Something we don't do very much here on jkOnTheRun is write about personal type stuff. We figure that's not what you want to hear about on a tech blog and we like to keep some personal things private. I broke that rule when I originally wrote the "from the heart" series about my heart surgery and it's resonated with a lot of people all over the world. I am getting a lot of requests from friends and readers who heard about my recent stroke who wondered if I planned to write about that experience the same way. I have been told that a lot of people would be interested to find out what the stroke experience was like and how it all went down. I must admit that I had not planned to write about this experience as I didn't think there would be much interest in it but since I still keep getting asked about it I changed my mind. Thankfully, changing my mind is something I can still do, it could have been much different. If this experience interests you read on after the jump, if you're only interested in tech stuff then skip on and it will be business as usual.
Kevin has done a great job holding down the fort here on jkOnTheRun while I have been goofing off in some hospital. He gave you the basics about my absence but it's time to give you the real scoop as to where I have been. First up I want to give a huge THANKS to all of you who sent your well wishes, they have made me push to get back on the keyboard again which is totally therapeutic. :)
Last Sunday night I was sitting in my study when I got very dizzy all at once. I sat in the chair for a couple of minutes to see if it would pass and it did not. I also noticed that the left side of my mouth was asleep, you know how it feels if you sleep on your arm and it's tingly when you wake up? Like that. The two symptoms occurring at the same time made me fear I had/ was having a stroke given my history of cardiac affairs. My wife was not at home so I lay down for a few minutes to see if I felt better. When she arrived at home I called her in and told her I think I had a stroke and I needed to get to the hospital.
That's where I have been since then and I have experienced a battery of tests including MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, and a lot of blood work. The testing so far has confirmed that I experienced a mini-stroke in the back of my brain, but there is no detectable loss of function of any type as a result which is awesome! This stroke was likely caused by a heavy spike in blood pressure. My white cell count also indicated a massive infection so I may have brought something unintentional back from Vegas, maybe this could have been the reason the BP spiked up. Who knows? The three doctors who have been treating me feel I will probably be released tomorrow, which will be great as I hate hospitals. I haven't had a decent sleep since I got here, I need to go home to rest up.
I hope that I will get to go home tomorrow, that will depend on another MRI I am scheduled to get in the morning so hopefully that test will back up what has already been determined. I am very ready to get home and to talk about all of the big things going on by some people called Apple. Be back soon!
It just gets harder and harder. We have the information to share about the memorial service for Marc Orchant. It will be Wednesday, December 12th at 11 am and here is the location of the service:
Kevin and I are traveling today to Albuquerque so we can attend the service for Marc Orchant tomorrow morning. It's a sad trek but the upside is we will get to see each other for a couple of days unexpectedly. We meet up in Dallas and then fly in together to Albuquerque this afternoon. Posting will be light but hopefully we'll get some time to put some things up, especially with some new Tablet PCs being announced and released.
Fellow podcaster Matt Miller has come up with an interesting way to help the Orchant family and has created an Amazon affiliate account so if you're doing online holiday shopping check out Matt's explanation of how this works. He's donating all proceeds from sales to this account to the Orchant family in their time of need. Oliver Starr has also instituted a PayPal Donation button for those who would rather help the Orchants in that manner. Good for both of you guys to step up to help out.
I first came in contact with Marc Orchant about four years ago. I had followed his writings on his blog, Marc's Outlook on Productivity and realized he was a very bright guy that I would probably like to know. It was a Saturday morning and I checked my email as I usually do and in popped one from Marc. He introduced himself and said he really liked my writing on jkOnTheRun which at that time had only been in existence for a few months. He went straight to the reason for reaching out to me as only Marc could and said he wanted the two of us to "do something together". His insight into people was unfailing and he knew we would be good friends and should work together. We exchanged a few emails and then jumped on the phone to properly get introduced to one another. I quickly realized what Marc had already figured out, we were so alike in our passions and our desires that we became fast friends. I am so thankful that Marc reached out to me that day.
