Tuesday, July 17, 2012

BYPASS SURGERY (CABG) TO MY HEART


BYPASS SURGERY ( CABG ) TO MY HEART

        People may wonder why I sneaked away from the internet and where I have been hiding for the last two weeks, beginning from Wednesday, 4th July, 2012.

       Everything was so quick, unexpected and accidental.  One Medical diagnostic Centre  around my home detected that I have a very serious problem with my heart and that I may need  a bypass surgery (CABG) on the coronary arteries around my heart.

       Without much delay, I rushed to a very prominent Heart Hospital around my area (CARITHAS HEART INSTITUTE, Thellakom, Kerala, India) to have further check up.

      After an angiogram test  the CARITHAS Hospital confirmed that the diagnosis made by the former diagnostic centre is very true. They  discovered that the coronary arteries around my heart are blocked at four spots;  one with 100% blockage, the second of 85 % blockage, next  75 % and then 65 %.  They told me that the situation is severely explosive and a  bye pass surgery is the only solution to cure this situation . They told me  that the situation can worsen at any time and may lead to a heart attack.

      I readily gave my consent to the Hospital  that I am willing to undergo the  surgery.  I was admitted at the hospital for surgery on  Wednesday  4th July 2012.  On the following morning I was transferred to the operation theatre  and the surgery was over within a few hours .  In the evening , I was moved to the Intensive care unit (ICU) where  I had to remain for 3 days. 

     On the fourth  day after the surgery , I was transferred to the Medical ward for receiving post-operation  medicines and physiotherapy treatment.  After another four days , I was discharged  from the hospital for good in excellent condition.

     Altogether, I had to remain at the hospital for eight  days.  Today, (Tuesday, 17th July ) is the 13th day after my surgery.   I  am taking rest at my home. I am feeling  pretty well  and follow all instructions given to me by my surgeons ( Dr. Rajesh Ramankutty  MS , MCh , MD(USA) and  Dr Jeevesh  Thomas MS , MCh )

     I write this blog primarily for two reasons :- (i) to keep myself busy while taking rest at home after the surgery (ii) to share my personal feelings and experiences to other Cardiac patients.


                                  [ Note :-  This blog will be continued after a week]

Continuation 
Date: 10th September,2012



          Today is the 68 th day after  my heart surgery ( CABG).  I am feeling perfectly alright now.  I have now removed the chest band that I have been using all these days.  Chest bands should be a must  during the first 8 weeks after surgery .  It can prevent any possible  hit to our chest . It also ensures that the chest is always kept tightly without any shake . When I was using the chest band, I felt that the whole region of my chest is kept securely as a single unit, free from getting any shocks. 


        My doctor says I can now return to  normal activities little by little . I have started doing petty petty household work. I have even started  driving my car  ! I also resumed  my ‘online teaching’  job  . I am now teaching 3 to 4 hours a day in the internet. I no longer  feel  tired when I do these work.

      I do regular exercise  as instructed my physiotherapist. I walk about 8 km every day and do minor Yoga exercises.  At  a time my weight was shot up by  5 kg due to over-eating.  But  I brought it back to my normal weight by extra exercise and diet control.

     Exercise plays a very vital role during the first three months  of rest.  I started walking from the 3rd day onwards.  There was a  physiotherapist  in the Cardiology section to assist me in walking.  Initially I used to walk 20 – 30 meters,  8 times a day. Gradually I managed to walk longer distances slowly and now it has reached 4 km,  two times a day ;  4km in the morning and 4km in the evening.

     I was doing regular breathing exercises too . It  helps in maintaining  our lungs  always clear and  in an expanded condition. The doctors say  that  it will reduce the possibility of having attacks of pneumonia or viral fever , flue etc.   Once we are attacked by any of these , we are likely to sneeze or cough violently .  Violent coughs are extremely painful  and it  can even cause severe infection to our surgery wounds.

              Now I am free from all sorts of pain and anxiety. I don’t feel any pain when I sneeze or cough. All my surgery wounds are healed externally.  I am not feeling easily tired when I do my normal work. Everything appears to be perfectly normal.  Normally it takes 3 months to have a complete  recovery like this.  Doctors say the speed of recovery varies from people to people.

          I would not have been alive today if the  four blocks on my coronary arteries  were not discovered in time. I was not feeling any sort of pain at the chest before the surgery. It was really the Almighty God who helped me to discover  these silent blocks at the proper time.

       One day I went to an Insurance Company to obtain a medical insurance cover for myself. They told me that I should produce a Medical fitness Certificate as I am above 60 years old. They directed me to a certain Diagnostic Centre to obtain this Medical fitness certificate. I had to undergo a series of tests there. The final test was the tread meal test.  They asked me to walk along the tread meal. I walked about three minutes on it and became nearly collapsed. The result of the test  was terribly bad. They told me my heart is almost at the verge of collapse and immediate action need to be taken.

             This is the time when  I  came to know that  I  was moving around with  deadly blocks in my coronary arteries.  People say that I was extremely lucky  to find this at the proper time before getting a severe Heart attack.  It was really a blessing from the Almighty God indeed.  Immediately I went to the nearest hospital  and got the blocks removed by surgery.  I was not afraid of surgery because I was fully confident that the God would be there to  save me during the surgery too.  Praise the God !!!!!


-         George
-         Tel: +914812790195
-         Skype Id :  georgeignatius9
-         Gmail : georgeignatiusxx@gmail.com


 





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