Posted by Henry Alken on November 02, 2002 at 17:45:13:
In Reply to: Re: Heart Surgery and Depression posted by Carl Plaskett on October 30, 2002 at 07:23:45:
John,
Unfortunately, I have no helpful answers or suggestions regarding your question about post-surgery depression.I have had two major surgeries. The first, in 1989, was for colon cancer. The chief resident told me that my chances of being alive in 5 years time were 30%. That got me a little depressed but never to the point of not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.
(I mention 'getting out of bed in the morning' since my neighbor, a dear friend, suffered manic-depression and he would stay in bed all day, day after day. He eventually hung himself in the garage while his wife was shopping.)
A month or so after the 1989 operation I got into the swing of going for chemo every Tuesday and then going in to work. I was not depressed. I got my affairs in order and determined to make the best of the remaining years and to enjoy my young children.
Thanks to being in the care of an incredible surgeon, Dr Gerald Marks, I am now cancer-free.
In regard to the second major surgery, the Maze, I was not depressed at all. Compared to the colon surgery, it was a breeze. After the colon surgery I was on Morphine for 3 days and every time I turned in bed, it hurt. After the Maze, I had no pain and never used the Perocet I was given, except to get a good night's sleep. Since I had the Mini-Maze, there were no 'moving parts' and so no pain. I went home happy that the surgery was over and I had not lost any functions or endured a stroke. I was looking forward tremendously to joining Jack's exclusive Maze Club.
As the 3 month point came and went, I started feeling sad as it seemed to me that the cure was not happening. As I approached the 6 month point, I was a little depressed and envious of the folk who had experienced a complete cure. I hated taking those disgusting chemicals with names like Propafenol, Rythmol, Metoprolol, etc. They sound like the Periodic Table from Frankenstein's Lab.
At the 6 month point I received a phone call from CCF's Lisa Keene, checking on my status. They wanted me to go back to Cleveland for an Ablation. The thought of returning to the Guest House again, by myself, for a scary procedure, really depressed me. I had gotten to the point of resignation that I would never be cured.
But that is when the marvelous, caring citizens of Jack's Maze Board. whom I have never met, came galloping to the rescue. I received a long, detailed explanation of the procedure from Steve Giddings, that made me believe it was possible for it to cure me. I received an email full of encouragement and hope from Angie Strand, who had already endured a scary ablation and had come out of it, cured. I received further encouragements from Bill Hawley, Tim Hawkins, Ed Wehan, Carl Plaskett, Thomas Glass and Jack Drum. I felt that if I didn't buck the depression and get my tail over to Cleveland, I would be letting the team down. So I did.
As they say, the rest is history. Since June 14 when Dr Schweikert completed the cure started by Dr McCarthy 8 months before, I have been living a new life. My kids watched me carefully pack up all the meds and dump them in the trash. Every day I marvel that I don't have to hold the wall when I get out of my chair or to be terrified of fainting when I drive my car.
Getting back to your question after this long digression, I never felt depressed for a moment after the Maze. I was full of hope that my years of Afib were coming to an end and would become a distant memory. I did not have one negative effect from the surgery. I had no pain. I had no memory loss. My mind is still as clear as before the surgery.
I feel so good these days that I would do the Maze again, three times over.
Henry
- Re: Heart Surgery and Depression Carl Plaskett 20:32:10 11/02/2002 (0)