"Steve's Fixed!"

Date: Mon, 09 Nov 1998 15:29:37 -0500

From: Herb Nelson at the Scene Shop

Subject: STEVE'S FIXED!

STEVE GOLDBERGER HAS A NEW LEASE ON LIFE!

just talked with dorie, steve is okay in I.C.U.! everything went great! on his feet day after tomorrow, tennis in three to four days, tri-athelon at six days. (the first one is true)!

HOO-HOO

the man is alright

HOO-HOO

we'll toast him tonight!

i have been thinking 'bout my good friend steve all day. his friendship (& dorie's & dogs) mean an awful lot to me, and am very glad to know he's gonna be alright!

-Herb

It is now Sunday morning November 15^th/98, the start of my second full day at home. 8:30 am, drinkin' green tea, with a shortbread cookie on the side and Colin James on the stereo. We've finally broken in to all of the fantastic gift baskets and will be pigging out on sweets, fruits, and other fine treats till we 'splode. So far I've lost about six pounds as a result of this ordeal, but I don't really want to gain it back. My tummy is definitely smaller than it was (a good thing) and perhaps my appetite is stunted by the fact that my chest actually hurts when I eat. But knowing me, and how I love food, that won't last. Although with the walking routine I will have to develop for my rehab, then maybe...?

I certainly overdid it yesterday, my first day home. I awoke pretty early in pain and quickly took two pain killers along with the rest of my meds. I had no appetite so I skipped breakfast. Within an hour I was feeling pretty nauseous and figured that maybe my first real good shower at home was long overdue and would make me feel better. The shower was great. There are still glue marks from tape and bandages on my skin that I can't get off even after scrubbing with a loofah, but they will come off eventually.

Speaking of tape and bandages, after my angiogram bandage came off I realized that I must be allergic to the glue on those "elastoplast" style cloth elastic bandages. I had awful itchy red welts on my skin for weeks afterwards. The only relief I could get was to regularly spread on some cortisone cream. So, when I checked in this time I thought it wouldn't hurt to mention this reaction. I am glad I did. They actually took it seriously. You know that when you are in the hospital they put an ID bracelet on your wrist. They also put a second red bracelet on you for your allergies and other alerts. So on the red "allergic to penicillin" bracelet they added that I was allergic to Elastoplast. It was a good thing too. Whenever possible they used other types of bandages but even so today I have several areas with the same red itchy marks. I can live with this and am just thankful that I mentioned it, otherwise I'd really be in a mess if they'd used the elastoplasts for everything as they usually do. Lesson learned. I doesn't hurt to speak up even if it sounds stupid. I can save a lot of agro later.

Unfortunately I didn't feel much better after the shower so I took half a gravol and crashed out for a while. Herb drove in from Niagara-On-The-Lake with fresh pastries and flowers from the morning market and arrived about 11:30. We made espressos had a nice time seeing each other again. He is really a true good buddy to both me and Dory. He also said that during the ginormous wind storm this week a huge branch blew off our willow tree in the back yard of Dory Cottage and took out a portion of the fence. Gee, I guess I missed that wind storm. What wind storm? Anyway he said he was happy to chop up and get rid of the branch for us. Free fire wood for all his pals. I offered to call a tree guy but he insisted it would be no sweat. This is really some guy.

About a half hour later, Dave Pearce and Dawn Duvall (old friends and singing mates) dropped by followed shortly there after by my bother Larry and sis in law Glenn. Herb took off and then my parents arrived. It was a little much. I felt pretty good at the time being well rested and heavily drugged. But by around 1 or so I started to fade and I retired upstairs to the bedroom with a bowl of my mom's chicken soup. (It is true what they say about Jewish mom's homemade chicken soup. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise!)

