A bit of a fever

Our visiting nurse picked up on a small fever I have today.  After speaking with my surgeon's physician's assistant the current thought is there may be a bit of fluid in my lungs.  They've taken some blood for testing, and in the meantime have prescribed more walking and more breathing excercises to rid the lungs of fluid, if any, plenty of fluids to drink, and a bit of tylenol to keep the fever down.

Generally though it's great to be home, and only waking up at night on my schedule, not the hospital's!

REALLY home free...

Well, our Crisco is officially on his way home from the hospital.

I talked to the patient just a moment ago, as Escort Ann Marie tried desperatly to avoid any bumps in the road on the familiar route home. Any sudden movement would certainly hurt like heck, so it's nice to know that Nurse Ann Marie is already taking excellent care of Chris. Not that we had any doubt...

But like I said, the hospital is now a thing of the past. No more questionable meals, since Cook Ann Marie is quite gifted in the kitchen. Although Chris did say he enjoyed a tasty eggplant parmesan yesterday. His comment about the hospital food was that each meal's menu contained at least one really delicious item--it was just a matter of figuring out what that item was before you were served something that resembled a piece of soggy cardboard on a plate. But with no red jello being served at that particular joint, I wonder how difficult it was to find anything as yummy.

The good news is, Chris talked to his surgeon today, and was told that his Ross procedure was one of the best ever performed. That Chris' heart was in the perfect condition to receive the procedure, and that his healing process was moving along brilliantly.

But sorry, Dr. Surgeon. It's no news to us that Chris' heart is perfect. We could have told you that ages ago.

Welcome home, Uncle Crisco.

Thoughtful People!

Just a few examples of some nice things family & friends have done for us:

• Birthday gifts from kids to ease recovery: a tray for eating/reading in bed, a Ferrari model to build, a great handheld racing game - Grid - since I won't be able go drive a real car, popcorn and one of my favorite movies - 3:10 To Yuma - on DVD
• A new master bedroom, some comfy recovery clothes, and countless other things from Ann Marie
• Steak, beer, and The World's Fastest Indian (biographical motorcycle movie) made possible by friends Sean & Matt
• Gutter & roof repair, with all the excitement that comes with a 32' ladder, thanks to brother Ray & friends Matt & Sean
• Care packages for the kids from friends Lisa A. & Randi plus sister-in-law Maggy
• Meals for 1 month coordinated by friend Lisa R; Thanks to all of Ann Marie's helping others, the turnout was unreal - Lisa said she had to turn away about two months worth of additional meal offers!
• Care for our kids from brother-in-law John, sister-in-law Susan, and Ann Marie's mom Elsie
• Colorful cards & posters from my family to brighten my room
• An awesome pillow signed by my family and coordinated by our favorite middle child!
• A movie rental The Game and that much-desired Coca Cola from friend Jeff
• Blogging support from Ann Marie and niece Becky
• Books, music, cartoons, and photos from our kids
• Well wishes & offers of help from friends & family
• More stuff that I probably can't recall!

Thanks, everyone!

Perception

Well I've been up since about 5am after getting my vital signs checked (routine) and asking for the much-sought-after Milk of Magnesia.  That, together with prune juice last night (yuck), and walking about 1/4 mile will hopefully get things moving since the anesthesia, pain meds, and other factors have basically put those parts of me to sleep.  And while I could say "I'll be sure to share all the details as they happen today", something tells me most of you would want to Depend on me keeping the Serenity, Pampering you with other stories, and plenty of Huggies next time we see one another :)

Seriously, though, with recent blog comments you might expect that I'm looking like my usual self.  You should see me shuffling slowly through the hall in my slippers and robe, sipping my prune juice and wearing my seriously out of fashion eyeglasses for purely practical reasons.  You should hear the silly questions I've asked my nurses late at night, and the help I've had to ask for.   Heck there's even a patient here who learned just 4 weeks ago that she'd needed this same surgery, and with a few days more recovery than me makes her scar look like no big deal.  

Well I'm off to take a rest now. It's amazing how just a little 
activity can tire me out! 

He's off and, well, not exactly running, but...

Chris is up and moving! After a nice nappy, he did a slow lap or two. But after getting a little fuel in his tank at dinner, he posted a record 6 laps of the unit! Working first on duration, not yet worrying about speed, he maneuvered the course like a champion.

