CABG surgery plus four months

CABG surgery plus four months

It’s 16 weeks since 20.5.11 when I published the post before this one. In that time the blogosphere hasn’t been a major focus for me. I don’t know why. I seem to be tuned in to other matters. But today being the 4-month milestone since my CABG surgery, I feel the need to record some thoughts at this time. So here goes:

When I look back over the past four months I can remember everything, or at least almost all of it, in great detail. Yet I can’t really believe, and accept, it’s happened to me. Frequently I look at the long scar on my chest or the one on my left forearm to confirm that, yes, it did happen, and those memories haven’t been somehow artificially implanted into my brain.

Nowadays I am well – physically and psychologically/emotionally. I walk, and run, up hills as well as I ever did. Using a pedometer I ensure I walk at least 10,000 steps each day. (Since I started on 16.7.11 I’ve walked 562,728 steps total, at an average 10,231 per day.) Due to this walking, I’m up to date listening to the podcasts I subscribe to. For weather reasons I haven’t started riding my bike yet; though now Spring’s here I’ll start soon. I have no pain, no shortness of breath, no ankle swelling, no irregular heartbeat. In short, no cardiac symptoms. No, that’s not true; I have two, i.e. my heart beats stronger than before, and my resting heart rate’s 10% higher than before. Also I’m about 4 kg lighter. I’d like to put on 3-4 kg, but the 10,000 daily steps and the low fat/low sugar diet I’m on has so far prevented me doing so.

I take three prescribed medications each day, plus aspirin, fish oil and vitamin C. I still have a couple of medication issues; but they’re minor and, in the greater scheme of things, inconsequential. Anyway plans are afoot to sort them out.

I had blood tests on 19.7.11 and I saw my Launceston cardiologist on 4.8.11. He suggests review blood tests just before 24.11.11 when I’m due to see him next.

On 1.8.11, i.e. exactly 12 weeks postoperative, I resumed work in the clinic. (Before then, some work paperwork reassured me my brain was working properly.) During August I gradually built up my work, and from the start of September I’ve been back to full work. I’m content with the quality of my work, but (pun intended) my heart’s not fully in it. Having been on death’s doorstep, work’s less important to me these days. I’m curious to see if that’ll change in future. I doubt it will.

My darling family is my focus and my inspiration. Sweetheart Vivienne has stood by me and supported me – early on, literally on occasion. And my darling daughters and grandchildren have showered love and concern on me when in truth they don’t owe me anything. My darling sister Sue has been there for me too. Not to mention my friends and work colleagues. To offer you all my thanks is both insufficient and trite. But I do so anyway.

So, in summary, four months on, so far so good. Very good. When I wake each morning I consciously think how lucky I am to be waking up. And that the expertise and technology to save my life was available; and I had ready access to it.

My main aim for the next few months is to continue with my postoperative rehabilitation. I don’t know when it’ll be complete. But at some stage I’ll reach maximum improvement. I don’t think I’ve reached that point yet. Also, hopefully as the months stretch on I’ll become less obsessive about my health.

Other aims are to sell our Mole Creek property, and to begin planning our Musk Vale house which is across the road from darling Kate and her family. I can't wait to live there.

When will I post next on Farmdoc’s Blog. When I’m ready. Hopefully soon.

P.S. I should tell all those who’ve asked me, that my wedding ring was returned to me by hospital staff before I was discharged. I was so happy, and relieved, to have it back.

List: 'Global Gender Gap 2010 Index rankings'

Today’s ‘List Friday’. The World Economic Forum [WEF] is a Geneva-based non-profit organisation founded in 1971 and best known for its Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Its website says it’s impartial, and committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas [1]. Believe that if you will. I’ve previously written that my four darling daughters have made me an honorary woman [2]. So I keep a keen eye on women’s rights. And women’s progress. Or lack of it. Today’s list – the WEF’s ‘Global Gender Gap 2010 Index rankings’ – was released last Tuesday. The Index assesses 134 countries on how well they divide resources and opportunities amongst their male and female populations regardless of the overall levels of these resources. It looks at four areas, i.e. economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, and health and survival. Here’s the media release [3] and the list [4]. The Nordic countries top the list. Apart from Lesotho, the top 15 are First-World and Second-World nations. Of the 134, Australia’s number 23 – below the UK (15), the USA (19) and Canada (20). Israel’s ranked 52. Of the Arab countries, the highest-ranked’s the United Arab Emirates at 103. That light unto the nations, the wondrous, non-racist country calling itself the Islamic Republic of Iran, is ranked 123, i.e. 12th last. Almost all the countries immediately ahead of it, and 10 of the 11 countries following it, are Muslim. Ho hum.

My comfort list - item 2

Item number two on my comfort list is my darling children and grandchildren. I can’t write about them – because I’m an emotional old guy, and my tears of pride and happiness are blurring my vision of my computer screen.

Come back tomorrow for item one on my comfort list.