Spent the rest of the afternoon watching last week's taped Law & Order and other taped shows. Going back and forth to the laptop. All in all by the time I made it back to bed with lights out it was close to 11pm and I was exhausted and in very bad pain. I took more pain pills and lying there in the dark awake, I felt like I was hallucinating. It was like dreaming while you are awake. It was very bizarre. So I got up and forced down a little snack to hopefully counter act the drugs.

I had a similar experience on Thursday night in the hospital. It was to be my last night. I was feeling really up. They had finally removed the last wire protruding from my body and I was going to be free! I spent most of the evening phoning anyone I could. I was so elated. (It turns out they had overlapped my medications by about an hour, so I was double dosed for a while - stoned again!). I was going to sit in that chair as late as I could. There was no way I was going to get back into the hospital bed for my last night until I absolutely had to. I had some long conversations with pals, watched Thursday night TV and walked the halls. I visited Mr. Utter who was doing fine but needed to stay one extra day. We had a nice chat. He and his girlfriend seemed much more at ease now that their ordeal was almost over. I gave him this web site address and suggested he check out some of the other heart related links as they were so helpful to me.

The I See You

(Or "ICU")

Flat out on my back in the ICU "smokin' that weird pipe"

From what I am told, family and friends waited in the general large waiting area for most of the operation and around 2 pm were told they could go up to the Cardiac ICU Waiting Room, a packed little room on the second floor next to the OR's. Around 3 pm Dr. David came out and with all huddled round explained that everything had gone well. I was fine. He was unable to save my valve and replaced it. All would be ok.

The family was allowed to go in and see me, two at a time, while I was still unconscious. And about three hours later when they induced me out of the anesthetic, Dory came in and apparently talked to me for quite a while. Larry was brought in too and they both conversed with me. I have no recollection of this at all. However apparently I was very funny. Dory was telling me how she suggested to Herb that the Niagara boys have a scotch for me and when I heard that I held up two fingers, and said "two scotches". Hee hee hee.

I don't remember much of the ICU experience except that the nurse Catherine, was really nice and kept giving me ice chips to suck on for my very dry mouth. I also remember that at one point Dory had phoned in to see how I was and they said I could speak to her. The phone wouldn't reach the bed so they rolled the bed, monitors and all, closer to the desk so that we could have a few words. I thought that was above and beyond the call. I recall several instances in my hospital stay where nursing staff went above and beyond and I am truly grateful for it.

Another happy camper at Camp I See You.

I also was not awake when they pulled the breathing tube out of my throat. Thank goodness for that. But I did have a ton of other stuff coming out of me:

• Heart Monitor wires attached to electrodes (small round sticky pads) on my chest arms and legs; These were kept on me until the day before I was released;
• Chest Drainage tubes (2) just below the surgical incision to remove fluid, blood and air that collect in the chest after surgery. These were removed on Wednesday morning. Not pleasant but quick removal;
• Arterial Line tube was in an artery in my wrist during surgery and used to monitor blood pressure continuously during surgery and to obtain blood samples. This was removed in the ICU. Almost a week later, I am still bruised.
• IV lines. One in my arm and one in my neck. The hand IV was removed the day before my release and the neck IV was removed the day after surgery.
• Bladder catheter. This was the most bizarre as it was an orange tube going up my penis to my bladder to drain my pee. I didn't even know it was there until they moved me from the ICU. It was virtually not an issue for the first day or so as I was pretty immobile anyway and I couldn't tell whether or not I was actually peeing. No muss no fuss. When the nurse finally yanked it out of me on Wednesday, it was a strange sensation and a relief. I remember that several times as I became more mobile and restless, it felt like the tube was falling out and I would nudge it back up and in. I felt pretty stupid about that when I saw how long the tube actually was and how far in it went. Never mind.
• Temporary Pacemaker wires. These were actually two electrical wires just hanging out of two little holes in my chest. Just in case. To be hooked up to a pacemaker. These were the last things to be removed, the day before my release.

