40 Days of Thankfulness: Days Thirty-one through Thirty-five

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Day 31, November 14: Dr. Roberto Salvatori and Johns Hopkins.  I found Dr Salvatori to be wonderfully kind, interested and knowledgeable. He listened thoughtfully to my complaints and never suggested that I was simply "fat and depressed". In the first visit, I learned things about my diagnosis that my previous endo had completely skipped.  I feel confident that he will take care of any future endocrine issues.  [[posterous-content:pid___1]]It didn't hurt that he was showing my website and bio around to other staff when I went for an appointment!

 
Day 32, November 15: Facebook.  What can I say?  FB has brought me closer to people I might not have otherwise known.

Day 33, November 16:  Bells.  I love playing handbells.  Nearly any bells but I really like the lower octave, the G3-B3 area.I'm not so good with 4-in-hand or shelley ringing. For more info about handbell techniques, there's a good article here.

Day 34, November 17:  Computers.  When the first computer came into this house I wasn't a happy camper.  It cost far too much and I couldn't see any value in it at all.  There was a tiny grey/yellow monitor, no hard drive.  What good can come of this?

Things changed a bit over the years!

Day 35, November 18: Today is the first annversary of my one and only zipline experience  I’ve been thinking about since my kidney cancer surgery 3 years earlier. Since then, I figure I have “extra years” and I wanted to do something kinda scary, yet fun. So, somehow, I decided on ziplining.

What I wrote then:

Day Four, November 18, 2009: Belize City, Honduras

Today's Schedule!

From http://www.belizecruiseexcursions.com/BelizeCaveTubingZipLineExcursion.htm

Belize Enjoy two of the most exciting tours offered in Belize today, cave tubing and the canopy zip line excursions on your one day visit to Belize!

Your Zip Line adventure begins from the First Platform where you will "jump" from the first Platform to zip to the next Platform found 150ft away. Flying through the air surrounded by nature is the most exhilarating feeling ever encountered, the birds and Howler Monkeys found onsite will be at eye level making you one with the prolific nature Belize is famous for.

The Zip Line Adventure consists of 8 Zip Line Platforms each strategically located within the Rainforest canopy. Double cables (each capable of withstanding 2,000 pounds of weight, the requirement for this tour truly has nothing to do with weight but with the size of the safety equipment) are used for the ultimate safety. All landing Platforms are equipped with safety gear, handrails and Guides to meet your next landing as well as to ensure your personal safety throughout the tour. The Platforms are as high as 85ft into the Canopy and as far apart as 250ft!

 

On the second part of your exciting excursion you will then reach the Cave Branch System Welcome Area where you will be fitted with your life vest, (if you would like one) cave lamp and your tube.

 

The walk to the beginning of the first Cave Entrance is an easy gentle 30 to 40 minute stroll through the beautiful Belizean Rainforest. Your guide will take you through two dry caves where many stalagmites and stalactites can be admired along the way. Once we have reached our access point for your Cave Tubing adventure, you will be able to enter the crystal clear, refreshing river and enter the first cave. A picture of the first cave can be seen on our website but unfortunately the picture does not do the area justice as the cave entrance and color of the water is simply spectacular!

You will visit 1 full underground cave system (2 caves) within the Cave Branch System, you will also be guided to underground dry caves within the cave system, a treat only offered by our outfit, X-Stream Cave Tubing! As you approach the end of your cave tubing experience you will float through small fun rapids where you will pickup some speed and end the cave tubing ride in style, bringing you right back to the starting point of your Cave Tubing adventure. Tropical Fruits are offered following your excursion.

If a picture is worth a thousand words the following pictures should give you a great description of both tours.

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Trekking in the Belizean Rain Forest, an easy 30 minute walk with your tube cave tubing entrance

Walking through a cave on the way to the river for the cave tubing

 

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In the Rain Forest, an easy 30 minute walk with your tube to the river tubing entrance

Off we go on our Xtreme Cave Tubing Adventure

 

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Regular Cave-Tubing entry and our guides assist you if you need help

Floating through the Belizean underworld

 

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Exploring the cave system and various formations by the glow of the cave lights (head lights?)

The famous cave wave

 

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The short walk through the rainforest to reach the first platform.

The Guides instruct the Zip method and explain the cables, platforms and itinerary. You can see the double cables.

 

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Getting ready for the first jump to the first platform 85ft in the air!

Zip lining away!!!!

 

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One of the many platforms found high in the canopy

Wayyy up!

 

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At the end of the Zip Line Excursion you will repel from the last platform back down to Earth.

Easy does it. This is the experience of a lifetime!

 

Up and at ‘em early this morning.

This is finally the zipline day I’ve been thinking about since my kidney cancer surgery 3 years ago. Since then, I figure I have “extra years” and I wanted to do something kinda scary, yet fun. So, somehow, I decided on ziplining. Tom wouldn’t go with me but Michael would so I set this up almost as soon as we booked this cruise.

Our tour left first so after breakfast, Michael and I got on the tender for Belize. Tom’s tender was about 45 minutes later. Even though the tender went zipping along, it was about 20 minutes to shore.

 

We got on our bus with about 30 other brave and not-so-brave folks and our guide, Eddie, told us a bit about Belize City, Belize in general and what to expect on our tour.

 

Belize City used to be the capital of British Honduras (as Belize was formerly named) but it’s 2 feet below sea level and prone to hurricanes so the capital was moved to the other city – Belmopan in 1970. It was almost entirely destroyed in 1961 when Hurricane Hattie swept ashore on October 31.

 

Because of the altitude, graves are all above ground.

 

The main languages are English (the official language), Spanish and Kriol. Eddie said the kids learned English in school but, as soon as they were out, it was back to the Kriol. They wear uniforms to school.

 

Bordering on Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean, Belize is the second smallest country in Central America (after El Salvador), with an area of approximately 9,000 square miles that includes numerous small islands off the coast known as cayes.

 

More than half of the mainland is covered with dense forests, and at its longest point Belize is 174 miles long while its greatest width is 68 miles. Long a strong advocate of environmental protection, the government has set aside approximately 20% of its land as nature reserves.

 

There are also several important Mayan sites situated on the mainland such as Altun Ha and Xunantunich that make for excellent day trips and are included on shore excursions by most cruise ships. As a matter of fact, Belize has the highest concentration of Mayan sites of all the countries in Central America.

 

Eddie tried to tell us that our tour would be scary – but FUN, it would be hard – but FUN. He himself had done the zipline only once, because he had to for this job. He said that the caves might have things brushing up against us but they would be leaves and twigs. The caves might have “log-gators” in them, too.

 

We travelled along the 37-mile drive along the Western Highway – the scenery changed from city to suburbs, to a settlement called Hattieville where hurricane survivors met to life after the country was destroyed, to the beginnings of the rain forest.

 

We turned down a road to a jaguar preserve – yes, they have them here! then, finally, to our destination, Caves Branch National Park.

 

Eddie handed out water (which we had to leave on the bus). A bathroom break, then off to the zipline area.

 

Each person had a harness around their legs with attached pulleys and carabiners. Women had them on their chests as well. In addition, we had leather construction gloves and hard hats.

 

We climbed to the top of the first platform and were given brief instructions and off we went. Because of the heavy gloves, I couldn’t get any pictures. I had thought that they would take some of us on the hardest line to sell to us later but they didn't. They also didn’t have cave pictures or T-Shirts. What a missed opportunity!

 

This was so cool, so much fun. I thought I might be afraid at first but I wasn’t. I just followed instructions and went.

 

Sometimes they told us to break. We did that with the right hand, which was always on the upper cable.

 

After the second line, I must have braked too soon because I stopped before I got to the platform. Michael was headed toward me. The guide on the end of the platform wanted me to do some hand over hand maneuver but I couldn’t figure out what he was saying so he came and got me by wrapping his legs around me and pulling me to the platform.

 

After that, no more problems with breaking!

 

The next platform was very high – over 70 feet in the air – and the climb up was difficult. It was very hot and the rocks were very uneven. I don’t know that I would have gotten to the next platform if Michael hadn’t cheered me on all the way.

 

We zipped down the next six lines up to 250-feet between platforms and 85-feet high in the trees, at canopy level. It seemed like it was all over too soon.

 

But, I did it! No fear, just fun.

 

Here we are, after getting our gear off. The people behind Michael are just starting out on their zipline adventure. I thought maybe we could go again…?[[posterous-content:pid___2]]

[[posterous-content:pid___3]]Next stop was lunch in the trees. It was a buffet similar to those in Barbados – a jerk chicken (Eddie had said it would taste like chicken – might be egret, road kill, log-gator or even…chicken!), peas and rice, a pasta salad, cake, fruit salad, the usual fare.

