks.

POST GRADUATION

Going back the week that I spent in the ICU —-  One day when Kate took me walking outside of the ICU into the perimeter area, I pointed outside and talked about the times when I had run in that area. I said that I hoped to one day return and run that stretch of the street again. The look on her face suggested that she was skeptical.

And finally one day in September 2017, I did it. I went out and slowly jogged 2 miles. A couple of months later (November 2017), I returned to the street that was right outside of the hospital  where I had told Kate that one day  I would once again go running. And I did slowly jog on that street for about 40 minutes. So I kept the promise.

On Memorial Day (May 28, 2018), I entered the University City 5-K (3.1 mile) run / walk. When I mentioned my plans to Joan  (a nurse who is a Marathon Runner that works at St. Mary’s),  she asked it I had cleared those plans with my cardiologist.  So I contacted Dr. Friedman  (who is a long distance runner himself), and he said it should be fine if I wanted to combine slow jogging with walking. I jogged the first mile, walked the second mile, and alternated between walking and jogging the last mile. I didn’t even look at my time. I was just happy to cross the finish line.

So today I do a lot of walking, and a little bit of jogging. For many years I believed that only running and jogging really counted as heart healthy exercise. I thought that walking was worth nothing. I now realize how wrong that belief was.  Walking is an excellent exercise. Maybe not as good as running, but it is the next best thing.

+++++++++++ NEW DOCTOR ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In February 2019, I learned that Dr. Anna Niesen was retiring from practice after 44 years. She had been my doctor for the last 36 of those years. I wished her good luck in her retirement, and asked if she could refer me to a new doctor; preferably one who shared her patient care values. She said, “I think that I know just who would fit that bill.”

She referred me to Dr. Edward Heidbrier, and I have been going to him since May 2019. Dr. Heidbrier, like Dr. Niesen, is an excellent doctor who really cares about his patients.  On my first visit I learned that Dr. Heidbrier is also a long distance runner. So I was also hoping that his own running skills and experiences would be helpful when I developed running issues.

++++++RETURNING TO CARDIOLOGY+++++++++++

A quick flashback to 2017. On November 3, 2017, I had an echocardiogram performed in Dr. Friedman’s office. The test was performed by a Registered Nurse named Sue. Sue was a very interesting person to talk with, so the test seemed to go by very quickly.

The following week, I got a call from Dr. Friedman’s office saying that the results of the echocardiogram looked very good. A whole lot better than how things looked before the open heart surgery 5 months earlier.

For the next 4 to 5 years, all of my subsequent visits to Dr. Friedman looked good. He saw no more evidence of atrial flutter, or any other heart issues. In the year 2022, he suggested that I have both an echocardiogram and also a nuclear stress test. He scheduled both of these for in his office on September 14, 2022.

The echocardiogram was done first. This was performed by a lady named Dana. Turned out that this was the same Dana who performed this test on me on July 14, 2014. However, unlike the 2014 test, which showed some serious problems with my heart, this time I learned that the results looked good.

Next, the “pre nuclear stress test” was performed. During my last two nuclear stress tests (August 4, 2009, and June 18, 2015), the test began with Robin inserting an IV needed in my arm, and then taking some “before the test” pictures of my heart. This time, those two steps were also performed by Robin. As you can tell by the dates (2009, 2015, and 2022), Robin has been at that doctor’s office for a long time.

Then, the actual stress test on the treadmill was performed. A registered nurse named Kristen, along with Robin, conducted the test. This time I was able to get my heart rate high enough that they didn’t have to inject any “heart rate increase” drugs as was done in 2015. Walking / running on that treadmill was quite a challenge, but I made it through the test.

The following week, I got a telephone call from Dr. Friedman’s Office, saying that all of the test results looked good.