As you can probably imagine all of this stuff was pretty restrictive. The bandages, the wires, the tubes, the pain. It was hard to move and had to pretty much just lie there stiff on my back in one place most of the time. This is not easy for me to do under the best of circumstances. I kept getting very bad headaches from neck and back tension and there was no way to get comfortable. The nights were very long. I remember waking up at 2am thinking well it must be breakfast time soon. I'd turn on the tv to see the time and would get very depressed to see that I have at least five more hours to go before there would be any activity. I would usually ring for more drugs at that point.

My War Wound. (I didn't blow up the shot too big for obvious reasons.) The two little marks below the incision were from the drainage tubes.

From: "Claire Hicks"

Subject: Thanks!

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 05:26:00 PST

Steve,

Hello! I don't know when you will have access to your computer again after surgery, but I hope everything went well.

I want to thank you for the entertaining account of what you have been going through with all of this! Let me tell you a bit about myself.

I am a 46 year old mother of two. I am happily married for almost 25 years! Our daughters are both in college, ages 19 and 21. I am scheduled for valve repair or replacement for my tricuspid and pulmonary valves on November 19! My surgery will be at the Mayo Clinic, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN. Don't know if you have ever heard of the Mayo Clinic, but it is THE place to go with major health problems in the US, at least in the Eastern US.

I too have a famous surgeon on my team. He is Dr.Gordon Danielson, who is world reknown. (is that spelled right?) He spent the month of October traveling the world lecturing on heart surgery. :) I do hope he has made it back to Minnesota safe and sound. All this is not new to me. Reading your acocunt of all the tests, worries, and more tests, and especially the waiting time are all too familiar to me. In fact, I want my husband to read your account, you put things so well, I couldn't write it better myself. I think it really brings it all reality.

I was born with congenital heart defects that were immediately apparent. I had surgery in Chicago at 8 months old and 4 years old. When I was nine I had my first open heart. At that time, the heart lung machine was fairly new, and I set lots of records with my long, complicated surgery. I have always felt very blessed to be a part of this world. I didn't have any heart problems again until I was 31 years old. At that time I started having arrhytmias....irregular rhythms in my heart beat. It was not serious, but very bothersome. Because of my past history I think the doctors worried about me. I received a pace maker after a long hospital stay to try to regulate my heart. It was not to regulate it, but to keep it from slowing down too much because of all the meds they gave me to try to slow it down. I had to have the pacemaker redone three twice that summer, as the incision would not heal!! I also had the first angiogram that I remember at that time. I had them as a child, but I had not remembered what they did. I am scheduled to have another angiogram the day before my surgery next week.

Between 1983 and now, I also have had back surgery to have a rod implanted along my spine to straighten mycurvature from scoliosis. I went through a year of recovery from that. My girls were just five and seven then. It was tough for a young mother of two active children. It made me realize, what I am facing next week can't be too much worse. I remember how much pain there was with the back, so I figure it will just be moved around to my chest and I can get through that.

I am having the valve surgery, as I have hit the point where my heart has just been working too hard because of the defects. I have congestive heart failure on my right heart. It is not as serious as left heart failure, when people need a transplant, but it is not good to let it go. I should have much better energy level and prognosis for the future after this surgery.

I would like to keep in touch. I will be using a laptop to stay in touch with family and friends while we are in Minnesota. We are from northeastern Indiana, in Fort Wayne. I am a third grade teacher and job share, teaching only afternoons. I hope to return to school in Feb. or March. So, I will be writing to you again. If I hear from you, super. If I am being a pest.....just ignore me, I will go away. :)

Maybe supporting each other though this recovery will be fun. I would love to hear from your wife Dory also. It may help me understand what my hubby, Gary is going through.

What type of music do you perform? Where do you live? So, I will be anxious to see if I hear from you. Thanks for all the time you put into the account of your ordeal, and thanks for sharing it on the heart patient chat web site.

Best of luck to you as you recover. May God be watching over you and those caring for you. You'll be up and entertaining sooner than you think!

Sincerely and with heart!