[[posterous-content:pid___4]]Next up, cave tubing! This is the event I got my new waterproof camera for. Thanks again, Alice!  If you're interested in reading the cave tubing part, it's here: http://www.cushingsonline.com/cruise/cruise2009.htm

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40 Days of Thankfulness: Day Twenty

Today is a very special day for me.  I am thankful to so many, named and unnamed.  This is the 23rd anniversary of my pituitary surgery at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.

I couldn't have gotten to surgery without a myriad of books from the public library, my parents who watched my son while I was at NIH for 6 weeks pre-op, an oncologist, the endo who got me there... So many, and so many years of sickness just trying to get diagnosed.

I won't bore anyone with my "story" but if anyone is interested, it's available here.

The short version is that I knew I was sick starting about 2003.  No doctors would offer any help.  A chance description of Cushing's convinced me that this was what I had.  Even when I presented Xerox copies of medical texts to doctors, they would all say that I couldn't have it.  It was "too rare".  I was fat.  I cheated on my diet.  I was depressed.  Go away.  Take drugs.

I finally got to an endo who got me into NIH in 2006.  During six weeks away from home as an in-patient, they diagnosed me with pituitary Cushing's.

For those who don't know, here's where the pituitary gland is:

I had a 7 year old son and I was sure I was going to die during surgery, if not before. I wrote letters "just in case".  I was terrified of what could happen and also what would happen if I never had surgery.  I knew I couldn't live with the Cushing's.

A college contempory of mine wasn't so lucky.  Luckily, I didn't read this in the Alumni magazine until after my surgery. She had the same operation. She came from my home town. We  had the same major at the same college, we were the same age. We had the same surgical and medical team. I recovered. The other woman died during surgery.

So, today, on my 23rd anniverary, I am thankful that I saw my son grow up, that my husband stuck with me, that I'm still alive, that I'm able to help others beat Cushing's...

Thanks to Dr Edward Oldfield, NIH, nurses, doctors, Fairfax County Public Library and how it all worked out in the end.

 

Posted via email from Cushings Help

40 Days of Thankfulness: Day Fifteen

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I hope I'm not jinxing myself but today I am thankful that I haven't had any migraines for a long time.

It's not "just" not having migraines, but the fact that, should I get one, there's nothing I can do about them anymore.

I used to get migraines quite often, a hormone thing probably.  I spent lots of hours in a completely dark room, blocking out sound, trying to keep my head from pounding.

There was a long period of time that I had a migraine 6 days out of the week for several weeks.  By accident, a friend asked me on a Monday if I had one that day and that started me thinking - why do I have them every day except Mondays?  I figured out that it wasn't a migraine at all but an allergy headache - I was allergic to the bath oil I was using Monday-Saturday.  I gave that to my Mom and those headaches went away.

I still often get allergy headaches.  Since my Cushing's transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, I can't smell things very well and I often don't know if there's a scent that is going to trigger an allergic reaction.  In church and elsewhere, my Mom will be my "Royal Sniffer" and if someone is wearing perfume or something scented, she'll let me know and we'll move to a new location.

There's a double whammy here - since my kidney cancer surgery my doctor won't let me take NSAIDs, asperin, Tylenol, any of the meds that might help a headache go away.  My only hope would be that coffee from Day Fourteen. And that's definitely not usually enough to get rid of one of these monsters.

So, I am very thankful that, for the moment, I am headache/migraine free!

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What luck!

May, 2010...

In November 2008, while Tom was recuperating from surgery, he answered the phone and there was an RCI offer too good to be refused. He signed up up for a seven-day cruise and a one-week land trip. This is the second of those trips (the land trip) and I hope our son will get to go with us!

I plan to do a journal like I did for Alaska, my Cruisin' with Susan and our RCI Western Caribbean Cruise but I probably will upload it all after the fact so I don't waste much time online posting a day-by day.

This is where we'll be:
St. George's Club

Your trip to Bermuda would not be complete without a visit to St. George's, with it's winding lanes, pink sand beaches, unique architecture and unspoiled beauty. The St. George's Club, located atop Rose Hill overlooking the town is Bermuda's premier Vacation Ownership Resort and Cottage Colony

Seventy-one cottages nestled amidst 18 acres of lush tropical landscape. The Club offers the outdoor swimming pools (one heated) and three tennis courts. The resort's private beach and beach club are a short distance away. The beach club is open seasonally and offers a restaurant, bar, beach chairs and water sports equipment rental. St. George's Club also offers on-site moped rentals and a convenience store.