Relief is oh so sweet

Last 4 June I wrote that Sweetheart Vivienne’s and my daughters are movie aficionados [1]. So maybe they can name the film in which a girl’s excited about an elaborately prepared birthday party only to become mortified when no-one attends? Though I can’t recall if it predated me seeing that movie, that scenario’s a long-term dread of mine.

That film and that dread were on my mind yesterday because Petrarch’s Book Shop in Launceston had arranged with Sweetheart Vivienne to sign copies of Alzheimer's: A Love Story at 2 p.m. yesterday in their shop. Email invitations went out 10 days earlier (no RSVPs) [2]. Sweetheart Vivienne, having baked cookies [3] and bought sweets, was excited. But I knew, probably courtesy of my congenital pessimism, that no-one would attend. So as excited as she was, I was nervous. Sick to the stomach.
As it turned out, I was wrong. Lots of people came, several copies of Alzheimer’s and some other books were bought, Sweetheart Vivienne signed the sold copies of her book plus some yet unsold others whose future owners will be thrilled by her signature, cookies and sweets were eaten, interesting conversations were had, lots of sweets and cookies were enjoyed, and the event delighted both the guest of honour and the book shop’s owner.
Me? I’m oh so relieved my darling wife didn’t become the girl in the film. And oh so happy some cookies and sweets were left over.

List: Female prime minsters

Today’s ‘List Friday’. Yesterday was a momentous day in Australia’s history. Julie Eilleen Gillard (pictured), aged 48 and Welsh-born, became our first female prime minister [1]. This prompted the following email responses: From US daughter:‘omg a female prime minister. i am unbelievably stoked, and hope she can hang in there!!!!!!!’ From younger Daylesford daughter: ‘And what news about Gillard, huh! Not that I think she will make a difference, but us Welsh chicks have to stick together...’ And from my accountant Michelle: ‘Hey our first female Prime Minister – the girls are in charge!!’ It’s all so exciting. As I’ve previously written, my four darling daughters have made me an honorary woman [2]. So I know what I’m talking about. And I think the Mars and Venus thing [3] makes women better suited (pun unintended) to politics and leadership. Time will tell.

Given all of this, today’s list must be a list of female prime ministers. So here are two of them [4, 5]. I haven’t compared them side by side. But on a quick reckoning Julia Gillard’s the world’s 49th female prime minister. Not bad for the daughter of a Welsh miner, eh.

I wish her success. I’d love her to be the driving force for a better Australia. A fairer Australia. A republican Australia. A respected Australia. And especially an Australia that leads the international response to global warming and climate change. Go for it, Julia.

List: 'Panned! The 10 worst-reviewed movies'

Today’s ‘List Friday’. Aficionadoism. I don’t know if it’s a real word. But if not, it should be. On a continuum of movie aficionadoism, Sweetheart Vivienne’s and my daughters rank up there with the aficionados. Me? I’m somewhere between the middle and the other end. I’m a movie watcher – my subscription to BigPond Movies [1] gets me 48 DVDs annually – and I’m interested in movies as a communications, entertainment and educational medium. But I’m hardly obsessed.

As Farmdoc’s Blog readers see, I rank the movies I watch on a scale of one to five stars. I don’t score them using a set of specific criteria. I do it subjectively. But come to think about it, all movie rating criteria I can think of are subjective anyway. Despite this, some movies generally rate well, and others don’t. For example winners of the ‘Best Motion Picture’ Academy Award [2] are in the former group. By and large, anyway. Yet another example of the wisdom of crowds [3]. This week’s list is ‘Panned! The 10 worst-reviewed movies’. Courtesy of salon.com – and I think motivated by Sex and the City 2 – there’s an intro [4] and a slideshow [5]. Make your own list, then check it against salon’s. I scored zero out of ten. That’s fine by me. Because I’m not a movie aficionado.

P.S. The photograph’s from one of the ‘10 worst’. I’m so hopeless I didn’t even know which one.

List: '5 tips to keep your passwords secret'

Today’s ‘List Friday’. My life’s a maze of numbers. I bet yours is too. A jungle of them. The main ones are PINs and passwords. PINs and passwords are important – because, sorry to say, there are people out there who are intent on accessing and stealing what we use PINs and passwords to protect. Therefore PINs and passwords should be strong protectors. Why make it easy for thieves?

I’m ambivalent towards Microsoft. I use Windows and Office and some other Microsoft software. They don’t always work well, and they contain foibles that irritate me. But for me, on balance their advantages outweigh their disadvantages. However there’s no denying Microsoft’s a font (pun intended) of massive software experience. So when Microsoft published an article titled ‘Create strong passwords’ [1], it pricked my interest.

