Last Thursday, I underwent some planned cardiac surgery: a Mitral Valve Repair, a CryoMaze ablation to treat atrial fibrillation/flutter, and a Left Atrial Appendage sew-over.
The surgeon, Dr. Craig Hampton, of Franciscan Cardiothoracic Surgery Associates in Tacoma, proved to be both highly skilled and caring. I owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for ushering me into a new phase of active and productive life.
The nursing and PA folks at the hospital were incredible, getting me up and walking from day one, holding me to a rigorous medication schedule, dealing with the myriad of attached medical equipment, keeping me emotionally stable and unable to refuse even the twice-daily shots of Heparin in the stomach. The gratitude I owe these nurses and PAs is absolutely on par with that owed the surgeon himself.
Donna has been amazing. She has been her usual warm and loving self and has also worked hard to keep me on my post-op med schedule and exercise routine. She has gently but firmly helped pull me back into life at exactly the right pace. I can’t tell you how overwhelmingly beautiful it was to see her walk into my room at the hospital on discharge day this past Monday.
All our Kodama Farm “kids” – Ben, Gracie and Matt – have been so loving and supportive and have also provided much-needed practical help, sharing Donna’s dog-walking and shopping tasks. Their encouraging presence has meant the world to me, as I know it has to Donna.
Friends and family, both local and across the nation, have been enormously supportive and this has meant so much to me. I don’t think the practical healing effects of this kind of support are usually given enough credit.
My cousin, Steve, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, has provided extremely valuable advice and counsel over the past few years and I am exceedingly grateful for that. He has made other expertise and resources at the Clinic available as well, helping me arrive at the right choice of surgeon and surgical approach.
Finally, but with no less gratitude, I want to say how absolutely amazing my future daughter-in-law, Katie, has been during this whole process, from well before surgery and on into recovery. Katie is a nurse herself, so that is a huge bonus, but the healing effects of her personal help (driving, future suture removal, shopping, staying with Donna) along with her warm steadying presence and expertise, would be nearly impossible to over-state.
So, with love and gratitude to all, back to the joy of living!