After a busy day of sightseeing, relax at Griffin’s Bistro and Bar at The St. George’s Club, open for lunch and dinner, plus Sunday's special Brunch which is served until 6:00pm and rated one of the best in Bermuda!

Website Address: http://www.stgeorgesclub.com

Perched amid the blue-green waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda is unlike any other island destination you may be familiar with.

Lush, tropical surroundings, splendid and unusual pink-hued beaches, and a selection of cultural attractions and sporting options are all excellent reasons for visiting these islands. Furthermore, Bermuda has a distinct air of British propriety and a unique European flavor. Visitors will cherish memories of the islands' pastel-toned homes, ubiquitous flower gardens, charming winding streets, and gracious, friendly people.

Bermuda consists of 150 tiny islands located about 570 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Collectively, these islands encompass only 21 square miles of land. Bermuda was discovered by the Spanish in the 16th century, and became an English colony during the 17th century. Today, afternoon tea and conservative British values rule. Both Bermudans and tourists zip around on mopeds, as cars are not available for rent on this island. Public bus and ferry services are readily available. Bermuda's vacation facilities and activities include restaurants, tennis courts, and golf courses as well as marinas and beaches.

 

Thanks for reading!

Four Years Post-Op Kidney Cancer Surgery

Yesterday was my 4-year surgery anniversary.  Amazing how time flies.  If anyone had told me then that I’d have four years to live, it wouldn’t have seemed like “enough”, though.

Four years ago yesterday was also the first (and only!) Cushie Cruise, leaving for Bermuda on Mother’s Day.  I wasn’t able to go due to financial reasons, but a very kind Cushie Angel made it possible.  I got new clothes, and was very excited.  I’d never been to Bermuda.

So, along comes this surprise cancer.  I told my surgeon-to-be while still in the ER about this cruise and he said no way could I go.

I ended up getting out of the hospital the day before the cruise, the day before Mother’s Day, and the doctor was right.  There would have been no way I could have gone and enjoyed this cruise.  It was a few weeks before I could even walk, and several days before I could consider getting off pain meds.

Another lucky Cushie got to go in my place, so all was not lost.  I got to use my new clothes on a “second chance” cruise and I’m now 4 years cancer free!

Happy endings all around!

Here’s a review of the cruise by other non-Cushies with lots of pictures: http://www.cruisereviews.com/RoyalCaribbean/ExploreroftheSeas115.htm

If you’re a member of the Cushing’s Help message boards, you can see cute pictures of “Penelopee Cruise” at http://cushings.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=16494.  Penelopee was made from someone’s 24-hour UFC jug.  The pictures and captures are a real hoot.

At four years post-op, I have no signs of my cancer returning or showing up in another organ.  (Hooray!)  I do have an enlarged lymph node between my lungs but that seems stable at this time.

Energy levels are still very low thanks to the combination of post-pituitary surgery panhypopituitarism, the removal of one adrenal during kidney surgery and low-functioning remaining adrenal.  Beats the alternative, though!

Daily (l-o-n-g) naps are a must and, I guess, will always be.  Doctors haven’t seem to come up with any ideas for extra energy for me.

I don’t have any lingering symptoms from my bout with cancer, so it’s all good.

As I learned to say in church yesterday, despite my illnesses, “I am blessed!”

No Barbados This Year. :(

So...what happened?  I still don't understand this but for about 8 years we owned 3-weeks of "lock-offs".  This means we own the larger front 1-bedroom unit and the smaller studio.  The 2 apartments can be used as 1 2-bedroom unit or as 2 units by locking the connecting door.

At first we used all 3 weeks but that turned out to be too long and Tom ended up coming home to work leaving me there to entertain friends.

A few years ago we decided we wanted to enter the Rental Pool to save on maintenance fees.  We needed 4 weeks to put into the pool and we still wanted to be in Barbados for 2 weeks.  We also wanted to get rid off the other 2 studio apartments since all our guests have already come.  They didn't want all these studios, so we sold the 3rd week back to them and bought 2 cheaper units for November.  So, the 2 third-week units plus the 2 November units gave us enough for the Rental Pool, saving us a bit of money each year.

All this stuff is somehow run through RCI.  Unfortunately, as of yesterday, RCI had information BEFORE these sales/trades in 2006.  A computer somewhere in Barbados submitted our old 3 lock-offs to RCI to be used by someone else. RCI was never updated as to what we actually own.

