Scott Hunter's Heart Surgery-Part Deux

Feeling very good today!

2008-12-29T19:19:00.002-06:00

Today was beautiful, friends, sun and recovering. Our friend Debbie made breakfast and we took a little car trip to Bry's garden to spend a little time in the sun.

I have a little pain from my surgery - the rt side of my chest just aches, my back pops and creeks, rt side also aches. I have tried to slow down my pain pills but my pain just comes back with a vengeance. I am not able to drive for six to eight weeks and my chest looks like I have been in a major accident. I am looking forward to tomorrow, I should be feeling even better than today!

Hello From Liz!

2008-12-29T17:58:00.000-06:00

Home Sweet Home

2008-12-29T11:10:00.002-06:00

I feel really good today so I spent time reading the blog and all of the nice comments. Bryan and Liz did a great job keeping you updated on my status. I feel very luck and loved.

We arrived home from the Hospital late Friday night and I was not able to sleep most of the night - tossing a turning, I could not find a comfortable position. Saturday I was in a haze most of the day then decided to take a nap - I was out cold for over 4 hours which is the most sleep I had since my surgery. Debbie has been staying with us, cooking, helping with Frank and the dogs. She made an incredible meal that evening but I still didn’t have my appetite back. Unless it is jell-o, yogurt or water, all other food just does not appeal to me. Maggy came over and spent time with us, had dinner and lots of fun conversations. Saturday night I slept better. I was able to get a full night sleep but was still tired on Sunday.
Sunday was beautiful, I am still not hungry. I was able to go on a walk with Debbie and the dogs and later that day Maggy came over with her puppy and we all went to the park to walk the dogs. Debbie cooked another great meal; Split-pea soup, corn bread, apple pie and ice cream. Debbie made me a light chicken breast soup and I did have a little corn bread and pie - but still not hungry.

Today is Monday and I slept very well last night. The pain is easing in my chest, I am doing my breathing exercises, and waiting for everyone to start the day. I still need help showering, putting my shirt, etc. I am not able to lift my arms over my head for the next several weeks due to my new pacemaker. Later today I will record a new video so you can see me now!
Thanks again for all of your Prayers, good vibes, and comments. I was very overwhelmed reading blog notes and comments.
Talk to you soon,
Scott

Christmas day and time to go home!

2008-12-26T14:33:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays - It's Scott writing on my blog for the first time in over a week. I'm very happy to inform we are being discharged this afternoon/eve! Such good news and I am ready to get some sleep. Over the past two nights we did not really sleep, I was on IV drips all night long and the regulator would "signal" when it was time to change the bag or when I moved my arm or, I don't know, look at it the wrong way. I am so glad for this news and Bryan is taking a catnap for our car ride home.

Yesterday was a very fun day with Dan, Frank and Liz showing up with loads of packages to open and lots to talk about. I think the Holiday dinner came from McDonald's (which is just down the hall next to registration). Anyway, we had a great afternoon and was bummed when Liz and the boys left for Austin.

Today has been exciting with long pauses of waiting. I met the pacemaker resident this am then Dr. Seger and received good news - the pacemaker is working correctly, no issues to report - I am free to leave as soon as Dr. Coselli's team has released me. Early this afternoon, Dr. Coselli's team came by and and also gave me good news! So now we wait for discharge paperwork.

Thanks to everyone who sent me prayers, energy, good thoughts and all of the cards, notes on my blog and gifts at the hospital. I have so much more to write about but I can't seem to focus on typing at this time. I have many stories to share about my surgery and this amazing place.
Talk to you soon,
Scott

Christmas Eve and all is quiet

2008-12-24T20:54:00.004-06:00

After a very nice visit with Liz, Frank and Daniel, Scott is now settling in for the night. The hospital is quieter than it has been, and as we walk around the hall, we see that many of the floor's rooms are empty, as their patients have gone home for the holidays.

