Three weeks since double bypass surgery.

[dentheman]

I know it has been a long time since I have posted here, so I thought I would check in. April 24 my daughter 'made me' go with her to her doctor, where he listened to my heart and said "it's skipping", and called an ambulance to take me for double bypass surgery that evening. I had been in denial, but my daughter saw through it when I could no longer walk my dog around the block and I was hiding chest pain.

Now I am feeling pretty good, but still tire easily and am limited in what I can lift, etc. That should improve as time goes by.

I did have a 2013 Honda NC700X on order at the time, scheduled to be delivered to the dealer the first week of May, when I would still be in the hospital, but the dealer called and said it would be late. As luck would have it my doctor examined me mid May and said it was now OK for me to drive; and about an hour later the dealer called and said the bike had arrived and could be ready for pick up the next day. Yeah, I rode it, but I'm sure the doctor meant that I could drive a CAR, NOT A MOTORCYCLE.

[bpdchief]

Good for your daughter! Glad you're going to be around a bit longer :) It sucks being a man - facing the fact that we're not invincible, blaming the shortness of breath on too many fries with the burger, chest pains as something we get for getting older.

I've never met you brother and I'm still glad you got things checked out. Enjoy the new bike in moderation at first... ease into it. Now you have a good reason to slow down a bit and smell the roses or bluebonnets as the case may be.

[JWR]

I was ready to ride before my Doc would give me the O.K.

Been a little over 7 yrs. since my quad bypass.

I had to go back about 2 years later and have stents put in for both legs.



Get well and enjoy that new Honda. :2tup:

[burkbuilds]

I'm glad your daughter insisted that you get checked out. Hope you recover completely and quickly. Enjoy the new ride, glad you are going to be around to ride it now. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Give your daughter a big hug from all of us. The age thing and minor pains can be very deceiving. Luckily my Doc listened to my heart earlier today and I got a clean bill of health. My health isn't changing much as the years pile up. I am very grateful for that.
Back in 1980 I was talking to my Dad in the driveway. He casually rubbed his chest as if a bug bit him. No big deal........right??
He died the next day. I never knew he had a heart murmur and had stopped taking his meds when he felt better. He made a fatal decision by not continuing his treatment as required.
Heal up, do your doctor's orders and take some pics of the new ride for us. We will also require a ride report when you are up and mobile. Take care dentheman.

[blaine]

Glad to hear that you are on the mend.We take our health forgranted till it's too late.I ended up loosing my voice box because of not getting regular check-ups.Take care & as W.W said.... pics please.
:) :cool:

[jonathan180iq]

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/happy-old-man-holding-crutch-18420946.jpg

Perfect timing!
Welcome back to the club! ;)

[alantf]

my Doc listened to my heart earlier today and I got a clean bill of health.

Looks like us oldies are all dropping to pieces. I've got to go in for a minor op, shortly, on my waterworks (an old man thing :roll: )So today I went for the pre op checkup. Blood test, x ray, ECG, then next tuesday I've got to check in with the anaesthetist, so if I've any problems they should find them. BTW, it's sod's law that I've been on the waiting list for over a year, and everything's coming to a head when I've got my flights booked to my daughter's in England, for a holiday on the 10th of June.

[Water Warrior 2]

Alantf, it could be worse. Just be thankful you have modern health care to keep you ticking an kicking.

[JWR]

my Doc listened to my heart earlier today and I got a clean bill of health.

Looks like us oldies are all dropping to pieces. I've got to go in for a minor op, shortly, on my waterworks (an old man thing :roll: )So today I went for the pre op checkup. Blood test, x ray, ECG, then next tuesday I've got to check in with the anaesthetist, so if I've any problems they should find them. BTW, it's sod's law that I've been on the waiting list for over a year, and everything's coming to a head when I've got my flights booked to my daughter's in England, for a holiday on the 10th of June.







:shocked:

[alantf]

Yeah... it's not like in America. In Europe we pay into the National Health Service by Social Security Payments while we're working, so everything after that is free - doctors, prescription charges (i.e. free medication, for the retired), and all hospital bills. Problem is, everybody is using the service, so there's a waiting list for surgery. If I had private insurance, I'd get it done straight away, but in Europe that's only for the wealthy. Because I'm in Tenerife, and retired, the English Social Security pays Spain to have me in their National Health scheme. :)

[dentheman]

Thanks to all for the kind words.

I am amazed by one thing in particular. No, not the medical technology, but the fact that I had smoked all of my life and tried to quit several times, but after the surgery I have no craving to smoke and it doesn't even cross my mind except when I think about NOT needing to smoke any more. Mentally, it is as if I never smoked.

And I really like my new doctor so far. He wants me to have one glass of red wine a day for the next three months!

[PimpS]

Dentheman! Take care of your health and diet. Red wine is great. Your doctor propably told you also what avoid to eat. Forget pork, fried food... use plenty of olive oil, garlic, fish and vegetables, and you'll be good for a long time...

[Water Warrior 2]

A really big :2tup: on the smoking. You just added 10 years to your life. There are many benefits to not smoking.

[alantf]

Just had another health scare....On Wednesday morning, when I got up, I found that I'd got a fine curtain of black dots over my right eye, with floaters and flashes of light. I thought it'd go away, but it didn't. This morning I mentioned it to my granddaughter, who's a doctor. She made me go straight to my doctor, and get an emergency appointment. My doctor checked it, and sent me straight to the hospital emergency room. She thought I'd got a detached retina. Anyway, at the hospital, the eye surgeon gave my eye a thorough going over. Turns out I've got a Vitreous detachment. That's when the jello that fills the eye starts to peel away from the retina (at the back of the eye) Apparently that's yet another natural ageing process. There's nothing that can be done, except rest the eye and let nature try to heal it. As a side note, he checked the other eye, and said that he could see the start of a cataract, so I suppose I'll be needing treatment for that in another few years. :cry:

[Water Warrior 2]

Alantf, that really sucks big time. That's what we get for living a long time and retiring. Here's hoping the eye heals up with a little rest.
Cataracts are not the same problem as in the past. The lense of your eyes can be replaced and give you perfect vision. Lynda had both eyes done. The first eye was a 13 minute operation and instant perfect vision. A few weeks later the second eye took 15 minutes. Perfect vision again.

