Monday, March 22, 2010

Ticker Trouble


I've got a hole in my heart, literally, not figuratively. It's a congenital defect, that I've always known about, but I didn't realize that it affected me much at all except for the inability to do very strenuous exercise. As it got worse over the years, I thought that I couldn't mow the grass all in one day or run for the bus because I let myself get more than a little out of shape. Not so, it turns out. I don't feel any different than I did 3 or 4 months ago, but it is nice to not feel like I've squandered my good health because I'm tired a lot or lazy because I dread things like going on vacation because of all the walking.
I'm going to go get it fixed next week. The doctors call it a "repair." It turns out that sucker is huge. It goes from 3.2 to 3.5 centimeters! I don't quite get how it is that I'm alive at all when you consider that the diameter of an average garden hose, at 5/8 inches, is about half the size of my hole. I'm having heart surgery on Wednesday, the 31st of March. Here's a link that explains what I've got: Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) It's supposed to take about 6 months for my heart to shrink down to normal size and finish remodeling itself. I'm supposed to have all the energy in the world. I'm cynical about that, but we'll see. I'll do my best to use the situation as a catapault into a much more active life style. I will try to knit stranded knitting holding a yarn ball in each hand. I'll burn twice the calories!
I'll be in the hospital a few days and then off work for around 4 weeks. It's pretty amazing what doctors can do through just a couple of small incisions. I won't have to heal any bones, like say, my sternum. That's why the recovery is so short. Of course, I'll have to see to believe it, but with an efficient heart I should be able to heal more quickly than before, right?
Things are battened down pretty well on this end. I just laid in 5 boxes of kitty litter. I'm trying to get the house fit for company. I've made extra keys. My uncle will come to take me home from the hospital and stay a couple of days. He has promised soup. I've requested no noodles. Then my cousin in crime is taking a whole week off work and is coming out from California to
spend it with me. There will be knitting. We are both looking forward to it.
If you have any advice about any of this, lay it on me.

11 comments:

Bezzie said...

Good luck!!! I'm glad you're having it repaired--my dad has one and they think it helped contribute to his stroke.

Sue, aka seiding said...

What do you mean no noodles? That's just crazy talk. Everyone knows noodle-y soup is good for the heart.

Helen said...

Ok, that is crazy. How can one have a hole that big and not keel over? But we are glad that it will be fixed, and so 'easily' too! woo hoo.

This means I expect you to be running circles around my 28-week pregnant self when we go camping!!

Caffeine Girl said...

It's a amazing how the human body can keep on going even though something is really wrong. Sounds like this will be a good thing in the long run, but surgery is never fun in the short term. You've got an excellent plan for the recovery, though. What is more therapeutic than knitting???

Geri said...

Good luck, Kathy! Glad you're going to get 'fixed' - your heart, I mean. LOL.

Molly Bee said...

Guess you'd better get to Madison for Last Saturday Knitting on the 27th before you have to 'hole up', eh?

Elizabeth said...

I predict great things ahead for you!

see you soon,
unterli

Batty said...

Good luck! Once everything heals up, you'll be able to do things you weren't able to do before. This might be a brand-new experience. No more hole-related problems!

Molly Bee said...

Eliz let us know that you came through surgery with flying colors! ((Hugs)) Keep us posted!

Kathy Kathy Kathy said...

Hi It's me. Thank you for all your lovevely comments./ Im not leapingfor joy, but I have advanced to the toast stage! I'm back.

Kathy

jpknits said...

Thinking of you often.

Hope your uncle brings you lots of health-inducing and highly-tasty soup!