An hour or so before midnight on Christmas Eve, the nursing staff made the rounds singing Christmas songs to patients, and came by Scott's room to sing a couple songs, which was a lot of fun! We can tell they have a lot of fun working here. Scott enjoyed it and asked the nurses to return for an encore (see the uploaded video below), which they did. A great way to lift spirits here!

Scott has been increasingly getting stronger, and in turn has been feeling energized by his walks. It was just yesterday that Scott took 2 short walks, taking baby steps, and this evening he was walking all the way around the 10th floor with increasing speed, with spotters on each side of him.

One of the doctors today said he might even be able to head home tomorrow, or Friday, which would be nice.

Well, Merry Christmas and rest well,
Bryan

A hard day's night--but better now

2008-12-24T17:30:00.005-06:00

Scott and Bryan had a rough night. As it turned out, the pain medication Scott was taking was not strong enough, so he couldn't sleep. Once he got on a more powerful medication this morning, he and Bryan both slept several hours while I took Daniel and Frank to do some last-minute Christmas shopping.

Now they are both in excellent spirits, and Daniel and Frank helped Scott walk all the way around the floor for the first time.

Happy Christmas Eve to you all. We're looking forward to a festive Christmas morning.

Liz

Scott's hospital room and first walk down the hall

2008-12-23T16:31:00.002-06:00

Scott is doing well today (Tuesday), although he didn't sleep too well last night--his sleep was disturbed by all the various medications from the pacemaker surgery, which also gave him strange dreams. Nevertheless, he is in good spirits and enjoying being in a private room, which is looking very festive with decorations and flowers from several of you. He also briefly saw the sun for the first time in days when it burst through the gray clouds for a few hours.

He also took his first shower in five days, which was very welcome. The doctor told him that the sooner he walks, the sooner he'll be out of here, so he was very motivated to take a walk down the hall with his nurse, Pegah, and Bryan.

Here is a little bit of video so you can see for yourselves.

Liz

Monday 11 p.m.

2008-12-22T23:06:00.003-06:00

Well, Scott did just fine with the pacemaker insert operation, and Liz accompanied him up to his new room, #1034. He was in good spirits, and I arrived with Frank and Daniel just in time to meet them as they got here. Liz was busy getting Christmas decorations today, and she, Frank and Daniel climbed up and hung garland, Christmas streamers, lights bows, and stockings on essentially anything that stood still. It looks very nice. Scott was very, very pleased, and doing well.

So now it is time to recover in his own room with peace, quiet, t.v., books and Sprite w/ fresh limes. Mmmm. I'm up here in a fold-out sleeper, and will be his attendant for the duration.

Just letting you all know things are looking great for his recovery, and we'll get a video clip going once he's feeling up to it (and after he gets his shave!)

Scott Hunter: 10 Tower, Room #1034
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
6720 Bertner Ave.
Houston, TX 77030

Scott's direct phone:
832-355-2515, or after hours call 832-355-1000 to the switchboard.

Signing out for now,
Bryan

Still Waiting

2008-12-22T17:47:00.003-06:00

We forgot to mention that Scott's fever went back down, so he must be doing a better job of breathing deeply and re-inflating his lungs. As Bryan mentioned, they've disconnected a whole bunch of tubes and wires, so Scott is also able to move around a little easier. Hooray!

The hospital has been jam-packed today, as they are trying to get as much done as possible so people can get home before Christmas. As a result, Scott just now (at 5:45) got transferred up to the "cath lab" where they will put his pacemaker in. We went up in the elevator with him. It should take about an hour. He won't be put fully asleep for this--it's considered a pretty minor procedure.

Then he will be in a regular room. We said good-bye and a very grateful thank-you to the cardiac ICU and all the wonderful nurses there. We've been highly impressed with them.

Although it was hard not having windows, Scott has passed the time watching all the drama of what has been happening with the other patients. And Bryan and I have been talking to other families in the waiting area, sharing their joys and heartaches. Quite a bonding experience. We'll probably see some of the same faces up on the 10th floor when we get up there.

