Medical Issues

May 13, 2022 - Hospital Emergency Room: severe pain across entire chest; pain in middle and upper back; diarrhea; nauseated; shortness of breath; trouble seeing; chills; rash on left forearm and left hand

I had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on March 9, 2022. In recent weeks, I have been engaging in cardiac rehabilitation (exercises of legs, arms, back, and chest).

UPDATE: 4:20 a.m., May 14, 2022: I am finally in my hospital room after many hours of testing in the emergency room.

1. Blood Pressure: 94/54
2. EKG: good
3. CAT Scan (chest): good
4. X-ray (chest): good
5. Blood Tests: good
6. Two low-dosage, intravenous doses of Morphine for severe chest pain, some back pain
7. Inhaling supplemental oxygen due to continued shortness of breath

This morning (May 19, 2022), I am having further surgery to my heart and my chest areas. On March 9, 2022, my Cardiothoracic Surgeon and his Cardiothoracic Surgeon's Physician's Assistant initially performed seven-hours-long, quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery. Upon re-entering the hospital on May 13, 2022, with severe pain within my chest, it was determined that I required further surgery to have my sternal plates removed from my first surgery because of a blood infection that had developed and install a wound vaccuum. I require further surgery on my heart and chest areas on May 23. Unrelated, I will also require another six-week-long, daily intravenous antibiotic I has been also determined that the require

Today (May 19, 2022), I required follow-up surgery to my initial quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery that I endured on March 9, 2022. The sternal plates from my first surgery needed to be removed due to a painful blood infection. A vacuum pump needed to be installed within in my chest to remove/suck out any excess infection. Following today's surgery, I was switched from a ventilatory to a nasal cannula, so I am breathing more easily. I had been OK, engaging in weeks of cardiac rehabilitation, but I had to enter the hospital due to severe chest pain on May 13, 2022. On May 23, 2022, I am expected to have further chest and heart surgery. Unrelated, my podiatrist told me that I require another six-weeks-long, daily antibiotic regimen to be administered intravenously due to continuous osteomyelitis (bone infection) in my left foot which I have been fighting for about 10 years. In recent years, I have endured many of these regimens, plus I have endured many surgeries to remove infected bone fragments in my left foot and to remove a benign tumor within my left foot. Also, my failure of both of my kidneys in January 2021 with the subsequent, six weeks of daily dialysis into February 2021 prior to my first heart surgery (on March 9) proved to be mostly OK. I have been told that my kidneys are functioning well now. My kidneys initially shut down due to one of those six-weeks-long antibiotic regimens.

May 20, 2022 - I am experiencing severe pain in my chest following yesterday's surgery to remove sternal plates and to suck out an extreme infection caused by my initial seven-hours-long, quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on March 9, 2022. I re-entered the hospital emergency room on May 13, 2022, with severe chest pain following weeks of cardiac rehabilitation. During my surgery on May 19, 2022, a wound vacuum was installed to remove any remaining infection. Soon after my surgery was completed, I was taken off of the ventilator and switched to a nasal cannula. On May 23, 2022, or thereabouts, a plastic reconstructive surgeon will remove the wound vacuum and reclose my chest. Unrelated to my heart/chest, my podiatrist told me that I require another six-weeks-long, daily antibiotic regimen to be administered intravenously due to continuous osteomyelitis (bone infection) in my left foot which I have been fighting for about 10 years. In recent years, I have endured many of these regimens, plus I have endured many surgeries to remove infected bone fragments in my left foot and to remove a benign tumor growing within a diabetic ulcer in my left foot. Also, my failure of both of my kidneys in January 2021 with the subsequent, six weeks of daily dialysis into February 2021 prior to my first heart surgery (on March 9) was a cause for concern, but proved to be mostly OK. I have been recently told that my kidneys are functioning well now. My kidneys initially shut down due to one of those six-weeks-long antibiotic regimens.