Claire

______________________________________________________

From: "Michael T Klem"

Subject: My Nov. 30th Heart Surgery.....

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 11:35:08 -0500

Steve

Thank you very much for putting your website together. Our stories our very similar and I can't wait until your home and I can read about your surgery experience.

Our stories are similar in the "lump in the throat" and the "I've had this my whole life and your just telling me now" categories.

I'm a 33 year old male that was diagnosed(sp?) with Mitral Valve Prolapse when I was 25. I was told that my valve was leaking pretty bad and that I would need surgery probably in my 40's....well things got bad in there a little quicker than we all expected. I was told on March 17th that I needed valve surgery. And now almost 8 months later my time is finally coming.

I feel (like you do) that I have the best surgeon. My valve surgery is being performed at the Cleveland Clinic (#1 ranked heart hospital in the U.S.) and Dr. Cosgrove is doing the surgery. He is my version of "Da Man". He has done over 13,000 heart surgeries and he is the one who invented valve repair in the late 80's. The annuplasty(sp?) ring they use to repair the valve is even named after him. I was told I have an 85% chance of valve repair. Odd though...I was told for my mitral valve that if they need to put a new one in that a metal valve was much better for a young person instead of a pig valve and then needing surgery again in 10 years from now and then having the metal valve put in. Dr. Cosgrove is best known for pioneering Minimally Invasive "key hole" surgery. He did the first one in Jan. 1996. And has done over 1,000 since then. Check these websites out:

http://www4.unews.com/usnews/issue/970728/28cut.html

http://www.ccf.org/heartcenter/patinfo/patsguide/valve.html

One thing they have not had me do is the heart cath.....My pre-op testing is scheduled for Nov 20th and so far no word on the heart cath test. Maybe because I'm only 33.

Anyways, Best of Luck to you!!!!! I can't wait to read your operation and post op experiences!

Mike Klem, Youngstown, Ohio

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 12:36:10 -0500

From: MJ Grant

Subject: Bum Ticker

Hey Buckaroo - I hope you're gettin' by on gettin' by

Day 2 in recovery! yeeeeah 12:10 on Nov 10

This is my first ever e-mail. Mary Jane just showed me how to do this. What a way to communicate. You'll be hearing lots more from me - now, how do I bookmark?

I started a long run yesterday at 12:05 PM and focussed on sending my energy to you. Herb called at approx. 3:30 to let us know that you were in post op.

Way to go Goldy!!

I'm looking forward to seeing that oversized "nasal tubal longata - very scary" posted at the side door when we next commune.

So here we are No more "The Bum Ticker".

It's "Rock Around the Clock" for you from now on.

Although I must admit I like "The Bum Ticker" for an oddball band or maybe we change it to Hum Dinger or Middle Finger or Go Fah you Bassa or Pig Valve Stevie's all Horn Band or "What goes Thump in the Night" aka "Thank God it's Stevie Making all that Racket - Babum, Babum, Babum."

I just read your ongoing journal and will keep checking as things improve. Just livin our lives easy come easy go.

Later- hi Dory- love ye - Perry

Wed, 11 Nov 1998 04:04:29 PST

From: "Deanie Henderson"

Subject: aortic valve replacement

Dear Steve,

I read your story and am encouraged by your open attitude. I'm curious about whether or not the docs mentioned the word Marfan to you or not. I have an enlarged aorta but not big enough to do the surgery yet so I wait..I hope yours goes well. Dr. David I hear is wonderful as is Susan. He usually comes to our Research Dinner. Hoping all is well will be checking for updates.