So...we had our plane tickets since early June.  Tom needed a surgery.  The hospital scheduled surgery for September 2 - when we would be in Barbados.  Tom got them to change the surgery to last Tuesday so we wouldn't have to change Barbados.

I had a premonition about this trip and emailed people we know to remind them we were coming.  That's when we learned that someone else had been given our weeks by RCI who thought that they were available.

So, now we have plane tickets to a place that we can't go to.  We could rent a place but I sure don't want to pay thousands of dollars for something we actually own.

Everyone says that this is someone else's fault so we're out of luck.

We do have a lot of points now with RCI so we can go somewhere else but it's so close to the time to leave that not much is available.  If we do find something, then we have to tackle changing the flights at this late stage of the game.

I am so angry and I feel betrayed by people who have been told time and time again over the last 10 years  that we were never going to trade these two weeks.

I know I should feel lucky that I have ever been to Barbados but right now I can't see it that way.

Abide With Me: Hymn # 1

I'm sure that many would think that this is a semi-odd choice for all-time favorite hymn.

My dad was a Congregational (now United Church of Christ) minister so I was pretty regular in church attendance in my younger years.

Some Sunday evenings, he would preach on a circuit and I'd go with him to some of these tiny churches.  The people there, mostly older folks, liked the old hymns best - Fanny Crosby and so on.

So, some of my "favorite hymns" are going to be those that I sang when I was out with my Dad.  Fond memories from long ago.

In 1986 I was finally diagnosed with Cushing's after struggling with doctors and trying to get them to test for about 5 years.  I was going to go into the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in Bethesda, MD for final testing and then-experimental pituitary surgery.

I was terrified and sure that I wouldn't survive the surgery.

Somehow, I found a 3-tape set of Readers Digest Hymns and songs of Inspiration and ordered that. The set came just before I went to NIH and I had it with me.

At NIH I set up a daily "routine" of sorts and listening to these tapes was a very important part of my day and helped me get through the ordeal of more testing, surgery, post-op and more.

When I had my kidney cancer surgery, the tapes were long broken, but I had replaced all the songs - this time on my iPod.

Abide With Me was on this tape set and it remains a favorite to this day.  Whenever we have an opportunity in church to pick a favorite, my hand always shoots up and I request page 700.  When someone in one of my handbell groups moves away, we always sign a hymnbook and give it to them.  I sign page 700.

I think that many people would probably think that this hymn is depressing.  Maybe it is but to me it signifies times in my life when I thought I might die and I was so comforted by the sentiments here.

This hymn is often associated with funeral services and has given hope and comfort to so many over the years - me included.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

~John 15:7

Abide With Me

Words: Henry F. Lyte, 1847.

Music: Eventide, William H. Monk, 1861. Mrs. Monk described the setting:

    This tune was written at a time of great sorrow—when together we watched, as we did daily, the glories of the setting sun. As the last golden ray faded, he took some paper and penciled that tune which has gone all over the earth.

Lyte was inspired to write this hymn as he was dying of tuberculosis; he finished it the Sunday he gave his farewell sermon in the parish he served so many years. The next day, he left for Italy to regain his health. He didn’t make it, though—he died in Nice, France, three weeks after writing these words. Here is an excerpt from his farewell sermon:

    O brethren, I stand here among you today, as alive from the dead, if I may hope to impress it upon you, and induce you to prepare for that solemn hour which must come to all, by a timely acquaintance with the death of Christ.

For over a century, the bells of his church at All Saints in Lower Brixham, Devonshire, have rung out “Abide with Me” daily. The hymn was sung at the wedding of King George VI, at the wedding of his daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, and at the funeral of Nobel peace prize winner Mother Teresa of Calcutta in1997.

 

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea—
Come, Friend of sinners, and thus bide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Upcoming Series on Hymns

A while ago, when I was still playing at being Interim Assistant Director of Music - whew, that's a mouthful! - I was asked about possibly writing a monthly blog post about something musical.

I thought for a while about what I could write about and came up with a few ideas.

I'm no longer in that position but I figured I could still write about my ideas, at least some of them.

The first topic I'm going to hit is hymns.

At the beginning, they're probably going to be posted in 3 places, depending on their meaning to me.

Hymns that have a lot of meaning to me will get posted on O'Connor O'Riginals and O'Connor Music Studio

Hymns that I used to help me through Cushing's and/or kidney cancer surgery will be posted also on Cushing's and Cancer.

Hymns that are just historical in nature will only be on O'Connor Music Studio

My first post, helpful to me in all areas of my life will be posted on all three blogs.  Sorry about the cross-posting!

Stay tuned later today for Abide With Me.

Bell Festival Then Annoying Stuff

I was at a handbell festival again - lots of fun, but achy muscles when I got back.  I've been going to these for many years and they're always good.  This year, I took 2 classes in Middle Eastern drumming using a djembe.  That was a lot of fun. 

The first rhythm we learned was IN the jungle there ARE NO kitty kittys.  Then there was a B section, then fillls and a "visual" where you put your elbow on the drum.  Then strung the whole thing together where some people played the fills, some rested, all kinds of mix-ups but it was fun and I want to learn more.

When I got home, I learned from my husband that a collection company was calling me about 4 cellphone numbers I supposedly had and hadn't paid for to the tune of $1400.  AACK

Monday night we heard from our insurance company that they weren't going to pay for my husband's surgery and followup.  They had paid then when they learned he also had Medicare, they got the money back from the doctors.  $14,000.  AAACK

Tuesday I was paying bills online and came across a whole slew of charges I didn't make.  Got the card closed and on Fraud Alert.  This one was only about $1200.

Enough!

I hate to see what tomorrow brings.

DH's Thoughts

The mission was to get the line cleared.  And we succeeded.
I must admit, however, I would not be eager to do this particular drill again.

We got it done, thanks to the power of prayer, some planning  and a very resourceful surgeon.  The surgeon, Dr.Sidney Guo, is a young Chinese man, who is also an accomplished violinist.

I liked him instantly; he reminded me of Michael.

Departing from the usual practice,  we did the carotid artery operation without general anesthesia.  This was done primarily so I could signal the surgeon immediately if anything broke loose.

In effect I was serving as another monitoring instrument.  The operation went on for about two hours,  During this entire time I was either conversing with or exchanging signals with the surgeon and his surgical nursing staff  to keep them apprised of the fact that nothing had gone amiss.

The purpose of the operation to clear the carotid artery was to prevent any future TIA's.   A TIA would require discerning the threat and responding within minutes.  The down side of the surgical remedy was the fact that the operation could knock some plaque loose and thereby  precipitate a stroke, disability or death.

I assured the surgeon that although I did not fear death, I was in no rush. In any event we decided to "go for it".  Thanks to our resolve and steadiness, the surgeon's skill and the grace of God, we succeeded with this major operation under local anesthesia.  Rounding out the plan, was  a nap after the operation in the Recovery Room. And after my nap I was ready to go by 5 PM on Wednesday. 
Prayers are always welcome; even now when we are "out of the line of fire" and well along in the recuperation phase.

Dr. Guo came by Thursday morning to cut off the bandages and remove the drain.  The surgical site was drained of about 30 or 40  cc's of  blood during the night.

I walked in to the hospital  at 8AM on Wednesday.  The operation "teed up" at 9:30 AM Wed. and  I walked out at Noon on Thursday.

All that remains now is a half dozen butterflies and some tape over the wound.

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Thursday noon I made my escape from the hospital after a 30 hour marathon effort including a very successful operation.
   Was helped by lots of  prayers, which were very effective
   I will be working from home on "light duty"  probably through Monday.
   If you ever need to know how it feels to be awake and alert and conversing with the surgeon during a major operation I can now tell you from first hand experience.
   My left carotid  artery was operated on yesterday morning.  During the two hour operation I was totally awake and "working with" the surgeon. Through his questions to me and my responses and pre-arranged signals back to him and the surgical nurses, he could track "live and in real time" the effects on my brain and thinking ability of his excising, reconnecting and reinforcing a damaged spot in my left carotid artery.
   An interesting experience. 
   A close call.
   And a clear success.
   Deo gratias
   Onward
   Thanks

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Here is a walk through of some recent medical adventures, during which some valuable lessons were learned.

At the overview level the story is as simple as  A, B, C
A.   A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) in 2006.
A TIA is a temporary and mild stroke that passes within  a short time: ranges from a few minutes up to a few hours.The TIA does no lasting damage to the brain.  A stroke however does inflict lasting damage up to and including  death.   A TIA is a warning sign that something is amiss.  A TIA may be followed by a stroke, particularly if the TIA prompts no changes.

In 2006 in response to the urging of a friend, I reluctantly went to the Emergency Room about 2.5 hours after a TIA started.  Generally we have about 3 hours to respond to a TIA or stroke.  I wasted 2.5 hours in denial and delay.
In 2006 I made four classic mistakes:
1. not recognizing the TIA,
2. denying it was happening,
3. dismissing it as unimportant and
4. delaying the response of going to the ER to get help.