As a side note: I just heard the other day that as a retired citizen of the British Commonwealth I also have Health Care benefits if I travel to the Homeland. Yesterday I shelled out $475 for travel health insurance to see other parts of Canada and the U.S.

[Water Warrior 2]

Dentheman................how is the recovery treating you?

[dentheman]

Dentheman................how is the recovery treating you?
It's been over a month and the biggest thing is I still don't want tobacco! The first two weeks the chest incision causes the most problems, a lot of pain when needing to cough or clear the lungs, which happens a lot; mitigated somewhat by pressing the stuffed red heart pillow from the hospital tightly against my chest (I call it my teddy bear). After two weeks the discomfort moves to the two long incisions in my inner thigh, from crotch to knee. At three weeks the staples were removed from my leg (no staples in the chest) which was a completely painless and quick procedure, and the doc says I can drive. Now I am briskly walking my dog nearly a mile around our favorite horse pasture once a day, and I just passed the 600 mile mark on my Honda NC700X and have taken it in for it's 600 mile service (a separate story I will post). I can't lift my leg over the seat and need to use the peg to get on/off, but that has nothing to do with the surgery (it's the other leg); I think that is more age/weight related, but will ask my doc if there is anything I can do to improve it such as exercises. All in all, I am doing well and being thankful.

[dentheman]

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/happy-old-man-holding-crutch-18420946.jpg

Perfect timing!
Welcome back to the club! ;)
Who is the photo, it looks like Marshall Applewhite?

[alantf]

As a non American - who the f*** is marshall Applewhite? :??:

[dentheman]

As a non American - who the f*** is marshall Applewhite? :??:
Cult leader who's followers (and he) committed suicide in the belief that they would go up to a waiting UFO that was hidden in a comet's tail.

[jonathan180iq]

As a non American - who the f*** is marshall Applewhite? :??:
Cult leader who's followers (and he) committed suicide in the belief that they would go up to a waiting UFO that was hidden in a comet's tail.


That's who we'll pretend it is then, as that just adds to the humor :)



It's just a stock photo of an old man with a cane giving a thumbs up.

[dentheman]

Medical bills coming in---I've been paying around $130 to $250 to my doctors, labs, and anesthesiologist as my part after medical insurance makes its payments; pretty much what I expected and it doesn't bother me...BUT...I just received my HOSPITAL BILL in the mail today, I almost had a heart attack! Total charges: $217,133.04! Amount I must pay: $17.05! I have Tri-Care medical insurance as part of my military retirement and have always heard that it is not very good. But I sure am happy with it right now!

[jonathan180iq]

....And this is what is wrong with our country's health care system....

I'm sorry, but the services rendered do not account for $217,000... Life is valuable and precious and without a monetary equivalent, certainly. But, seriously?!? $217,000?

[dentheman]

....And this is what is wrong with our country's health care system....

I'm sorry, but the services rendered do not account for $217,000... Life is valuable and precious and without a monetary equivalent, certainly. But, seriously?!? $217,000?
I must agree with you. That amount is what the hospital charges an uninsured person as well as my insurance company, but the insurance company has an agreement with the hospital to pay a fraction of that amount (in this case only $27,327.17), plus my payment of $17.05 to pay the bill in full. I never did think it was right for an uninsured person to be charged the full rate while someone with insurance gets a break, shouldn't we all be charged the same rate?

[burkbuilds]

Yes we should all pay the same rates or reasonably close. The existing system is just proof that medical services/Insurance are all just a government mandated way to rip everyone off. Just my opinion.

[jonathan180iq]

And it's not like it's just a little break either. Going from $217,000 down to $27,000 is an 87% reduction in price between insured and uninsured.

It's like they just pulled that number our of a hat, similar to what your average retailer will do just before they put lots of items on "sale" or "clearance".

They then probably will take those same uninsured people to court or collections or whatever for non-payment of such a ludicrous amount and we, socially, give those same people a bad stigma or stereotype for "making us pay for their medical bills...'Murrica!"

Whatever... bigger topic. I'm glad you're good and that you don't have to pay a random amount of money to get out of it. :)

[5th_bike]

Denteman, glad you're better now. I just read this post tonight for the first time. No fun getting old indeed.

Just had another health scare....On Wednesday morning, when I got up, I found that I'd got a fine curtain of black dots over my right eye, with floaters and flashes of light. I thought it'd go away, but it didn't. ....

... There's nothing that can be done, except rest the eye and let nature try to heal it. As a side note, he checked the other eye, and said that he could see the start of a cataract, so I suppose I'll be needing treatment for that in another few years. :cry:

Alantf FWIW after the eye doctor told me I had to come back in 6 months for another checkup I found that there are 4 veggies that are especially good for your eyes: (in no particular order) 1) carrots 2) celery 3) parsley 4) endive/radicchio. Raw/cooked/fried no matter how you like them done. So I ate some more of those for a couple of weeks, and at the next checkup she said everything OK and come back in a year.

Hm, thinking back, had hardly any of those for weeks now, maybe some carrots only... to the groceries!

[alantf]

Apart from the endives,I do eat them. Carrots with roast beef. Shredded celery when I cook Chinese stir fried veg. Today I'm making parsley sauce, to go with my grilled haddock.