Hopefully Scott will be in a room up there by the next time we log in!

Liz

Update Monday at noon

2008-12-22T12:14:00.005-06:00

Greetings all-
Scott wants everyone to know how much all your support means to him, and I think his recovery is improved because of it. He's especially doing better today. His nurses have continued to be top-notch and very attentive, as well as the supervising doctor this past weekend, whose name escapes me.

Today at 3 p.m. he gets a pacemaker put in, which is a short and minor surgery, usually considered an out-patient surgery. After that they expect to move him to his own room, which means he is recovering well enough to not be hooked up to quite so many machines, and it also means he'll be able to get more rest, which he's really happy about. We'll also be able to start watching some DVD's we brought with us, and listen to some wonderful David Sedaris audio stories on disc.

Daniel and Frank will be arriving tonight for a few days. We can't thank Bob enough for having all of us stay at his house!

Sunday night update

2008-12-21T22:27:00.002-06:00

Scott continues to improve. He had a little bit of fever today, but our friend Cheryl (a former ICU supervisor) said it's very common 2-3 days after surgery, and that he just needs to breathe more deeply to get any little pockets of fluid out of his lungs to avoid infection. He has a special pillow he holds over his chest (so he won't split his stitches), and he is supposed to breathe deeply and cough to reopen all the little air sacs in the lungs. (The lungs actually deflate during surgery when the patient is on the heart-lung machine, so it's important to get the lungs fully opened back up.)

She also said that it's not surprising that Scott might need a pacemaker after two surgeries because the scar tissue can affect the electrical impulses that pass through the cells of the heart. So she said it doesn't mean anything bad, and now he'll get to go to the head of the line at airport security!

Scott is sitting up most of the time now and observing all the goings-on with all the other patients. He even observed some of the preparations for a heart transplant. And he has been watching a woman who has the same condition as Scott but, unlike him, did not know she had a problem with her valve and was flown in on an emergency basis when the valve burst. We are all so grateful that Scott has benefited from timely diagnosis so he didn't have to come in like that.

He and Bryan are ever so grateful for all the good wishes and prayers.

Take care everyone,

Liz

Sunday afternoon update

2008-12-21T14:07:00.002-06:00

Hi there, everyone-
We were able to visit Scott his morning, and he was feeling much better today than yesterday, and had gotten more (although still not enough) sleep. The ICU is a very busy place, it turns out. We saw that he had progressed enough so they started offering him real food - a couple graham crackers and apple sauce, but they also have him hooked up for nutrition and hydration as well. Scott will be kept in there at least another day, and the doctors say he will need a pacemaker, which Scott accepted as necessary, but wasn't really thrilled about it. His release date has subsequently been pushed past Christmas.

I took in a couple family photos and left them there, with the nurse's permission. Liz and I took turns reading posts from the blog, as one would stand, holding the laptop computer like a tray, and the other would type and navigate on the computer, reading the postings aloud for Scott to hear, then we switched roles when one would get tired of holding the computer. He really enjoyed hearing all your posts and wishes verbatim.

We will be going in later today, and if there's news to report we'll post it.
Warm regards,
Bryan

Here He Is!

2008-12-20T20:49:00.003-06:00

Scott is still in ICU, but we hope maybe he'll be in a room tomorrow. Both times we went in today, they had him sitting up in a chair.

Since he was looking so good, I thought maybe he would like to speak for himself, so here he is!

Liz

Update on Saturday afternoon

2008-12-20T14:48:00.004-06:00

Good day all,

With Scott recovering nicely, we've been all able to rest, feeling more assured. I saw him this morning, and he is still doing well, although he himself hadn't slept enough because of an increase in commotion and activity at night with some new patients; there are at least 48 beds in this ICU, so it's a big unit. He is so appreciative that each of the nurses attending him is very good and is closely monitoring him. It appears that the nurse/patient ratio is 1/1 or at most 1/2. Because he was so tired, I only stayed five minutes and then headed out.

