Visit with new mazer

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ MAZE Alumni Forum ]

Posted by Ken Willis on November 06, 2002 at 01:12:14:

Today I visited a friend who had maze surgery at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle yesterday (11/4/02). They started doing the surgery a short time ago, I understand. I got to know this friend because he and I shared the curse of afibs, and we both had PVAs at Virginia Mason. Mine made my afibs worse (i.e., more frequent) and his held for eight months. On a second ablation attempt, the doctors couldn't access the site they needed to ablate despite numerous attempts.

I believe Ed is 73, and I couldn't believe how good he looked the day after surgery: good color, strong voice and his wonderful spirit intact. He had a full-length sternal incision.

My wife and I took off Sept. 10th to go to upstate New York, hiking and visiting friends and relatives all across the country and back. We got back the day before Ed's surgery. Several times Ed and I talked while we were away, and I gave him a patient's view of the surgery and recovery because I had maze surgery at CC on May 23rd, '02. During the first three months I had episodes of arrhythmia, the last of which was August 23rd, my 3-month anniversary. Since then I've been in very solid NSR and have loved every wonderful minute of it. I am so grateful to CC, Drs. McCarthy and Hammer, my health insurance company, and, especially, to my wife, who devoted herself to my recovery. I got my life back and she got a happy husband out of it.

Ed's wife is at his side while their daughter minds their horses and other critters at their home. I'm really confident that Ed will be free of afibs for good in the long run. He's got a lot of healing and rehab to do, but he's worked hard all his life and is a healthy, strong guy, so working hard to recover will not pose a problem to him, I'm sure. Maybe I can get him to post his progress here. I think it's wonderful that a person his age has enough courage, self confidence and desire for an afib-free life to step up for maze surgery.

Follow Ups:


Post a Followup

Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:


Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ MAZE Alumni Forum ]

WWWBoard 2.0a and WWWAdmin 2.0a © 1997, All Rights Reserved.
Matt Wright and DBasics Software Company