Thus began our friendship which I consider one of the best I have ever had. We have been speaking frequently ever since and jumped at the chance for everything we could work on together. When I decided almost three years ago to do a Tablet PC podcast Marc was the first person I thought of for a co-host and when I asked him about it he was excited in that way that only Marc could get because we would finally be able to work together. That began a near three year ride podcasting together but in recent months it became difficult due to scheduling conflicts to record the show as often as we wished. This was particularly sad because Marc often told me that our recording sessions were the highlights of his week and I felt the same way too. In the last two weeks we had come to the realization that we couldn't do the show justice and were going to do a final show to let the listeners know we were going to end the podcast. This saddened us both but it was the right thing to do. Now it is very sad that we didn't get that last show done, I even tried to find him on Skype the morning of his heart attack.
Marc touched so many people that the great outpouring of concern about his health episode didn't surprise me. He was a person that you couldn't help but respect and like because of the way he always conducted himself. He was passionate about the things he spoke and wrote about but it went much further than that. Marc genuinely cared about the people who were behind the things he was passionate about and that came through in the way he conducted himself. It wasn't just that a given technology was something he thought was great, it was how he really liked the people behind it that made the difference between what Marc did and what others do in the blogosphere. He genuinely liked people and loved to interface with them every chance he got. I can safely say that anyone who came in contact with Marc instantly picked up on that. Marc didn't just like to converse with others about his passions, he wanted to hear their take on it too. He derived a great enjoyment of hearing what others had to say and he actually listened to them. If you ever had a conversation with Marc I am certain that you felt he was aptly listening to what you had to say, because he was. He didn't only want to hear things that agreed with his point of view either. He loved differing viewpoints and discussing them with you because as he told me more than once, that's how he learned. He was passionate about learning.
Marc and I had hundreds of hours of conversations and of course we had differing opinions about some of the things we discussed. He would passionately and intelligently give his POV about the topic at hand and then aptly listen to mine. I remember once laying out my differing POV about some topic we were discussing and at the end he told me "well pal, you didn't convince me but I'm less sure than I was when we started this conversation". That was high praise indeed and a total Marcism.
Marc was always able to look at an upcoming technology and tell if it was going to have an effect on our lives. Take a look at this video shot at Microsoft where Marc explains what a blog is when people were just starting to hear about them:
Tech world aside Marc was a devoted family man and spent hours conversing with me about the accomplishments that Sue, Jason and Becca were making. He was so very proud of them all and rightly so. They were the fuel that drove him each day and he loved them so much it was a joy to behold. Marc was the most grounded individual I've ever met and his devotion and love for his family were the basis for that. It drove everything he did each day and it was always a wonder to listen to him talk about his family. He understood how lucky he was to have the great home life that he did but I am sure that the great man he was played a big role in that life.
The software company for which Marc worked when I met him had given him the most apt job title I have ever seen- Chief Storyteller. This fit Marc to a T and he relished the role of sharing the company's story to others. He carried that on to every venture he embarked on after that too, and he was very excited that a new gig he was to undertake early next year would have him sporting that same Chief Storyteller title. It was a chance for Marc to get immersed in one of his major passions and it's a shame he didn't get the chance to do it. Chief Storyteller, that was Marc all right.
Marc touched me deeply as few other people have done so. He was a nice guy, something that sounds trite but he really was and in such a way that it touched everyone with whom he came in contact. He and I had a great friendship and he will be sorely missed. I consider Marc to be one of the finest people to walk this earth and I know I am a better man for having his friendship. I hurt where my heart and soul meet.
UPDATE: I just fired up Skype and find it only fitting to see this:
This is one of the hardest things I have had to write. Dear friend Marc Orchant passed away today having never recovered from the heart attack he suffered a week ago. Marc has touched me so deeply and will always be in my memory, and I am sure that many, many people feel the same way. Marc's funeral will likely be held in the middle of this week for those wishing to attend and details will be made available shortly. Another of Marc's good friends Oliver Starr received the sad news from Marc's family and has posted the details, and I've reproduced them for Marc's friends to see:
It is with great sadness that I report that
Marc Orchant, Husband to Sue, Father to Rebecca and Jason, and friend
to so many, passed away just a short time ago. I was notified by Marc’s
brother Craig.
His family and closest friends were at his
side and his favorite music was playing. Craig said that Marc’s passing
was as peaceful and easy as anyone could have hoped and he left this
world surrounded by love from so many people that he couldn’t possibly
have failed to know how many people cared for, appreciated and
respected him.
