From Shag To Shorn

August 27, 2022, early afternoon

Well, I made a valiant attempt at getting myself cleaned up at a nearby salon, but I just wasn't strong enough to complete the entire task. I was able to get a haircut (number 2 buzz cut) and to get my beard trimmed off enough to prepare me for a hot shave. That's when I hit "the wall." I was dizzy, and it felt like I was going to pass out, so I just couldn't endure the hot shave. I received the lather, but no "hot" and no "shave." I was looking forward to it, too.

My wife drove us home while I was having a screaming, possible panic attack in the car. She then wheeled me into our home while I was seated in my transport chair. I got into bed, drank some orange juice, and then proceeded to promptly vomit into a pink basin. I feel better now.

I know I need to push myself to get stronger. This outing was just too much, too soon. My quest for strength continues. While I finished occupational therapy (at home) this past week, I am continuing with physical therapy (at home) at least through next week. 

I was in a hospital and a physical-rehabilitation facility (nursing home) for a total of 70 days (May 13 to June 3, then June 3 to July 21, 2022), so I let myself get overly shaggy.

I had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on March 9, 2022, and then two reconstructive surgeries in/on my chest in May 2022. For my surgery on May 19, 2022, my reconstructive surgeon removed loose, metal sternal plates from within my chest due to a staph infection. For my surgery on May 25, 2022, he cleaned out the remaining infection from within my chest, and he partially closed my chest by first clipping off the tips of my ribs. He then reattached 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 in March 2022 and made worse by my two subsequent reconstructive chest surgeries in May 2022, leaving me with eight deep holes in my chest to heal.

Marie Angela Santos Aileen Santos