I did two things right:
1. I was, and still am, lucky
2. I listened to a friend who insisted I should go to the ER and should do so now. She probably saved my life either in 2006 or 2008 or both.

The take away was:
1. I now knew what a TIA was;
2. I had a good set of 2006 base line tests (MRI, Echocardiogram, Carotid Doppler and so on) from the tests the ER people did.
3. I also now knew where to find an ER that could handle strokes.  It was Fair Oaks Hospital; convenient, new and well equipped, with well trained staff who were ready.
B. I  Learned about TIA, strokes, etc. 2006- 2008
Doctors, books, newsletters, hospital literature, Internet and so on
C. A second Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) on Nov 2, 2008.
Because of the learning that occurred after the 2006 TIA I knew how to detect it, how to preliminarily diagnose it and how to take preventive and remedial action.. Again the TIA came and went with no adverse effects.

But this time I decided to follow through and correct the underlying situation.
Preliminary diagnosis of TIA or stroke is simple.  Here are three tests that are easy to do when we sense a TIA might be underway:

1. Smile looking in a mirror.  If your smile is asymmetric (drooping down on one side) take an aspirin at once and go immediately to an  Emergency Room equipped to handle strokes

2. Raise both arms. If you can not you failed the test and should go immediately to the ER

3. Say a simple sentence like "No ifs ands or buts"  If any part of the sentence is garbled or unclear you should go immediately to the ER

Failing any one of these tests is a signal to get to the Emergency Room.  Within two minutes of sensing the onset of the TIA at about 6:40 AM on that Saturday morning I had done these three tests. Within three minutes I had taken two aspirin and awakened Mary. Within 5 minutes I was on my way to the Fair Oaks ER. Within 15 to  20 minutes from the onset of the TIA I was in the Fair Oaks ER.
The aspirin I took within two minutes knocked down the TIA within the first hour.  That stabilized the situation and we then made contact with the  ER staff.  The ER doctors, nurses and tech staff  repeated all the tests that we had done  in 2006.  Now we had the 2006 baseline and a second 2008 reading.

Again we were lucky and there was no lasting damage.  However, this additional info persuaded me to take corrective action and started me on a round of preparation including seeing my family physician, getting his referrals to specialists, interviewing surgeons, doing tests and finally scheduling the surgery for Dec 3, 2008. The surgery to clear a carotid artery blockage  was successful.  The improvement was immediate and dramatic.  To prepare for and consolidate these gains we are now well underway  on a new regimen of medication,diet and exercise.

Some of this info may be helpful to you and others.  Feel free to share it.
The penalty for either not recognizing a TIA; or not knowing what to do; or not doing it can be severe, up to and including disability and death.
I was lucky in 2006;

...I was ready and lucky in 2008

Was also praying more in 2008; that always helps.

Having been lucky twice, the new game plan is to move proactively to prevent any recurrence.
Onward,

Thanks

What a day!

Yesterday was so long, tiring, hunger-inducing, maddening, yet a blessing!

We got up early to be at the hospital by 7:30 am.  We were a "tad" late, of course, so I dropped DH off at the front door to fend for himself with the paperwork.  I found a parking place right where I always parked when he had his initial incident.  WooHoo. 

This parking lot is very terrible.  They're tearing it up to put in another medical building and a parking garage.  The garage will help eventually but now it makes parking a nightmare.  Some of the staff has to park at my church and be shuttled over.

So, we got to the waiting room, tastefully decorated with monitors showing a tropical fish tank and a gas fireplace.  Very soothing.  Not!

But it wasn't too long before he was called back.  The nurse, Doris, was very nice and we actually had a few laughs and it was kind of pleasant - for me, anyway.

There was a moment of fear when the vampire was putting in the IV.  She wanted to do the right side because his surgery was going to be on the left.  He wanted the right side.  They had quite a discussion about that and I was afraid that DH might change his mind and we'd just go home.  He won, though, with the caution that they might have to change it when he got into surgery.

The pastor from my church came in and we had a nice discussion that ranged from diabetes and the inability to give himself the shots to the Roman Catholic Church to the combat engineers.

