On May 3 I had an unanticipated quadruple coronary bypass operation, which involved splitting the breastbone apart to get at the heart. During the wrap-up phase the surgeon stitched the breastbone back together with silver wire and glued the incision together. Until the bone knits (about six weeks), I'm not supposed to pick up, push, or pull more than five pounds, and I have to be care not to apply any differential pressure to the two sides of the chest when getting into and out of bed (no rotating from the waist!). Aside from that, I'm feeling pretty chipper. Has anyone on Paddlewise had a similar operation? If so, my wife would like to know how long it took before you were back in your kayak again. In my case the damage to the coronary arteries was discovered before there was any damage to the heart muscle, so I am anticipating pretty much a complete recovery. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Chuch wrote ...my wife would like to know how long it took before you were back in your kayak again. In my case the damage to the coronary arteries was discovered before there was any damage to the heart muscle, so I am anticipating pretty much a complete recovery. Chuck, First I am glad this was caught before there was heart damage and I pray for a quick recovery. The answer to your delema is obvious. Buy a double kayak, put your wife in the bow and you in the stern. She paddles and you work the rudder pedals. This way you exert no force on your chest and your wife gets great aroebic exercise! Have fun being queen of the nile. Bob *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Now that's how you turn a negative into a positive. Imagine paddling a double and not worrying about clacking paddles together. That's pretty stress free-- PS: Get well soon! R/ Sluf Chuck, First I am glad this was caught before there was heart damage and I pray for a quick recovery. The answer to your delema is obvious. Buy a double kayak, put your wife in the bow and you in the stern. She paddles and you work the rudder pedals. This way you exert no force on your chest and your wife gets great aroebic exercise! Have fun being queen of the nile. Bob *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On 12 May 2005 at 22:05, sluf wrote: > Now that's how you turn a negative into a positive. Imagine > paddling a double and not worrying about clacking paddles > together. That's pretty stress free-- Just don't bring water skis. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> On May 3 I had an unanticipated quadruple coronary bypass operation, > which involved splitting the breastbone apart to get at the heart. > During the wrap-up phase the surgeon stitched the breastbone back > together with silver wire and glued the incision together. Until the > bone knits (about six weeks), I'm not supposed to pick up, push, or > pull more than five pounds, and I have to be care not to apply any > differential pressure to the two sides of the chest when getting into > and out of bed (no rotating from the waist!). Aside from that, I'm > feeling pretty chipper. > > Has anyone on Paddlewise had a similar operation? If so, my wife would > like to know how long it took before you were back in your kayak > again. In my case the damage to the coronary arteries was discovered > before there was any damage to the heart muscle, so I am anticipating > pretty much a complete recovery. > > Chuck Holst It has not happened to me (I had an Angioplasty which took care of my immediate problems), but I have known several people who have had the procedure. The main issue is the age of the patient. Younger people will generally heal faster. The next issue would seem to be the overall fitness of the patient. Those with more highly developed musculature of the chest will generally recover faster. Note my use of the word "generally" in both cases. I would definitely not want to push the recovery too fast: I don't know what the consequences of an badly knitted breastbone would be, but I doubt they'd be pleasant. If the bypass went as well as you seem to think, it would seem that the breastbone is your main concern. Give it proper time. Check with your doctor regarding what constitutes safe exercise once your six weeks are up. Good luck!! -- Darryl *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Chuck Holst wrote: > On May 3 I had an unanticipated quadruple coronary bypass operation, which > involved splitting the breastbone apart to get at the heart. During the > wrap-up phase the surgeon stitched the breastbone back together with silver > wire and glued the incision together. Until the bone knits (about six > weeks), I'm not supposed to pick up, push, or pull more than five pounds, > and I have to be care not to apply any differential pressure to the two > sides of the chest when getting into and out of bed (no rotating from the > waist!). Aside from that, I'm feeling pretty chipper. > > Has anyone on Paddlewise had a similar operation? If so, my wife would like > to know how long it took before you were back in your kayak again. In my > case the damage to the coronary arteries was discovered before there was any > damage to the heart muscle, so I am anticipating pretty much a complete > recovery. You're in fairly good--well, at least notorious--company: Derek Hutchinson had a quad bypass in January and was teaching in mid-April, possibly before. He was making a big deal about it at the East Coast Festival, claiming he was wearing his PDF extra tight to be sure all the stitches held together. At one point he did a deep layback brace and sat up patting his chest to be sure he was in one piece. "Don't worry, Derek," I assured him, "at least your heart's in the right place." Steve -- Steve Cramer Athens, GA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
My best wishes to you Chuck as you recuperate. But this may be an appropriate time to remind people to ask their doctors about CT scans of the heart. A lot of asymptomatic, fit people are discovering incipient atherosclerosis through such heart scans, and with timely intervention they can perhaps nip the problem in the bud. These are new tests, slightly expensive, but they are gradually winning approval as a good, hard diagnostic tool. TFJ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
My thanks to all who sent me their wishes for a speedy recovery. In fact, I am recovering quite well, though I will still be restricted in how much I can lift, push, or pull for another four weeks. I am currently going for a prescribed 13-minute walk twice a day, with an increase of a minute a day. Otherwise, I am taking it pretty easy, getting a lot of napping and reading done. As Tom pointed out, not everyone with a heart problem has symptoms. In my case, it was a slight discomfort in the chest, which could have merely been acid reflux, combined with a brief bout of lightheadedness and my family history -- my father died of a heart attack at 52 -- that sent me to the emergency room. I could have easily ignored it. At the hospital my EKG proved normal, and I began to wonder if I didn't just have an overactive imagination. But then my family history caused the cardiologist on duty to order an angiogram -- and the angiogram revealed the blockage. Doug Lloyd said: "Wow, your almost a stitch-and-glue kayaker now!" I say there is no almost about it. If a wired-together chest and glued-together incision doesn't make me a stitch -n-glue kayaker, I don't know what does! John Winter: No problem. Paddlewise wouldn't be Paddlewise without a debate about stabililty. Finally, for anyone looking for entertaining reading during a similar recovery, I cannot recommend Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels too highly. If you haven't encountered Pratchett before, he is a blend of P.G. Wodehouse and J.K. Rowling with bits of the Marx brothers, Lewis Carroll, and Thorne Smith thrown in -- and more. Chuck Holst -----Original Message----- From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net] On Behalf Of Joyce Family My best wishes to you Chuck as you recuperate. But this may be an appropriate time to remind people to ask their doctors about CT scans of the heart. A lot of asymptomatic, fit people are discovering incipient atherosclerosis through such heart scans, and with timely intervention they can perhaps nip the problem in the bud. These are new tests, slightly expensive, but they are gradually winning approval as a good, hard diagnostic tool. TFJ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Chuck, On Thursday, May 12, 2005, at 2:42:28 PM PST, you wrote: > On May 3 I had an unanticipated quadruple coronary bypass operation, I just wanted to add my best wishes for a timely and full recovery! While I'm here, I'll take the opportunity to thank you for your great GP carving plans! So many paddlers around the world are now enjoying their lovely self-carved paddles as a result of your fine work! :-) Get well soon! -- Melissa *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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