Our host Bob has been wonderful, letting Liz, Daniel and me stay at his house. Liz has been a rock of support. Her partner Debbie has been holding down the fort in Austin, taking care of Frank, the dogs and the house. Last evening Scott got to see Daniel, Frank's older brother who is 24 and now lives in San Antonio, today, and it meant a lot to him.

The ICU waiting room for families is delightfully empty now, as it is the weekend, and most of the ICU patients are doing well enough, and their families can rest a little themselves, too.

I'll post once more this evening. Thanks yet again for all your support, and I have been keeping Scott posted on all communications.

best,
Bryan

Scott Sends Love

2008-12-19T17:35:00.002-06:00

Bryan and I just saw Scott and he is doing great. He said to send love and thanks to all of your for your messages and love and support.

He will be in the cardiac ICU for at least another day, so no flowers or phone calls yet, but we'll keep you posted. He is getting excellent care here--what a blessing!

Liz

Update Friday morning

2008-12-19T11:36:00.003-06:00

Hello all,
I've conveyed everyone's individual wishes, love and concern to Scott this morning, which he greatly enjoyed hearing.

Scott's doing great now, and Liz and I got to see him and he was in good spirits and relieved to have the surgery over! A good night's rest made such a difference, and Scott was fully coherent, and his usual cheerful self and we tried sharing a few jokes. We also met Claire, the wonderful genetic researcher who helped Scott understand that his heart needed attention, as she got there first thing during the visiting time and talked to us a while, with much appreciated insight and advice.

What the medical staff will be concentrating on is making sure he doesn't have any blood clots, and he has on special calf-high mechanically massaging socks, of sorts, and he will need to eventually do some breathing and leg exercises to keep his blood flowing everywhere. This hospital is exceptionally highly acclaimed, so we feel confident in the staff's care.

Well, next visit time will be at 5 p.m. We'll keep you posted.
best,
Bryan

Good Night, Sleep Well!

2008-12-18T21:33:00.003-06:00

Bryan and I went in to see him once more at 8:15, and he opened his eyes a bit and acknowledged both of us and tried to mouth "I love you" to Bryan, but then his nurse told him he shouldn't talk (the tube was still in), so we told him we loved him and quickly left so he could rest. What a relief to see him conscious! So we should ALL get a good night's sleep tonight...hope all of you will, too. We'll post more tomorrow.

Good night, sweet dreams, and love to all of Scott's loving circle of family and friends....

Liz

Post operation update 7:15 p.m.

2008-12-18T19:18:00.003-06:00

All,
Okay, so officially the operation was a success, and Scott's breathing on his own and his heart's beating by itself. They let me into the ICU to go see him at 6:30 and he's doing fine, and under very heavy medication with lots of tubes attached, going in and coming out of him. The nurse woke him for a minute so I could say hi, and he acknowledged and replied to a couple questions by wiggling his toes, then they gave him a shot of sedative and morphine for him to sleep again. Will go back in for the last visiting time today in 1 hour. They say he will be able to interact more cognitively and talk briefly tomorrow.

Dr. Coselli just came out to talk to a me personally, and he reassured me Scott's doing great, and that they will monitor the heart's pace, which fluctuates, a common phenomenon in re-operations. He mentioned that not only did the aorta have an aneurysm and bow out, but that the valve itself was being stretched out along with the aorta's bowing, so that's why they took the valve out and replaced it as well.

Phew.

Good night, and once again, thanks for all your well wishes and love,
Bryan

Update Thursday 5:35 p.m..

2008-12-18T17:35:00.004-06:00

Hello everyone,
The nurse updated us not too long ago and said that they are still working on Scott, cleaning him. Apparently the incision is still bleeding a little, which is not uncommon. The nurse said his heart is beating on its own now, so that's great news there. I should be able to go in and see him in the next few hours.