Anyone that knew Marc also knew how much he
loved music; especially the Grateful Dead. The excerpt below is from
one of the songs that helped the family say goodbye to Marc and helped
Marc move on to the next world. I talked to Marc almost every single
day for the past couple of years. I’m sure that I’m not alone when I
say that I am going to miss him so, so much.
To allow for people that may need to travel
and take time of work, services are most likely going to be held this
coming Wednesday afternoon at the Temple where the Orchants are
members. I will provide more specific details as soon as they have been
provided to me. Marc’s family expressed once again their gratitude for
the outpouring of love and support that the technology community has
shown in this very difficult time. Your warmth, concern and friendship
will not be forgotten.
River gonna take me
Sing me sweet and sleepy
Sing me sweet and sleepy
all the way back home
It’s a far gone lullaby
sung many years ago
Mama, Mama, many worlds I’ve come
since I first left home
Goin home, goin home
by the waterside I will rest my bones
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul
If the outpouring of love, support and
caring could heal Marc, he would be with us telling stories right now.
Today we are going to make Marc more comfortable. Friends came by all
day yesterday with continued prayers and love. Today just our family
will be with him. I know you are all still there for him and us. Thank
you for all you have done.
I spoke briefly this evening with Sue Orchant, Marc's wife, and at length with Ed Bott who just left the hospital after a visit with Marc and Sue. Marc's physical body seems to be healing with good vitals and today he has been moving his head and opening his eyes and looking around the room. This is very positive although he has not regained consciousness and everyone is concerned about that, understandably. Marc's entire family is there comforting him and each other and a lot of friends are visiting too. Everyone is in a "wait and see" mode for Marc to wake up and get truly on the road to recovery. There is still no indication if Marc has sustained neurological damage due to the heart attack and if so how much, which is the primary concern at this point. Let's all remember Marc and Sue and the rest of the Orchant family in our prayers and send get wells as much as we can. I consider Marc one of my greatest friends and love him like a brother so I am pulling for him as hard as I can but I need your help, too.
Thursday December 6, 3.45pm Pacific
I called the hospital for an update, and spoke with Ed, Marc's brother
from the East Coast. He said that it is still very touch and go. There
has been some physiological improvement, some organs have stabilized,
but Marc has still not yet regained consciousness. As such, they still
have no update on brain functioning, or how long he was without oxygen.
He has opened his eyes a few times today and tracked light. Ed and all
the family who are there are hopeful that every hour brings
improvement. Someone is with him all the time, and they are looking
forward to him opening his eyes and saying, "so what's happening?".
Marc's iPhone is in his pocket, playing the music that he loves constantly.
The family is grateful for the worldwide support network.
We're all pulling for you buddy and our hearts go out to Marc's family in this trying time.
As you have no doubt heard by now good friend Marc Orchant had a heart attack last Sunday morning. A lot of people are contacting me asking for updates on Marc's status so I wanted to share what I know about his condition. Marc has not regained consciousness since his attack and is still in the cardiac care unit at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque. His condition is largely unchanged but he has his family with him and we are all hoping and praying that he wakes up. His condition is critical but stable and during tragedies such as this you cling to anything you can so his stability is a very good thing. You can send flowers and cards for Marc to the following address:
Presbyterian Hospital
Cardiac Care Unit Bed #3
1100 Central Ave SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Oliver Starr is in contact with Marc's family and has started an update page where he will post any new information as it comes in. It's great to see that the huge outpouring of sentiment from the technical community is helping his family cope with this tragedy. Oliver has posted this uplifting message from Marc's wife Sue for the community:
A Message from Sue Orchant
Hi everyone. I want you all to know that your amazing, incredibly
overwhelming, heartfelt response of love, concern, and good wishes for
Marc is helping myself, Rebecca, Jason and our family get through this
difficult time.
Please keep sending those prayers and positive energy Marc’s way. He
knows as well as I that you are all there for him. I’ll have to tell
him that he’ll need to change his name to George Bailey (It’s a
Wonderful Life). It’s a beautiful thing to see.
In this past day we have seen some baby steps of improvement. He has
some response to stimuli and his oxygen levels and heart rate have
improved. I am guardedly optimistic. He still has not regained
consciousness but we will take things minute by minute.
It’s hard to put into words but I know you are all here with me and
I appreciate you all. I will update you as soon as I know more.
