Better, But Still Healing

July 31, 2022 - Today, I am looking back several months ago and realizing how much better I am now, but I am also realizing that there are many more months of healing ahead for me.

On March 10, 2022, my wife took this photo of myself in the Intensive Care Unit at Boca Raton Regional Hospital the day after my seven-hour-long quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery.

I like this photo because I was totally wiped out, absolutely leveled, and my situation looks just so medically technical ... or is it technically medical. You can see the oxygen mask on my face and the intravenous needle stuck in a vein in my neck, plus the equipment to monitor my heart and my other vital signs like blood pressure and pulse rate. At that time, I had electrodes attached directly onto my heart with two wires emerging from my chest that were attached to a monitor.

Initially, I had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on March 9, 2022, but little did I know that my medical "fun" was actually just beginning. I required two reconstructive surgeries within and on my chest just about two months later.

For my surgery on May 19, 2022, my reconstructive surgeon removed metal sternal plates from within my chest due to a staph infection. These plates were installed during my initial open-heart surgery and were not replaced due to my chest infection.

For my surgery on May 25, 2022, my reconstructive surgeon cleaned out the remaining infection from within my chest. He then partially closed my chest by first clipping off the tips of my ribs and then by reattaching my chest muscle flaps to my body.

My surgeon used seven spaced-out sutures to close the eight-inch-long, vertical incision in my chest initiated by my open-heart surgery and made worse by my two subsequent surgeries, leaving me with eight deep holes in my chest to heal. He attached an electric wound vacuum to suck discharge and any remaining infected blood from within my chest and from my wounds. The suction also serves to hold the wounds tighter together to expedite healing. My sutures and my wound vacuum were removed on June 20, 2022.

I was discharged from care by my reconstructive surgeon's office on July 11, 2022, meaning bandages on my chest were no longer required from that day on. My wounds have since healed on the outside, but I require more healing because my chest is still swollen and sore.

July 1, 2022, was my last day of receiving intravenous-antibiotic infusions every day for six weeks for a staph infection within my chest, a blood infection, and the lingering osteomyelitis (bone infection) within my left foot. I received three bags of the antibiotic every day in the hospital and one bag every day in my rehab facility. My PICC line was removed on July 8, 2022.

In recent years, I have endured many of these six-week-long regimens for many cases of cellulitis in both of my legs individually and for the lingering osteomyelitis in my left foot. I have had four surgeries on my left foot due to diabetic ulcers and infections: one to remove part of a decayed bone, two to remove bone fragments, and one to remove a benign tumor that was growing within a diabetic ulcer. I had the latter three surgeries in 2021.

In January 2021, during a similar six-week-long regimen, the antibiotic caused both of my kidneys to fail and brought my white-blood-cell count very close to zero. I required dialysis: four straight hours, seven days a week, for six weeks. My kidney function returned, and my white-blood-cell count soon returned to normal after being switched to a different intravenous antibiotic. While my kidney failure was a concern during my bypass surgery, all was well in that regard.

I was in the hospital and a physical-rehabilitation facility for a total of 70 days. I arrived at the hospital emergency room with severe chest pains on May 13, 2022, had the two reconstructive surgeries, was transferred to the rehab facility on June 3, 2022, and returned home on July 21, 2022, just in time for my wife's birthday the next day.

I am now better than I was, but I still have many more months to heal. I am continuing physical therapy and occupational therapy at home. I was engaging in cardiac therapy (monitored exercising in a gym) right before my last two surgeries, so we know how well that worked out. (Infections can develop if cardiac therapy is started too soon.)

I am remaining strong, although I will admit that I do have my moments of screaming and crying due to severe pain, especially caused by a Foley catheter that I hope will be removed by my urologist on August 4, 2022. I do seem to get better with each passing day, albeit slowly.

I thank my wonderful wife and my terrific mother for all of their help. I also thank you for all of your prayers, well-wishes, and support. Be well.

I thank my wonderful wife and my terrific mother for all of their help. I also thank you for all of your prayers, well-wishes, and support. Let's do it: Stay strong, and be well.