Angie....Angie...

Ain't it good to be alive? Heart Chronicles #2

Hey From Rcovery!

I have had some good times in hospitals and most of those good times revolved around when my cousin Janice worked intake/reception at the Emergency Room at Long Island Jewish Hospital on Long Island.

When I was a college student I used to ride my bike everywhere and it was another form of exercise and, well, I did not have a car. When my cuz worked at night I would give her a call to see if there was any mad nonsense going on at the ER and if so, I would avoid it. If things were quiet, I would ride up and visit her.

Pauline (my sister-in-law) and my cousin Janice

Slip-sliding away on my bicycle through the gritty, humid arterial roads like Jericho Turnpike and Hillside Avenue and the like was always fun. Most of the riding was done via the suburban streets, gliding between homes and kids and sprinklers and dogs.

I’d be smoking a joint, maybe listening to music on my portable tape recorder. This was well before walkmen and iPods or mobile phones. Jan would be hanging out waiting for some shit to hit the fan and I would get introduced to a variety of hospital workers from orderlies to nurses to technicians and we would chat and hang around until they had to shoot off to care for someone.

Back in my younger bike riding days

Sometimes we would go out to Jan’s VW and get stoned with some of these people and I can recall much laughter and joy. I think most of these folks were doing this sort of partying before they left for the day. Who knows, everyone was stoned back then if you were a particular age, it was part of our culture.

LIJ

Well, my counterculture and friends at least.

Now it just seems like everyone is stoned.

By the way, 45’s Dad, Fred Trump had his last breath at LIJ Hospital.

Those hospital visits were fun.

Unfortunately, many of my other visits to family and relatives revolved around mortality and or pain. Those of you who know me understand that losing my Mom at the age of 17 involved hospitals and health care for many months. The smell and the light inside those institutions bring on some latent PTSD.

Leading up to the ‘angie’ had me filled with stress before the event. The procedure seemed simple enough sending a wired camera to look at my heart via an artery in my wrist. My stress was that maybe they would find other complications in my arteries.

My dearest friend and comrade Tony had arterial issues and an aorta that needed work in 2021. He left us soon after a very lengthy surgery where problems arose.

I miss him so much.

Tony

Prepped and ready to go by 8 AM they told me they would be sedating me and taking some pictures.

“Here comes the juice!”, my cardio physician announced.

Someone said, “No singing or stupid jokes!”

“I don’t feel the stuff working at all”, I declared.

I looked at the screen and saw the wire edging towards my heart and passed out.

Not from fear just the drugs and the lack of sleep. Benzos hit me hard and fast.

The next thing I know I am being wheeled into the recovery area and that was it.

Damn, I was hoping to at least get a bit loopy or be sedated just enough to watch the procedure.

Long story short, I met with the surgeon 10 hours after I checked in and about 6 hours after the procedure. Nothing moves fast in hospitals. There is so much sitting around I was thinking of opening up a food truck or planting some vegetables.

We shall call my surgeon Pedro. Pedro arrives and he runs through the facts and figures and we do a lengthy question and answer period that goes to close to 40 minutes.

Gut feeling, I liked Pedro. I like my cardio dude too.

People tell me to get a good team and so far these players and this hospital seem to be ticking all the boxes. No one is rushing me to do anything I do not want to do myself.

What did the pictures show?

No other issues except severe aortic stenosis, that is calcification of the valve, which makes the opening smaller. In brief, Aortic valve stenosis is a thickening and narrowing of the valve between the heart's main pumping chamber and the body's main artery, called the aorta.

The rest of my arteries and my heart are all very good I was told.

My anxiety has eased. This will increase as we near the date of the surgery. The day or so after the ‘angie’ I was a bit teary and emotional. I assume from the drugs but maybe because they were messing with my heart.

I was tired for a couple of days but now I am back to however normal I usually am. Go ahead, make jokes, please!

So the surgery will be Open Heart Surgery and I will become part of The Zipper Club. The healing process I understand is worse than the 1% chance of dying. I am sure before they put me under I will be thinking heavily on that 1%.

That covers it for now. I will remain busy.

May 7th is the date for my appointment with Pedro.

This week I have 4 gigs and a Pies match to attend. 3 of those gigs are with this band Wilco I sort of like.

There is no reason to slow down, just don’t over-exert, is what I have been told.

I have not stopped dancing or living an most of all loving.

I will be mindful because I want more time with all of you.