My very good friend Marc Orchant suffered a massive heart attack yesterday and is currently in critical care. He is not expected to recover consciousness for a while and I will post any updates as soon as I get them. I am posting this here as I know that a lot of Marc's friends read jkOTR and I want to make sure the word gets out. Oliver Starr at Blognation has the complete details and will post information as it becomes available so check there too. For those who wish to send flowers or cards Marc is at:
Presbyterian Hospital
Cardiac Care Unit Bed #3
1100 Central Ave SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
I first encountered Mike on mobile tech community forums and we started off on shaky ground. Our online relationship was contentious to say the least as we can both be rather, ah, opinionated when it comes to what we'd like to see in mobile technology. Over the last few years I have gotten to know him pretty well, and I think it is safe to say we have a lot of mutual respect for one another. I have come to enjoy email exchanges with Mike, and as I have gotten to know him better from afar I am still surprised about things he reveals about his life, although he does so very sparingly. For example, I was amazed to find out he authored several best-selling computer books in the 1980's, books still sold on Amazon today. I am not naming him because I am pretty sure he wouldn't want me to. You are probably wondering why I am even posting this, I know I would.
I received this email last night, abrupt as his emails often are, and it has shaken me much more than I thought it would:
my sister is typing this... i had a heart attackon tuesday. bypass surgery is tomorrow. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS.. .IF I SURVIVE I WILL E-MAIL YOU.. the hospital does not have e-mail
This hit me doubly hard, not only because it is upsetting to hear something like this from a friend but also because (as long-time readers know) I experienced the exact same situation almost four years ago. I once asked Mike if he had read my From the Heart chronicle I wrote about my experience and in typical fashion he responded "why the ?*#@ would I go to a tech blog and read personal crap?" It still makes me smile. Mike, I wish you well, get better soon, and get back to the mobile tech community soon. I guarantee you will have a different perspective on things.
"Fred, I think I'm just gonna head home. I'm beat. See you tomorrow."
He wasn't exaggerating, he was beat. Working construction in the bitter cold could really take it out of you and make every muscle dead tired. As he walked down Lexington the blustery cold was almost an assault and it sapped him the further he went. He was almost home when he thought of the good coffee at Mary's diner and made a snap decision to stop in before heading home for the night. Snow was lightly falling but the wind was gusting occasionally, chilling him to the bone.
He was almost to the diner when the man stepped out in front of him and stopped.
"Spare a couple bucks, mister?"
Bernie looked back at the man who was obviously living on the streets. He had that look of someone trapped by circumstance and utterly miserable. He looked to be thirty-something which Bernie knew meant he was probably in his twenties.
jkOnTheRun is back online and I am beginning to go through the ton of email, RSS feeds and comments that have accumulated over the past week. I would like to thank everyone for their patience during this trying time and want everyone to know how much the comments, phone calls and emails are appreciated. They were a wonderful source of comfort to not only me but to my entire family and we thank all of you very much. It is times like these that demonstrate clearly what a tangible thing online communities really are. The reaching out from individuals that you may not have actually met in person is truly a powerful thing. It shows with no uncertainty how good people are when someone is in need. Thank you again. The most beautiful thing to me and my family is knowing that over 20,000 people have seen the tribute to my father and it is such a great feeling to know that a man that was such a good friend to me has touched so many people who didn't have the good luck to know him. Dad would really like that. Thank you all.
My father was one of those people who understood that to achieve greatness could only be done through maintaining strength of character in all that you do. He instilled in his children the unerring credo that you must always do the right thing. It doesn't matter if doing the right thing is difficult, or if doing the right thing is the popular thing to do. What matters is you always stay true to your convictions, and your actions must be consistent with your beliefs.
My father was a very simple man. Some people might say he was too simple in this world that is growing ever more complex. But he understood that in everything there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and the only option is to do the right thing. He once told me you build your reputation in the world by always taking the higher ground. You build that reputation one positive action at a time and you are the only one who can tear that reputation down through your own actions. Not your detractors, not your enemies, only you can tear your reputation down. He once confided in me that he didn't understand why people didn't just treat others with respect and compassion. He was continually confused by this fact so obvious to him but one that is often not followed by others. It's a question I cannot answer, in fact I'm not sure there is an answer.
My father instilled in me a strong work ethic, for working as hard as you can is the only way to have no doubts about yourself at the end of the day. He taught all his children to always help others, for some day we might need help ourselves and good deeds have a way of getting repaid when the time is right. He taught us to be strong for those around us, but not to be afraid to bend when you have to. He was a man that others knew they could depend on in their time of need. He taught us that leading by example was the best way to be true to yourself, and to those around you.
My father lived a hard life, but he took that in stride and did the best that he could with the cards he was dealt. And in so doing, he taught us to do the same. Don't cry about it, fix it was his philosophy, and it was a lesson hard learned, as important lessons often are. He showed us that when you have troubles, the best course is often to set your own troubles aside and help those less fortunate than yourself. Most importantly of all, he taught us that we are not the most important thing in the world. Instead, the most important things were those around us. He lived his life being there for the people that needed him, and those who knew and loved him will always thank him for that.
My father always led by example and to those of us fortunate enough to know him that example was a very good one. He was not a man to get lost in the fluff of life, instead he believed you lay a solid foundation in the life that you have and then you build on that foundation until the structure is a good, strong structure. You build your character one deed at a time until the structure defines the person behind it. And then you open that structure up to your loved ones so that they might be protected by it too.
My father was a great man. He touched everyone around him in such a positive way. He loved his family with a passion that was unquestioned, and he was proud of each of us in so many ways. He is the reason that we have become the people we are today, and I thank him for that. For I can think of no better thing in the world than to be the legacy of this man. Thank you Dad for all that you've done. Thank you Dad for showing us to always think of others. Thank you Dad for all the examples you set for us. And thank you Dad for being there for me when I needed you. You are so missed but you live on in all those you have touched.
One of the first things I did after starting this blog was write a chronicle of my experience with emergency open heart surgery three years ago. It was a difficult thing for me to write but something I had to do for closure. I published the chronicle titled from the heart in installments as soon as I wrote them as I found reliving the experience was very taxing and I needed to step away from it from time to time. I have received so much great feedback from readers confronted with a similar ordeal that it affirms it was a good thing for me to do. jkOnTheRun has grown so rapidly that I feel it is a good time to share this with the many new visitors that are coming to the blog now who may not have seen it, as it is now buried in the archives as so often happens with older stuff on blogs. I have compiled all of the installments into one chronicle to make it easier for you to read. If it is not something that interests you since it is very off topic just skip over it. If, instead, you are wondering what happens in this situation then read on...
The FDA has approved a home defibrillator for sale without a prescription. "The shock from a defibrillator is the most effective way to end sudden cardiac arrest, which leaves the victim breathing abnormally and unresponsive. HeartStart delivers a jolt of energy equivalent to what it takes to illuminate a 150-watt light bulb for one second."
The HeartStart defibrillator is manufactured by Phillips and previously required a prescription from a doctor before purchase was possible. It's use in the case of sudden cardiac arrest in the first five minutes can be critical. The unit is not cheap at around $2,000 but hopefully higher volume sales will bring that price down.
Having a defibrillator close at hand can mean a big difference in rate of survival for those who experience sudden cardiac arrest. When the shock is delivered within five minutes of the sudden cardiac arrest, 50 percent of individuals survive, said Deborah DiSanzo, vice president and general manager of cardiac resuscitation at Philips Medical Systems, manufacturer of the device.
Ambulances typically arrive within nine minutes of a 911 call. Ten minutes after the sudden cardiac arrest, the patient has a 1 percent chance of survival, she said.
No doubt everyone has heard about former President Bill Clinton's bypass surgery yesterday. Many people checked the news to hear how his surgery went and the aftermath about how close he came to a catastrophic heart attack. The news stories about Mr. Clinton's health problem had particular significance for me. Yesterday, September 6, while Bill Clinton was undergoing his open heart surgery, I was quietly celebrating the third anniversary of my own coronary bypass. I've talked about it in from the heart and while it's purely coincidental that I had my surgery on the same date as Mr. Clinton's, the news coverage about his condition was a poignant reminder of how very fortunate I am to be here. I send my wishes to him and his family for a speedy and complete recovery. I don't often see things the way he does but I know for a fact he's not feeling very well today and if I could tell him anything it would be to hang in there as it will get better.
I would like to thank my beautiful wife Sheri and my family for being there for me, and the team of doctors that stopped a life-threatening situation before it happened. And to Mr. Clinton I can assure you that from now on each year on September 6th you will do as I do and celebrate in a quiet fashion the anniversary of something that has given you a new lease on life.
This is Oreo. He's a cute mutt that came to us years ago when the dog of one of my wife's coworkers had a litter and they needed homes for the lot. We took in Oreo (over my objections) and he's been with us ever since. You always hear about the positive affects pets have for their owners and I thought I'd add proof to that. I recently told the account of my experience with open heart surgery and Oreo played a big role in my recovery at home.
When I first returned home from the hospital I was in pretty bad shape. I was very weak and felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck, and I spent a lot of time over the next few weeks sitting in a leather club chair in our living room. This chair was the softest and most comfortable chair for me to sit in for extended periods of time. Besides the pain that any movement brought with it I was extremely cold all the time and couldn't get warm no matter how I dressed nor how many blankets I piled on.
I recently received a nice email from someone who is to become a future patient of Dr. Lawrie's. I got the email while on vacation in Vegas and as a result of a meltdown in my Outlook email files I lost it. If you see this please send the email again as I would love to contact you.
Those of you who have been following the "from the heart" series may have assumed that I had finished the recounting of my heart surgery experience since I haven't written another installment in a while. I've just been busy and on vacation but I'm back now and it's time to finish the story. Parts 1 - 9 told the story from my first appearance in the emergency room through just after my open heart surgery. I have just awakened in the private room and checked out all the damage done to my body. Having determined as previously stated that my goal is to get out of the hospital and go home as quickly as possible the next few days I focus on just that.
My surgery took place on September 6, 2001 and the next few days would be pivotal for me, but not for the reasons I expected.
If you've been following from the heart you know that part 8 left off with me sleeping in my hospital room in Methodist Hospital. I pass into and out of sleep for a while, I don't have any sense of time at this point. I don't know if it's day or night, and while I'm sure the medication that I'm pumped full of must be playing a part in that there's often a sense of timelessness in a hospital bed.
Intensive Care Unit at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, approximately 8 am on September 7, 2001. Having finally gotten the ventilator tube removed from my throat I am finally able to breathe and concentrate on my body after the surgery. I am recovering from a triple coronary bypass surgery that ended late the previous evening. I am able to move a little as the restraints that held me motionless have been removed by the nurse. I would find out later that I had been trying to remove the ventilation tube from my throat during the night and had to be restrained to prevent that from happening. I am coming out of the anesthesia and my awareness of the surroundings is surprisingly good. At this point I am very thirsty and my throat is totally dry, no doubt from the tube. My throat is hurting worse than anything else and I'd love a drink of water. The ICU nurse is hovering around me, constantly checking the monitors I'm hooked up to, checking my blood pressure and making sure I'm comfortable. I'm lying in the bed, mentally assessing what's going on around me, watching the other patients in the large open room.
As you might recall from the last installment in from the heart I have just arrived at Methodist Hospital at about 1 am on September 6, 2001. I am scheduled to have a triple coronary bypass at 3 pm this afternoon and my wife Sheri and I have been up for almost 24 hours, the last 10 of which were in the emergency room at Cy Fair Hospital. I am scared, tired, hungry, and have a jumble of emotions that dance around in my head like a bad dream. Sheri is not faring much better than I and to complicate things for her our three kids are at home alone awaiting word from Sheri. The oldest one is 12 so there's no problem leaving them home alone but it worries her just the same on top of everything else going on. They are at home scared stiff because they're too young to understand exactly what's going on- they just know that it's bad. Part of my decision to write this chronicle is for them to have an account to read when they're older so they will be able to comprehend this dark period.
This part of the story is the one I have been dreading the most- it's the most painful for me and I have been putting off the telling of it. But if it can help someone it's worth it and it's important for me to confront it.
"Mr. Kendrick, we have a problem." Lying on this surgical table, my mind a little fuzzy from the drugs, looking at my heart on the monitor. The doctor points to a spot on the screen that shows the arteries running to and from my heart. "Look at this artery here- see how wide and thick it is? This is a healthy artery with very little blockage. Now look at this one- see how thin it is? This artery is very blocked by plaque. So is this one, and this one, and this one. Four of your coronary arteries are almost totally blocked. You're lucky because your body tried to heal itself and see all these smaller arteries branching around this clogged one? Your arteries have developed smaller branches to carry the blood around this clog. Because of the "branching" we don't need to bypass that one. The other three are shot to hell and they will have to be bypassed with arteries taken from somewhere else on the body and grafted onto the diseased ones. Do you understand, Mr. Kendrick?"
