Spring is here, the boat is ready but I am not.

[keninaz]

Bought a newer boat last year and found the motor was a bit small. Upgraded the motor but the WX has not been right to break it in. It's only had 5 minutes of run time since I hung it on the boat.
All of the sudden I started losing weight and feeling weak and was hospitalized twice with congestive heart failure.
I have open heart with a 3 way by pass on Wed of this coming week and then I am told a month or two to recover.
Then that boat is going to get a workout!
Getting older is not for the timid and all you can do is deal with the cards that you are dealt. The alternative (death) for me is a sure thing within a couple of months I am told and not much of an option.

 

[gm280]

Bought a newer boat last year and found the motor was a bit small. Upgraded the motor but the WX has not been right to break it in. It's only had 5 minutes of run time since I hung it on the boat.
All of the sudden I started losing weight and feeling weak and was hospitalized twice with congestive heart failure.
I have open heart with a 3 way by pass on Wed of this coming week and then I am told a month or two to recover.
Then that boat is going to get a workout!
Getting older is not for the timid and all you can do is deal with the cards that you are dealt. The alternative (death) for me is a sure thing within a couple of months I am told and not much of an option.

Sorry to hear your story. But realize you will come out the other side of this fine and be feeling great once again. So boating is put off for a few more months. You can recoup looking forwards to getting back at it again. Keep the spirits up and God Bless you.

 

[keninaz]

Just shy of 70 and I am not done with life just yet. My decision to take on this surgery was not easy.

 

[GA_Boater]

After your plumbing is fixed and working well again, you will have plenty of time for boating, keninaz. After the surgery, the worst is the year of blood thinners. Any little scratch bleeds like mad.

Good luck and we have you in our thoughts.

 

[keninaz]

TNX, been on the blood thinners before. I had a heart attack at the tender age of 47, then nothing in the way of problems until now, at least with the heart.
We all know that someday we have to go but that does not mean we have to just give in!

 

[keith2k455]

You have a plan and a good attitude. I'll keep you in my prayers so you get to enjoy more life. Your story is similar to my dad's but he had the bypass at 47. Doctors are very capable now.

 

[keninaz]

I have known a few that had the surgery. Not my idea of fun but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

 

[MTboatguy]

If they can do those without cracking the chest, then you will be great, it is amazing these days what they can do. My Dad had a valve replaced a few years ago and they had to open his chest and we took care of him while he recovered and it was frustrating for him, but it seems these day, they can perform things that we could not have imagine just a couple of years ago, get er done and then get back out fishing!

 

[rogerwa]

While you are on the blood thinners be careful what you do. Especially around your head. My dad had the heart surgery and while on the thinners he looked under the couch for something and bumped his head in the process. The next morning he was speaking gibberish and never really fully recovered his speech. Watch the melon..

 

[gm280]

keninaz, certainly not trying to down play the actual surgery, because it would very important if I were having it for sure. But tons of folks have that same surgery daily now. It is more routine then one would think. And they are up and recovering quicker these days then ever before. So keep the spirits and we look forward to your posting your results soon too. :thumb:

 

[keninaz]

Yes I was told it's the most common surgery done today.

 

[southkogs]

Wow, that's heavy. We'll be praying for a successful op and a speedy recovery for you for sure.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

On the bright side your issue was discovered before you had a heart attack.

 

[keninaz]

I had one of those back in 1993. This time it was really strange. I started losing weight and did not have much of an appetite. 30# gone in 3 months. I had little energy but I just wrote that off to lack of exercise as I have a very bad back I have had fusion on and it's really tough for me to get exercise.
In fact the boat and camping gear so we could camp from the boat were part of my exercise plan.
When I started feeling a funny pressure on my heart I checked in at a cardiac unit and they kept me overnight with severe PVCs and AFib. A change in meds and home again.
Less than two weeks later I was so weak I could hardly walk through my own living room so back to a cardiac unit where the AFib was active and the PVCs (had them all my life and never been a problem but you don't want both!). They kept me 3 days and none of the enzyme testing showed any proof that I had a heart attack this time. Just good luck on my part I guess.
Anyway, they gave me an echocardiogram and found my heart to only be at 10-15% of what it should be and my breaths were getting very short too. So they ran me through the Catheter Lab and found many blockages, Then the decision came for the by pass, I will not make it much longer without it. The meds can only do so much.
Anyway, a follow up echocardiogram showed my heart is now in excess of 30% with a change in meds and time to recover some without all the games it was playing.
So I am ready to get this over with so I can move on with life again.

 

[keith2k455]

Glad you were listening to what you're body was telling you.

 

[keninaz]

It did not give me much of a choice in the matter. It was all I could do to get into the ER the second time around.