In this article there’s a lot of good non-list material – e.g. how to construct a strong password – and there’s a link to a password checker. Another link’s to a list: ‘5 tips to help keep your passwords secret’ [2]. These tips are self-explanatory; and to me (at least) they make sense. Whether you’re a PC user (like I am), or a Mac user (like Sweetheart Vivienne and our four darling daughters are), it’s worth taking a couple of minutes to review this list to see if your password habits need improving. And the same five tips apply to PINs, of course.

farmdoc's blog post number 609

When my daughters were much younger, from time to time they’d ask a question like ‘Dad, would you prefer to die by being hit by a train or a truck?’ A tough one, that. No easy answer. But relevant this week as I read Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman – the latest book by Jon Krakauer who also wrote Into Thin Air and Into the Wild. Pat Tillman (pictured) was an NFL gridiron star who was so outraged by 9/11 that he gave up a US$3.6M a year football contract, joined the US army and became a special forces ranger, was feted by Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld for so doing, and was sent to Afghanistan. Soon after arrival he was shot and killed. The fatal bullets were fired by a member of his own platoon. For some months thereafter there was an official cover-up which was eventually exposed –by Tillman’s indefatigable mother, and also by Krakauer. Though I found Krakauer’s book both riveting and disgusting, to me its most shocking revelation is on page 343: Regarding fatal and non-fatal U.S. war casualties, 21% in WWII were caused by (ironically named) friendly fire, 39% in Vietnam, 52% in the First Gulf War, and so far 41% in Iraq and 13% in Afghanistan. And these numbers are conservative due to underreporting. Surely in this age of technology something can – and must – be done to prevent combat fratricide. ‘Friendly fire’ indeed. Sounds to me like the old ‘train or truck’ conundrum.

farmdoc's blog post number 551

Today’s ‘List Friday’ list is treehugger.com’s 13 Great Vegetarians From History. I have more than a passing interest in vegetarians because among their number are three of my daughters. Thus of the five people I love most in the whole world, over half are vegetarians. I don’t how and why Sweetheart Vivienne and I – who each eat meat once or at most twice each week, but are clearly omnivors – came to produce three vegetarian progeny. But produce them we did. Anyway back to the list. Its title, you will note, is Great Vegetarians and not necessarily Greatest Vegetarians. But it’s an impressive list. For sure. Gandhi, Buddha, Pythagoras, Plato, Leonardo, Voltaire, Johnny Appleseed, Mary Shelley, Tolstoy, Kavka, G. B. Shaw, John Coltrane, and Einstein. Of course it’s unknown if the prominence and achievements of any of these 13 Great Vegetarians would have been any the less had they not been vegetarians. But who cares. I certainly don’t. (Another list next Friday.)

farmdoc's blog post number 535

I have a younger sister. And no brothers. So I’ve no idea what it’s like to have an older sibling. But I imagine it’s difficult. Because the trail’s blazed by the older sib. The younger one can but follow. And try to emerge from the older one’s shadow. Preferably as often as possible. And for as long as possible. But if you’re not the oldest or the youngest? Your trouble’s multiplied. You cop it from above and below. You’re the meat in the sandwich. I’m certain darling Meg and darling Emily could tell you how it feels. Now our daughters no longer live together, perhaps it’s easier to live as individuals unencumbered by sibling line rank. From my viewpoint it looks like it is. But I’m not them. So I really don’t know. Thus to darling Kate’s three daughters. Darling Indigo leads the way. Beautifully and amazingly. First sibling to do this. And that. Then there’s darling Pepper. She’s at that endearing toddler stage. Cute. Very cute. So it’s not easy for darling Jarrah. Who’s every bit as deserving as her two sisters. Accordingly, when something fantastic happens in her life it must be celebrated with extra joy and gusto. Like last evening when she proudly told me she has a loose tooth. Her first. Which one? See the photograph. Will it come out before, on, or after her birthday next Friday? Who knows? Who cares? I adore her however many teeth she has.

farmdoc's blog post number 226

Jim Phelps was hero of the TV series Mission Impossible. Each episode, as I recall, would begin with Jim receiving details of his latest impossible mission by activating a little tape recorder which told him ‘Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is…’ Sweetheart Vivienne and I have accepted a mission impossible. It is to do exactly enough for each of our four darling daughters, and to be in each’s life exactly enough. Not too much or too little. Not over-enmeshed or under-enmeshed. We invariably get it wrong. But we try our hardest. Late last week darling Emily tour managed, and was supporting artist to, Justin Townes Earle. Last Saturday darling Meg co-hosted with PJ a wedding party at their home. And darling Kate was co-founder of last Sunday’s inaugural Daylesford Makers’ Market. It’d be a blatant lie to say that Sweetheart Vivienne and I, in Sydney, were oblivious of our darlings’ endeavours. Frankly, we were bloody anxious. Turns out we had no need to be, though. The tour, party and market were all successful. Spectacularly so, apparently. We never doubted our darling ones could do it. But their apprehensions are our apprehensions. Why wouldn’t they be? We’re all on the same team. And, I expect, next time they face similar challenges, we’ll be just as nervous. Because our mission impossible is unending.