he a l t h
By Bettie Miller
Be Careful,
W
When I left for Abbott-Northwestern Hospital on August 3rd, I was scheduled for an angiogram. I did pack an overnight bag in case I had to stay over but I never thought I would be gone until August 26th. My aortic valve had narrowed considerably and I consulted with a cardiologist about a new procedure to repair it without going through open heart surgery. He decided I was not a good candidate for that type of treatment so we consulted further with a surgeon who would repair it surgically with a “tissue” valve which meant using a pig or cow valve. There was some urgency in his voice which made me listen carefully to what he was proposing. He could do the surgery in two days. I could go home for a day but he suggested I stay over for preliminary preparations. If I did choose to go back home would I come back? How much time did I need to think about it? If anything I would decide to put it off awhile. So, I stayed. My daughters came to be with me and the surgery proceeded for several hours. The next few days are fuzzy, to say the least, and when I finally woke up I wondered what I had done – the pain was a reminder of exactly what had transpired. One of the first things I noticed was that my breathing was so easy – I had been out of breath for so long without realizing it that breathing without effort was definitely a plus. I looked at my incision and wondered how a surgeon ever got the nerve to do it the first time. Wow! There it was right down the middle from my collarbone to the bottom of my rib cage. But I was still a live human being. Amazing! I was afraid to move and didn’t attempt it when I was alone. Moving was something that would take time I found out so I spent several days in ICU and finally moved to the next tier. The care was excellent and professional but I didn’t think I would ever move freely again. Ouch! The nurses talked to me about follow-up care and cardiac rehab at a closer to home facility so I had to work on getting up and walking with a walker. After a few more days we made arrangements to move on to Brainerd’s Good Samaritan cardiac rehab program.
It’s My Heart
It was now August 15th. One of my daughters stayed with me and we waited impatiently for my discharge papers. And we waited! We left at ten minutes before three and got to Brainerd at 5:10. It was unbelievable how we flew and no ticket – it seemed like the road just cleared the way for us. So, again I settled in for the next step in my recovery. The first thing I noticed as I was wheeled in was a beauty salon. My hair definitely needed some help after days on end in bed. Call it vanity but I could not wait to get in there and it is quite a sight with all the wheelchair patients. Even before I saw the physical therapist I was in there. It was definitely the highlight of my convalescence. No I knew I could handle anything I had to do as soon as I had a new do. A woman has to feel good about the way she looks! Now I was open to rehab and spent 11 days there. I still could not get in and out of bed without help but something told me things would improve when I got home. More arrangements were made for home care and I finally got home on August 26th. A personal aide and a physical therapist would help me at home for two more weeks. They were wonderful! Soon I was doing calisthenics and taking care of my personal grooming alone. The next step was to walk without help and it was a happy day that the walker went back to the basement where it belonged. A cane came in handy for walking outdoors and I kept increasing my walking time. I was on my way now! As a card carrying numbered valve recipient I joined the ranks of Barbara Bush and Barbara Walters. My cow valve actually has its own number in case of any further invasive surgery I may need in the future.
After an angiogram, Bettie Miller had her heart valve repaired rather than undergo open heart surgery.
Bettie Miller
Bettie Miller grew up in Chicago and moved to Crosslake in 1978 where she taught continuing education and sold real estate for 10 years. Now she enjoys arts and crafts, reading and writing.
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SPRING 2012 | her voice
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2/3/12 12:05 PM