Obviously his energy is up from the slow start this morning. His pain has been very manageable, not pressing his 'feel good' button hardly at all this evening. Which is good, since I believe they plan on taking it away tomorrow, replacing it with an oral medication that packs less of a punch.

With all the exercise he has had today, I am hopeful that he will fall asleep well this evening. With a good night's rest, tomorrow should be a banner day. It is amazing to me (and to him I think) that he had open heart surgery just 2 days ago! His incision is looking really good - not at all what I expected to see. And he is able to get in and out of bed, or a chair, by himself. Being in such good shape before surgery is really serving him well now. Having strong legs and abs is really helping his maneuvering up and down. I am really proud of him!

Sleeeeeepyyyy....

Well, after many tired hours, I think Chris is finally sleeping. He is doing really well, post-surgery-wise. He just hasn't been very successful at getting his brain to go to sleep. This morning he was able to take a little walk around the unit, doing about a lap and a half. At 4pm I will get him up to do some more walking.

Basecamp

Well there's little doubt that heart surgery is like climbing a mountain.  If you are lucky like I have been, there's time to plan the trip, multiple routes to choose from, and plenty of experts to consult.   Once you set out, there are parts of the climb steeper or trickier than others,  surprises along the way, and hopefully when the trek is complete, a wonderful view from the top.

So I guess I can say I've made it to basecamp, and from here I can see what looks like a superb summit in the distance.  Indeed, I never guessed I'd be awake most of the day joking with Ann Marie and the hospital staff, and sitting in a comfy chair tonight blogging from our XO laptop.  Granted I'm a bit tired after a largely sleepless night last night, and after a diversion today to find the right mixture of pain medications I'm rather worthless.  But one thing's for sure -- I'm looking forward to tomorrow's challenges.  Who knows, maybe I'll blaze a new trail down the hallway!  

Great view from my new room

Great view from my new room. It's private too - boy I'm gonna sleep GREAT tonight!

Goin' Mobile!

Well, Chris was just transported to the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit. Adios CCICU! He was transported in his comfy chair, down one floor, and over one building. Mom and I am in the holding pen until they get him all settled in his new digs.

Before leaving the CCICU, he was served his first hospital meal - all liquids, of course. He loved the apple juice. Tasted the beef broth. And even ate the jell-o! Mmmmm...... greeeeen jell-ooooo!!

He is in great spirits, but dog tired, not having slept much since coming out of the anesthesia fog yesterday. He is looking forward to being in a more quiet environment than the always active CCICU. I have a feeling he is going to really zonk out as soon as he is settled in.

Just tried walking. Strong muscles,

Just tried walking. Strong muscles, but too light-headed for more than a step or two!

Aah... the wonders of modern medicine!

Well, Chris is looking much less encumbered today!  Like I blogged before, he is free from the ventilator and belly tube, and he also just had his central line IV removed.  I can only assume that this makes his life much more comfortable, being able to move his head without snagging anything.  

Now, most folks complain about hospital food, but Chris has been raving about the chefs supplying the CCICU selections.   They have supplied him with the most delectible ice!  He also started sipping water, which might have well have been a sparkling glass of Dom Periognon for as much as he enjoyed it.  He had dreams of going out to the local brew pub with his friend, Jeff, bellying up to the bar, and ordering a frosty glass of --- Coke!  It's the simple things in life....

His daytime nursing care has been stellar.  He had a visit this morning from the nurse he had when arriving at the CCICU yesterday - just to check in on him and say 'hi'.  She was really im pressed with how good he looked, and regrettted not being assigned to his care again today.  She was FABULOUS yesterday.  His nurse today is very nice as well, as are the rest od the staff I have met today. They are crackin' jokes with Chris, and keeping him as comfortable as possible. The night care, though,  could have been better...

The CCICU is getting him out of bed this morning, and sitting in his own comfy barco-lounger - Looks like he should have a remote in one hand, and a soda in the other (and maybe some clothes - the hospital gown kinda ruins the look!)  But sadly, no big screen TV in sight.  He will remain in the chair until they have a bed in the Cardiac Care Unit, where he will moved to later today.  Yea!

Good News & A Great Nurse

My 3rd IC nurse just said my incinsion is dry & has healed quite well. Can u belieue she's so cool she's happy with me blogging while she rebandages me!

Hello! It's me in the ICU

Hello! It's me in the ICU. Great hospital here. I'm having some great moments like typing this msg on my phone. Ann Marie is blogging soon.

Sounds like he had a good night!