The anesthesiologists came in had DH practice with the squeaky toy he'd need to use during surgery to show that they hadn't cut any vital nerves or anything really important.  I don't know where they found it but it was a dog toy that looked like a head with brains spilling out over the top.  EEEWWWWWWWWWW

The surgeon came in just at 9 and reminded us of all the possible things that could go wrong.  All my worst fears.  My minister prayed, I gave DH (not the minister!) a kiss and he was gone.

M and I went back to the waiting room.  He sat with me a while and asked me if I'd eaten and I said no but it was ok.  I didn't usually eat until 2-3 or so.  After a while he left and i went to the bathroom.  While I was in there, my friend showed up and was asking the desk folks where I was and they didn't know (of course).  So, she turned around and there I was.  Amazing.

We went to the cafeteria - good thing! but they only had donuts, bagels, coffee, a little fruit since it was so early.  It was getting close to 11 and the surgeon said it would take about 2 hours so, after glancing quickly at the craft fair in the lobby, we went back to the waiting room.  As promised, the surgeon came out about 11:20 and said that everything went well.  DH did have to have a drain but that was ok.  That the plaque was hemorrhagic. They got all the gunk cleared out and everything was looking fine.  Great!

I called everyone I'd said I'd call to give the good news of a successful surgery.  Yea!

So, my friend and I chatted for awhile, waiting to go see DH.  And chatted.  And waited.  And chatted...

I went to the desk to see why I wasn't going back.  They said he probably didn't have a room yet.

We chatted and waited some more.  2PM Doris came out to talk to another patient.  She said she'd see what was up with DH.  Never saw her again.

More chatting, waiting.  Asked another staff person who said maybe DH was too dizzy (?), he was still in Recovery One. Whatever.

Friend had to leave.  It was about 3. 

About 3:30 I called and left a message that I might not make bell rehearsal that night.  I was tired, hungry, hadn't even seen DH yet, was sure the dog was really messing up the house.

Surgeon came out from another surgery wand asked why I was still there.  I told him and he said that 4 hours in recovery was standard for this surgery.  I said that no one had told me that.  I could have eaten, gone home to walk the dog, not been worrying about what was happening in the back.  That PO'd me just a bit.

There were only 3 of us left in the waiting room and it was getting dark.  Finally, about 5, they told me he was in a room.  I gathered my stuff up and found him on the 5th floor.

He looked good except for the bandage on his neck and the drain. We talked for a while and he wanted a book so I said I'd go home and get it and take the dog out etc.

Amazingly, the dog hadn't done anything in the house at all.  She's only 6 months old and I was amazed at her self-control.  I took her out, gave her a little dinner while I tracked down the book. I had a handful of honey almonds (most nut-ritious!) and a bit of stale coffee.

Back to the kitchen for her, back to the hospital for me.  This time it was very hard finding a parking place - and my gas was getting very low.

DH was in his room chomping down dinner. We went for a little walk around the perimeter of the floor and that was kind of tiring.  Talked for a bit.  He's going to slow down and work less.  We're going to travel more.  I've heard all this before so I nodded and said uh huh when appropriate.  We'll see.

About 8 or he was fading so I left.  I could have turned left out of the hospital and gone to the end of rehearsal but i didn't.  I went right and to the grocery store where I got 2 small bags of chips and a sub - and some real stuff.

I took the puppy out again, gave her dinner, called my best friend.  We talked for about an hour, me sipping some wine.  I had my 2 bags of chips, my sub, finished my wine and zonked out, exhausted.

He's coming home today.  The drains, IVs and all are out now, I think.  I have to go back in about half an hour to get him or to wait for the discharge papers.

Then, I'll bring him home, get settled, and head off to my temporary job. After about 7 tonight I can sleep.  Yea!

Then, tomorrow I pick up my Mom to take her to the dentist and the next round begins...

Nothing to fear...

...but fear itself.

My husband is having surgery in less than 12 hours.  He seems unconcerned.  I'm terrified.  I can't talk to him about it because he'd say it was ok, he's going to live forever.  Yadda Yadda.

But I can't help myself.  All these scary scenarios keep running through my mind and it disturbs me.  I haven't been afraid of my own surgeries.  Why does his scare me?  Was he maybe afraid when I had mine but we didn't talk about it?

12 hours from now I hope to be posting that all is well, he's better than ever, going to get out of the hospital sooner than planned.

I'm saying my prayers and have people praying for him and for me.  Maybe it's always harder on the person who isn't the patient, the one who waits for the good news while trying to stay calm.

So now I try to sleep, so I can be calm tomorrow, ready for whatever news the surgeon brings.