AAA

This is an update on my physical condition and does not relate to the Emergency Road Service.  I had surgery last Friday, June 24th, for an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA).  The surgery was successful and I am mending. Today is the first day I have felt like trying to use a computer.  I came home late Sunday after a day of waiting.  Healing is kind of like watching grass grow.  It is slow but steady.  I am beyond having pain when I sit or lay still, but oof!  when I get up!! 

As I understand it much of my pain is from bruising during the surgery.  They had to insert implants into my Aorta through the Femoral arteries in both legs.  These are major arteries and they need to heal well.  That is my job now healing.  So, I will stay at home and heal. 

Peace to you all.

Love, Shel

Update on the Medical Situation

This is less of an update than a status report.  I am all set to go in for surgery.  I am sincerely hoping that everything will go as planned and I will be out and home in a day or so.  Of course there is just a possibility that things will be more difficult than planned, but I am not expecting that.  It does haunt my mind occasionally though, I must admit. 

I am going to see my father (99 years old) this Wednesday to bring him his father's day present and to reassure him. Aside from that I am just attending to details of life and preparing for the recuperation period.  That period should be a week or two.

I will update you when I am home and feeling like Blogging again.

Peace and love,
Shel

Here's the Story

It  appears that the situation with the aortic aneurysm is serious.  I am scheduled for surgery on Friday the 24th of June.  Yes, that's only about a week and a half away!  The aneurysm is greater than 5 cm now and really is a potential threat.  The Doctor is very positive about the outcome.  I should only be in the hospital about 24 hrs, including the surgery.  I am otherwise in good health and he says I have the blood pressure of a 20 year old.  I have much to do before the surgery.  I will try to give updates.
I borrowed this from a medical web site:

Endovascular Stent Surgery: Most thoracic aortic aneurysms are now treated with a minimally invasive approach called endovascular stent-graft repair, instead of conventional surgery. In this approach, a catheter is used to insert and guide a stent-graft (a polyester tube covered by a tubular metal web) into the aorta to the site of the aneurysm. The procedure begins by making a small incision in the groin and inserting the stent-graft into the femoral artery (which descends directly from the aorta). Using fluoroscopy (a continuous x-ray technique) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), the stent-graft is guided through the aorta to the aneurysm. With the stent-graft in place, blood flows through the stent-graft instead of through the aneurysm, eliminating the risk of rupture. This procedure may not require general anesthesia, and patients may have only a two-day hospital stay.

I will be under general anesthesia.  I have rather bad arthritis in my lower spine so spinal anesthesia  isn't the best option.  I kind of think just waking up after the whole thing may be best any way.  Well more later.

Love,
Shel

Up-Date - Sort of

Well, I went to the vascular surgeon and he said, Hmmmmm. He looked at CAT scans back to 7 years ago and said ......... " I need a new CAT SCAN.  These things need precise measurement."  As he talked and the way he talked I became more and more certain that he was talking surgery, sooner than later.  I have had the CAT scan and I see the Vascular Surgeon again tomorrow.  I suspect I will leave that appointment with some more concrete information.   He did say to me that the surgery I would be looking at was the less invasive "Stent Insertion" procedure. This is a kind of a relief.  There is less in the way of recovery.  The downside is that there is much more follow-up.

In the mean time, for fun I had a colonoscopy!  This is a part of my normal follow-up from the past colon cancer.  The good news is that everything looks pretty good there.

I seems that I move from one Doctor's appointment to another.  This will probably continue for a while.  Aside from the actual appointments and occasional procedure this all seems to intrude on my life in a minor way.  I know that if I have the Aneurysm fixed, even with the stent, there will be a period of convalsecence, but that is better than it being a fatal condition.

My attitude is good and I am physically strong and that can only help.

How are other things going?  Well, I continue to fill in on Sunday Services, take event photos, write blogs, and fix computers.  I just finished working on two major Community Projects.  I am busier than anything.  I had to stop Saturday and do laundry and work on my Sermon, there was no other time.  By the way I took the above picture while on a recent job.  I had to really cut it down to get it to upload.

I keep you informed about the health.  Peace!
And as usual Love,
Shel