Three weeks since double bypass surgery.

[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.

[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]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

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]

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

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? :??: