pagtakas ng 2022, pagsagip ng 2023 (part 2)

[ABOVE: Post surgery care and monitoring, thanks to Timaru HDB, including Dr Van der Bergh, one of the docs who detected my heart murmur. thanks Precious Reader for bearing with me, currently posting without a laptop.]

IF BY CHANCE YOU’VE followed the posts here a few months back, and you’ve had family with heart issues, you might have an idea what happens during heart surgery.

I was a first-timer, and moreover no one in my immediate family or circle of friends had heart surgery before. Here’s what I was told:

• My breastbone and a couple of ribs were cracked and sawn through;
• I was in deep sleep between 8am and 2pm my big day (incidentally 48 hours before my birthday) but was just about knocked out till late afternoon.
• during most of this time a heart-lung machine did the breathing for me. I’m guessing I received the meds Michael Jackson became addicted to. I’m also guessing the side effects were nausea and dehydration not just from the mess but the general anesthesia.
• because of the above, I woke up and threw up every hour for half a day after surgery. Looking back, it was a small price to pay.
• a summary of the pain the first week: “you’ll feel like you’ve been run over by a truck” was the accurate prediction the surgery registrar (senior Doc) gave. Indeed, I felt tenderness and soreness all over but especially in the chest area, was constantly lightheaded from all the meds and painkillers taken, and yet was pressured to start walking around 48 hours after surgery, to avoid atrophy (shrinkage) of muscles.
• (Last na ‘to) I was on 16 meds, that 8 different meds taken twice daily for the heart, for recovery, for the side effects, for heart rhythm, for nausea, dehydration, weakness and everything else you can think of.

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UP UNTIL a month later I was still on post surgery drugs but was already starting to recover. Sick leave was quickly running out, and I was still awaiting paperwork for my new employer (actually my old employer that gave me a 2nd gig, another chance).

I had nothing to complain about. For sure I was in pain, couldn’t help look after Baby Dumpling, our 18-month old, even if I wasn’t working. Every day seemed like a week as I was in limbo and I was unable to help wife Mahal do things needed to organize and manage the house.

If it weren’t for the help of family and friends it would’ve been doubly difficult for us, but we held on til I was officially hired by my old employer, and this time we were on our way to Auckland.

***** ***** *****

I had a rough 2022 and it took every last bit of good luck, blessing and kindness from friends, family and even strangers to pull me out of the deep mess I was in.

positive thoughts, prayers and the New Zealand public health system are something Mahal and I will always be grateful for.

Thanks for the memories but I won’t be missing you 2022, well hello there 2023!

missed you a lot, managing salamat Precious Reader!