Initial Posting

Well, it's far too late on Wedsnesday, August 2 for me to be up. But I wanted to get this set up so I could start giving out the address. My last two days at work are tomorrow and Friday. Yikes. Still have a lot to distract me as the countdown continues.... This will allow me and others to update following surgery and the few weeks after when the most stuff is likely to happen.

Here is the schedule as it stands now:

Tuesday about 3:00 my cousin Beth will arrive at my house from VA. We will then leave for my cousin John's in New York, which is about 3 hours, but we'll be driving in rush hour traffic. After sleeping over there, we will leave Weds am in order to arrive at Brigham by 1:30 for my pre-admit testing and a chest CT to look at the hernia. Don't know if check in at the B & B before or after. My Mom is flying into Boston Weds afternoon, as is my close friend and former college roommate, Laurie Ellen. They will be picked up by my cousin Johnny and his son Fernando. Beth, Mom, Laurie Ellen and I will stay Weds night at the B & B, but have to arrive at Brigham at 5:30 AM on Thursday, August 10.

Surgery is scheduled for about 7:30 AM. Dr. Lawrence Cohn is not sure yet whether he will be able to repair or will have to replace the valve, so unknown surgery or bypass time. The thoracic surgeon will be in near the end of the surgery to see and evaluate the repair of the hernia, but he doesn't think he will be able to fix it since it is probably stuck on the chest wall and would bleed if he tried to get it off, which would not be good with all the blood thinners in my system. Hopefully he will be able to at least suture the ribs together so that my lung will stop emerging from my chest when I laugh or cough. If everything goes perfectly, after surgery on 8/10, CCU and tele, I would be discharged on the 15th. My mother will fly back the same day, so then it would be Beth and I at the B & B (Laurie Ellen will leave Saturday). On 8/18 I have my post-op visit with Dr. Cohn, and could leave after that. Beth and I would then reverse the process, drive to NY, stay over, then on to Penna the next day.

 So, best case scenario, I will be home on Saturday, 8/19. Unknown when I will be able to drive until we see what they do, but at least four weeks. So, that's the general schedule of events. I will be checking this until sometime on Tues, when I leave. My dear friend Brenda will be updating this the day of the surgery and while I am in Boston. Thanks for reading!