I nod yes- I can't speak at all. From the sheer awe of watching my own heart on the monitor to the cold fear that has just totally gripped me, I just can't utter a sound. I hear the doctor and nurses saying they don't think I understand what he's telling me, interpreting my silence for drugged stupor perhaps. I just lie there and nod.
The trip up the elevator to ICU was slow but uneventful. Thankfully I didn't get to see the plastic box with the paddles in action. Once they wheeled me into the room in Intensive Care I thought to myself, this isn't so bad. Since I wasn't dying at the moment and the private room in the ICU was free the cardiologist had them put me in there until the Catheter Lab was free. I should have realized but I never knew they had private rooms in ICU for VIPs. It sure made it nicer on my wife and I and took a little of the edge off the experience.
Having just heard I had not suffered a heart attack, a fact that seemed to surprise the doctors given the symptoms that brought me to the emergency room and my very high blood pressure, my wife Sheri and I were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, given the circumstances that's a morbid analogy.
The ER doctor explained that my blood pressure, while still high, was not dangerous since the nitroglycerin they'd been giving me for about 2 hours had brought it down. But, and that's a word I would grow to hate in the next few days, every time they stopped the nitro for even a little while the pressure climbed back up. Something was wrong and would have to be fixed. Medication wasn't doing it.
Time to continue the chronicle of a defining period in my life. Part 2 left off just after my shortness of breathe and I had just told my wife Sheri I needed to go to the emergency room as I could tell that something was very wrong with me.
Sheri has never handled traumatic events very well and the trip to the hospital was very nerve wracking for both of us. It only took us about 15 minutes to travel from our house to Cy-Fair Hospital, the closest hospital to us. We walked into the emergency room and briefly explained what I was experiencing and we were whooshed into a treatment room. The first thing they did was take my blood pressure.
To aid in understanding the enormity of my medical ordeal I should diverge into a brief history of the events that led up to my hospitalization. I had worked in the seismic services contract industry for over twenty years, the last ten in executive management. While I was certainly a workaholic in the earlier years of my career I had eventually realized that family and friends were more important than work. I had successfully changed my work attitude to reflect that belief and was enjoying a period in my life with a much lower stress level than before.
One of the reasons I started this blog besides having a platform to talk about tech stuff and other things that interest, amuse, and infuriate me, was to use this opportunity to pass on things I've learned throughout my life. A blog is a good forum for that as it's not a captive media- if something doesn't interest you then you simply pass it over. But it's a therapeutic way for me to recount some major events that will make me feel better having told it and might help others at the same time.
Almost three years ago I underwent a life-shaking period that many experience and none are ever prepared for. I had open heart surgery at the way too young age of 45, an event that I certainly was not expecting nor ready to endure. I'd like to chronicle this experience a little at a time and will post it in installments so as not to overwhelm you the reader nor me the storyteller.
Pull up a chair and read on if you wish. Maybe you'll find something that will benefit you- if not that's OK. I'm writing it for me.
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Something we don't do very much here on jkOnTheRun is write about personal type stuff. We figure that's not what you want to hear about on a tech blog and we like to keep some personal things private. I broke that rule when I originally wrote the "from the heart" series about my heart surgery and it's resonated with a lot of people all over the world. I am getting a lot of requests from friends and readers who heard about my recent stroke who wondered if I planned to write about that experience the same way. I have been told that a lot of people would be interested to find out what the stroke experience was like and how it all went down. I must admit that I had not planned to write about this experience as I didn't think there would be much interest in it but since I still keep getting asked about it I changed my mind. Thankfully, changing my mind is something I can still do, it could have been much different. If this experience interests you read on after the jump, if you're only interested in tech stuff then skip on and it will be business as usual.
Kevin and I are traveling today to Albuquerque so we can attend the service for Marc Orchant tomorrow morning. It's a sad trek but the upside is we will get to see each other for a couple of days unexpectedly. We meet up in Dallas and then fly in together to Albuquerque this afternoon. Posting will be light but hopefully we'll get some time to put some things up, especially with some new Tablet PCs being announced and released.