It was great to spend hours with Chris after his surgery yesterday! He looked much better than I expected - looking liking his regular self, just with a little extra tubage :) Chris seemed to be tolerating the vent - the part he was least looking forward to in all of this. Though he couldn't talk, and his arms were constrained until the vent comes out, he did a great - and very patient - job communicating with me by spelling things out with his finger on the sheets. He is a remarkable guy - making me laugh, even while in the CCICU!

I stayed as long as they would let me last night - finally getting the boot at 9:40pm. He was going to sleep when I left, with pictures of the kids taped to his bedside, and ear plugs in his ears. He was sleeping peacefully at 11:30pm when I called to check on him. Then I did the same.

At 6:15 this morning, I was so happy to be told that he was extubated last night. He was apparently comfortably listening to his MP3 when I called. I can't wait to see him this morning. I expect he will be much more comfortable today without that tube in - and having free movement of his arms!

Gotta get ready to get on the road. More later...

home free

I just got off the phone with Ann Marie.

Chris (or should I say Crisco?) is out of surgery. According to his surgeon, everything went as planned, and actually couldn't have gone better. His surgery took a full four and a half hours, but Ann Marie got to receive regular updates in the waiting room, so time flew by quickly. At least on her end of things.

Now that he's off of the operating table, our favorite patient was just wheeled past his loving wife and whisked off to the cardiac intensive care unit, where he'll stay for the next 24 hours. Don't worry, it's typical procedure to treat him as though he's in critical condition, even though he's doing just fine. They'll keep him closely monitored since it was such a major surgery, but sometime tomorrow, should everything go well, he'll be moved to the regular unit. With the other regular people shuffling around in hideously ugly hospital gowns, spoon-feeding themselves green jello and moping about how their tiny TVs don't get any of the good channels.

So Chris, as you recover, we'll be thinking of you and praying for a speedy recovery. Hoping you at least get cherry-flavored hospital cafeteria jello. That's by far the best kind.

Update from Ann Marie ....

Update from Ann Marie .... Got another call from the OR - Chris is off of by-pass and doing great. Should be done by 3pm.

Update from Ann Marie ....

Update from Ann Marie .... Just got update from OR-all is going well. I was happy to hear the Ross procedure is underway.

Update from Ann Marie ....

Update from Ann Marie .... Just spoke with Dr. Cameron-he is starting the surgery now, and Chris is doing fine.

Update from Ann Marie ....

Update from Ann Marie .... We're on our way to Hopkins. Glad to get the ball rollin'...

Speaking of 7:30am ...

I'm now scheduled to get to the hospital at 7:30 tomorrow morning (surgery is something like an hour afterward). Hey another 2 hours of sleep compared to what this morning was supposed to be like! Never got a call back from the disability insurance company, so I enjoyed the day off today :-)

Isn't technology great?

I was listening in on a corporate "town hall" meeting several years ago where a brand-new VP was taking questions -- admirable for a guy just a few weeks on the job. Things hadn't been going well for the company as the Internet bubble burst, and some of the employees on the conference call were clearly frustrated. One person asked in great detail why our flagship e-procurement software had a particular bug, one likely attributed to some of the lofty goals, new technologies, and short deadlines behind our product. The employee rattled off the background of the issue in such great detail that there was really no way for the VP to answer intelligently. The first words out of the VP's mouth? "Isn't technology great?".

With that, I've heard the email feature on this blog isn't working as advertised. Sorry about that! A few things to check before you give up:

• When you subscribe you'll need to respond to a confirmation email
• If you don't see the confirmation email be sure to look in your spam folder
• If you still don't see it, it's OK to re-try subscribing

If you've responded to the confirmation email but still aren't receiving emails, I'll just have to ask that you visit the blog web site instead of waiting for email. Then some day when it's working again you can say "Remember the days when we actually had to open a web browser to read someone's blog?"

And out west it's 7:30am

With the wheels of short-term disability underway, I called the insurance company earlier to see if I'd screw things up by working today. Now, granted, while I've been known to have a decent work ethic, I'll also admit I have a great job -- so working today seems natural to me. Anyway, it turns out my case manager wasn't in her west coast office yet, so I've got some time to hang out until I get the word. With that, I'm taking my Mom's great advice -- start reading a good book before going in the hospital -- then, when you're feeling lousy, it'll be easier to convince yourself reading is a good idea, and the hours will fly by :-)

Not today

Stay tuned!

