After Open Heart Surgery:The Road Widens Out

Eighteen months after a signature event of my life,the surgical stopping of my heart so a valve repair could be made,the road is widening out.Although the facts of what occurred are permanently emblazoned on my soul,we have reached a medical plateau.There is no longer any need to intensively monitor my progress.I have joined the ranks of the majority of valve repair patients.Now only a yearly assessment of my heart's inner workings is required.
Things have gotten so quiet in there,there are quite frankly better things for my medical team to do with their time,patients who are much sicker than I for them to attend to.That being said,there are still a few reminders of what happened to me.Of course my daily medication regimen is one of them.I am permanently attached to the pharmacy now.A lot of the success may be attributed to the stress that has been relieved by these cardiovascular drugs.My blood vessels are widened to the point where my heart doesn't have to work very hard to pump blood.This helps facilitate the longevity of the valve repair.
Externally,the extensive chest scars are all but invisible now.I can still feel a stinging sensation every day,though,from the wire permanently embedded in my chest.This wire held my sternum together while it healed from being split during surgery.
There are also occasional optical migraines in the form of mild visual disturbances.These have the appearance of meteorites.How appropriate,since the entire experience of major surgery made me feel like an astronaut.It was truly a strange new frontier for me.
Emotionally,there is a freaking out process when the evaluation approaches.You may have to stay in hospital if they find something weird going on in there.Take your scripture with you just in case.
My heart had started to enlarge.I was on the narrow road to heart failure.Now I am on a wide path-for how long I cannot say,but it certainly is more refreshing.

After Open Heart Surgery:Some Reflections at the One Year Mark

My seven-inch long scar from open heart surgery has all but disappeared a year after the event.Just a little red streak remains at the bottom two inches of the scar.The crusty effect vanished long ago.Between the scar and my belly button,the two chest drain slits are still visible,not entirely filled in.When I bend over,I can still feel the wire embedded permanently in my chest that held my split sternum together.It stings a bit.I think the way things have settled in is a tribute to the surgeon's skill. The optical migraines that manifested themselves after surgery,which are brief visual disturbances,still occur on a daily basis in the form of fireflies or meteorites.This doesn't hinder me;it's just a little reminder.There are also occasional heart palpitations,but they have been determined to be harmless. At times of exertion,my heart can pound quite hard and fast-not something I really want to happen,as it may stress the heart valve repair.If my heart starts pounding that way,I ease up immediately.One is not scot-free for the rest of one's life by any means.You're not going to just forget about it;indeed,it would be dangerous to do so.Constant informal and formal monitoring are the order of your life's day. In my particular case,there was a small amount of residual valvular leakage.This bears special attention over the years ahead.It can reduce event-free long term survival. All in all,I don't regret having the surgeon repair my heart to the best of his great ability.It surely has given me a second chance for as long as clinically possible with the disease process in question.