Deanie

Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 11:02:02 -0500

Subject: Re: Today's Bum Ticker Update

i hope you folks don't consider this news of Steve's recovery a nuisance, but i thought you would like to know that i have spoken with him on the phone, and apart from being horribly sore, and whacked-out on morphine, the boy sounds very alive for someone who has just gone through this sort of surgical ordeal. i am going to visit this aft. with him and all he asked for was an esspresso, so i think he's probably okay now!

see ya on the flip-side- herb

Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 17:25:31 -0500

Subject: Re: Today's Bum Ticker Update

steve looks fantastic! (really, i mean fantastic, as in you cannot believe that the docs at the place he's at worked on him only two days ago, and he had tubes and stuff coming out of him yesterday, and is walking today.-seems sorta-like fantasy to me!) dot is relieved that all is well in the world right now, looks great, and is bubbly and fine and dandy!

i won't promise a whole lot of news until he is home and all happy,special and fresh. (probably sat.)

bu-bye , herb

Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 16:24:01 -0500

Subject: Welcome home!

So I here ya was sprung! This is such good news, or were you being so bad that they threw you out??!!!!!

Told ya that it wouldn't be long before you were/are chasing Dorothy around the house(s)!!!! Good work Steve! Keep it up!!!!!!!! OOPS!!!!!! That sounded a bit funny, oh well run with it!

Love

Darlene and Doug

p.s. now that you have left the bum ticker behind, what is the replacement called?

new ticker

best ticker

gooder ticker

happy ticker

fabulous ticker

feel good ticker

ticken ticker

tick tock ticker

ticking ticker

tickling ticker (?) another oops!

tough ticker

durocell ticker

everyready ticker (?) oops!

From: "Broyles, Julie A.

Subject: RE: submitting a tape

Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 16:06:37 -0800

NNers are still thinking of you, wishing you all the best for your health and well being. Let us know how you are when you're up to it. I've gone through the experience as a family member of a loved one who had a similar surgery, and I know how very tough things can get, and that recoveries are very often up and down processes. But I hope your attitude and spirit are strong, and those around you as well, because these are the things that prevail over anything and everything else. While your situation is probably different from my Dad's experience, he was only given one year max to live after an unexpected and complicated surgery and recovery, but that was eight years ago and he's still here and as ornery as ever. It was all about hoping and loving.

All the best, Julie.

Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 09:00:08 EST

Welcome back, Steve! Congrats on such a healthy experience. Should we be sending your doctor email messages, too?

May God continue to bless you and your family!

Lisa Day

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Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 22:39:26 -0500

Subject: Way to go dude!

Steve,

Home sweet home it is!! Welcome back buddy!

I bet Dory's so happy (and warmer!) having you lying in bed beside her. Bailey too...she needs you to lean on....well, shit...don't we all.

Your journal is so amazing. I've seen by some of the e-mails you post, that you're a source of comfort, inspiration and faith for some strangers facing the same road. Was grinning like hell reading about your butt hanging outta the hospital gown! Why don't they just wax you instead of shaving? Hospitals! What do they know about the art of hair removal, eh!

I decided to let you chill for a while before asking for "visitation rights". Figured you'd need some time to get settled at home and get your strength back up. But, low and behold...when you're ready....lookout! I'm a comin!

Lots of love to you & Dory...a special hug for Dory. I know how hard it can be to be on the outside where all you can do is wait. And drink waaaay too much coffee!

Tessa and the hairy kids XOXO

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Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 12:39:56 -0500 From: MJ Grant

Subject: Welcome home!

Dear Steve:

Welcome home!

We have been staying tuned to all the information channels on your recovery and have been heartened (pun intended) to hear that you have been doing so well.

Perry and I are hoping to bring lunch and ourselves for a visit on Thursday - and needless to say we'll check in that morning to see if you're feeling up to it. Any menu requests? Consider anything possible!

We are so looking forward to seeing you and Dory and will stay tuned for news and updates.

Love, MJ

P.S.: Perry, Eric and Dave did a nice job as a jazz trio at the Grey Gables fundraiser event last night. Still, whenever I looked at the stage I kept thinking to myself, "Something - no, someone - is missing from this picture!"

Updated Nov. 16th/98

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Part 13 - It's Been A Week Since Surgery / Back to Index