Still waiting

Mostly likely I'll be bumped to tomorrow, but I'll know more in about an hour. For sure, it's nice not to be the emergency case! In fact, when my surgeon asked yesterday "so how have you been feeling since we last saw each other" he was pleased to hear I was well enough to go mountain & road biking for about 20 miles on Sunday :-)

Delayed ....

Delayed .... An emergency case is bumping me off my early time slot. Woohoo we get to sleep in! Will know new time later.

"Blogging, loud and clear..."

So, friends, I am one of the people that a certain Mr. Krahe has asked to blog on his behalf over the next couple months. I suppose a little bloggy hello is due.

Shall I introduce myself for those who have no idea who they're dealing with? I'm Becky Moseley, Chris' oldest sister's third child. You follow? So, Mr. Krahe is actually Uncle Chris to me. Or Uncle Crisco, as my little sister would call him.

I guess when my siblings and I were a wee bit smaller--okay, a lot-bit smaller, considering my brother towers over just about everything at 6'9"--our Uncle Chris would come out to California on business every so often. One of those times, my sister Grace was confused by his absense either during a family dinner or trip to the beach. She simply asked, "Where did Uncle Chris go?" Then giggled because it sounded like "Crisco". The name stuck. We must not be very exciting people if a name sounding similar to shortening that usually just takes up space in the back of our kitchen cabinets brought on as much laughter as it did.

But alas, we silly few seek to find humor in just about anything. And I am here, blogging away, trying to keep things light and fun amidst a pretty serious surgery. That's what Chris requested of me, so that's what I intend to do.

We're behind you every step of the way, Uncle Crisco! Goopy shortening and all.

Us 1, Hospital+Insurance 0

Long, but successful day. After many phone calls, messages, and discussions over the past 4 months, we finally have the insurance straighted out. All of Ann Marie's ground work, and my I'm-not-leaving-the-hospital-today-until-this-is-resolved, payed off. Here are the funny bits we experienced.

• We started the approval process in May, like what, 4 months ahead of time.
  
• All summer long we got plenty of "it's underway, we'll get back to you next week".
• Early September the hospital says "oh, we have you down as 'self-pay'".
• Soon after the insurance company confirms an authorization letter was mailed to us.
• Today the insurance company says they didn't mail an authorization letter, but not to worry because "it's approved". They give me the authorization number, and, at my request, read the procedure code and description.
  
• It turns out I'm authorized for the wrong thing! While the authorized procedure includes the expected words "valve replacement", it also includes words that explicitly exclude the exact type of procedure I'm having.
  
• The surgeon's office admits the hospital submitted the wrong procedure code.
• We leave messages for our hospital admissions representative, the one who is the liason to our insurance company.
• After calls go unanswered, and Ann Marie encourages me to be persistent, I learn that our assigned admissions person left the admissions group early this month!
  
• We ponder whether the "we have you down as self pay" ball-drop has anything to do with the departure since, it turns out, that was the person's last day of working there.
• I meet our new representative, and with her excellent help, straighten the whole thing out!

Wow. While it's difficult to imagine how those without the time or energy handle this stuff, it's good knowing that the excellent medical care at our hospital more than makes up for its administrative woes. There's no doubt in our minds that even if the insurance mixup wasn't detected and resolved ahead of time, that our surgeon would have performed the RIGHT procedure, regardless of what the paperwork said.

Update from Ann Marie ....

Update from Ann Marie .... Well, i'm at JHU waiting for Chris to finish his pre-op blood work. I guess this is just a warm up...

Responsibilities

Several times during the last few months people have said to me "you seem so ready for this surgery ... you seem to have everything covered". Well if we ignore for the moment that I generally like to be prepared for things, and that I have had several months to prepare, it's easy for me to explain why I've been so motivated to be so "ready". It's because I see it as my responsibility.

First and foremost I've got a responsibility as husband and father. Knowing I had a heart condition all these years, I did my best to stay in shape and eat generally well (except of course for the occasional Costco hot dog ;-). Sure, the kids got tired at times playing soccer or some other high-cardio sport that got me the exercise I needed. Who knows, maybe they'd be shuffleboard champions if it wasn't for me. One of them will even tell you of when I rode my bike around the block like 12 times while they timed me and raced me down the hill in front of our house. It was my way of including them, and having a heck of a lot of fun, while at the same time getting a vigorous workout. And for sure Ann Marie held down the fort while during my many trips to the gym. But while all that exercise couldn't prevent surgery, it's great knowing my good health is part of what qualifies me as a candidate for the procedure I'm having -- that is, one that greatly reduces the likelihood of another heart surgery in my future.

Of course, responsiblities go a lot further than exercise, and extend further than Ann Marie and my kids. Things like prepaying bills, fixing gutters, straightening out finances -- and making sure we have fun along the way -- all factor into my motivation. The less my family has to take care of these tasks, the more they can recover from surgery just like I'll need to. And the better I listen to my doctors and nurses, focusing on recovery and walking after surgery even when I don't feel like it, the sooner I'll be able to come home, talk with family and friends, and eventually return to work.

So, no, it's not that amazing that everything seems "so ready". It's just my job.

How's Chris?

If you haven't guessed it already, this blog will be the place to get updates the day of my surgery and during the days and weeks that follow. I've even convinced a few lucky souls to be my co-authors while I'm unable to get anywhere near a keyboard. Perhaps they'll pop in with a pre-surgery blog post just to say hello :-)

For those of you who want to get updates right away, consider subscribing to this blog via email. You can even receive updates on your phone so messages will reach you wherever you are, though remember your phone might limit the message length. To subscribe, use the 'Subscribe via email' form on the left of this page. You'll need to respond to a confirmation email, and can unsubscribe at any time.

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Great times

It's always been important to me to work very hard at things we must do in life to make time for the things we want to do. Work hard, play hard, I guess you could say. This comes mostly from my parents and siblings, who I've watched put endless energy into the things they love. It also comes from time I lost as a kid in front of the television, watching game shows and bad sitcoms. What I wouldn't give to get those hours back to put to better use!

It should come as no surprise that during the summer there was plenty of "must do's" before my scheduled surgery on September 24th. Ann Marie and I have been tackling them together, dealing with the hospital administration and health & disability insurance companies, getting our finances in order, creating my living will, fixing things around the house and with the cars, setting up a second computer at home, buying comfortable post-surgery clothes, and even setting aside blood for surgery.

So what I made sure of when I wrote each "to do" list, was to mix in the fun stuff. And I'm happy to say we've just about got it all done. I've got to say, that feels great, not to mention how blessed we feel to have had the time, and good health, to do so!

Here's a taste of the high points:

• In July we enjoyed our first official "staycation", which meant doing day trips from home instead of traveling for vacation. The kids said they loved it cuz we'd be able to re-visit the fun places we found -- what a great perspective! Finding fossils on a beach, riding and piloting a schooner on the Chesapeake Bay, paddling kayaks in Annapolis, watching the 4th of July parade and fireworks in our Nation's capitol, have some great battles in bumper boats & laser tag, kids competing in Maryland track & field event, and swimming in some great water parks. Wow.
  
• Also in July we celebrated my Mom's 80th birthday with a reunion. A great photo slideshow tribute, some Euchre, swimming, outdoor games, and plenty of visiting with the ~60 or so that made it!
• We've also done some biking, both on nearby mountain bikes trails and into DC on the Capitol Crescent trail. After a few too many falls I decided to replace the pedals that lock my feet down to traditional pedals, albeit with good traction. Sure, I might eventually learn to ride with my feet locked down, but something tells me now's not the time to be injured doing so!
• Ann Marie and I had a wonderful weekend away near the Virginia / West Virginia / Maryland border, taking a day trip down Skyline Drive in idyllic convertible weather, and stopping at the place where we were engaged almost 17 years ago! Staying on 400+ acres made us feel like we really got away.
• We made a few visits to nearby Silver Spring for church, a movie at a great theatre, shopping, and lunch.
• Ann Marie, sister Susan, and kids travelled to Cleveland to visit family and friends.
• I drove to New Jersey to spend time with great friends from years past, and even had the luck to see my Mom, sisters Patty and Carolyn & families, and brother Bill.
  
• I continued to Lime Rock Park in northwest Connecticut for vintage auto races featuring Ferrari, Bugatti, Lotus, Porsche, and other classics. Perfect weather, camping for 3 nights, and great roads to & from made for a wonderful trip. And in an effort to make the most of my time, I worked each night from about 4 until 10pm -- it sure helped having a laptop and wireless Internet at a nearby restaurant :-)
  

So, two weeks to go and still more to do. Sure, the chores are a bit of an uphill climb, but honestly I wouldn't trade these good times for anything!