Liz is heading back to Dan and Bob's house now. It's been so nice having her to keep me company, and we've enjoyed the company of Geri and her sister, too. Liz and I both chuckled at how difficult it has been making simple decisions as the day gets long.

Thank you all for your well wishes, calls and posts, and we'll add a post or two later on tonight with the latest.
hugs,
Bryan

Update Thursday 3 p.m.

2008-12-18T15:08:00.003-06:00

Hi all,
We just got word from the operating room that Scott's surgery is nearly over, and they'll probably be done in the next hour or 90 minutes. At the moment, the doctors are closing up the operating area (rib cage), which will require wiring Scott's sternum back up. We were informed that they needed to remove the valve he had and put in a pre-assembled valve/aorta replacement combination.
We'll have more to post in a few hours.
Bryan

Scott in Surgery Now

2008-12-18T10:39:00.003-06:00

Hello Everyone--

Scott, Bryan and I woke in the foggy early morning darkness and found our way through the maze of hospitals and parking lots in Houston's enormous medical complex (They came from a motel, and I came from our friends Dan & Bob's--thank you, Dan, for getting up at 4 a.m. and making me coffee!). We entered the rather grand entrance to the Denton A. Cooley Building at St. Luke's Hospital.

We were all a little scared but in pretty good spirits. There was lots of prep and scary paperwork on the sixth floor/yellow elevators, and then we followed him down to the cardiac surgery area on the second floor/purple elevators. (There are four or five elevators in different areas--just to give you an idea of the size of this place!). We said a slightly tearful but brave good-bye to Scott and went to the cafeteria to get some breakfast.

Back up in the waiting area, they provide the families with wireless access, which we are using to fill you in. A nurse comes out every 1-1/2 hours to keep us posted on progress. The first time she came out, they'd spent the first hour just doing all the prep in the surgery room but had not yet made the first incision. A few minutes ago she reported they had Scott opened up but had not yet started on his aorta. It seems so unbelievable to picture what's going on in there.

To our surprise, our friend Geri from Austin showed up a little while ago. It turns out that her dad is in ICU a few floors up with pneumonia! What an amazing coincidence. We'll probably go up later and visit her mom and sister.

I tried taking a few video clips, which I will attach as soon as I figure out how. I had a lot of shots of my navel at first since I didn't know how to operate the camera, but fortunately for you, I figured out how to edit out the bad stuff!

More soon...

Liz (Scott & Bryan's friend)

Surgery Eve is Here!

2008-12-17T19:47:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone - I tried to complete a video to upload but was unable to upload it to youtube. We are in our hotel room and I am in the process of preparing for my day tomorrow.
Debbie and Liz arrived and Debbie is home with Frank and Liz will be here with Bryan during my surgery. Daniel is traveling to Houston tomorrow and I will see him after the surgery. All systems are go and I am ready be recovering from the surgery.
Thank you, Thank you for all of your prayers, good thoughts and words of encouragement - you have really helped me get to this point. I am going to sign off for now, I will post again after my surgery.
Love you all,

Scott

T-Minus 24 Hours and Counting

2008-12-17T09:26:00.005-06:00

OK kiddos, tomorrow is the big day! By this time tomorrow I will be well into my surgery. Bryan will be updating this blog with my progress.
Being this my second open heart surgery in less than three years I kinda know the drill. This surgery is to replace my ascending aorta, root and possibly my aortic valve again. The surgery is will be at St. Luke's hospital in Houston. Here is the link:
http://www.sleh.com/sleh/Section004/index.cfm?pagename=Visitors%20Help%20Desk
My son Frank is going to stay in Austin with our Friend Debbie and Liz will be traveling with us to Houston. I'm not sure about our son Daniel - he was having a difficult time with his employer giving him time off to visit me.
This morning I am going to pop a Xanax, pack my bags and wait for Liz and Debbie to arrive so we can start the trek. Terry and Ramon gave me a "Tails of the City" book to read and I think I am going to bring my complete set of "Sex and the City" dvds. Last night we bought a small pink tree, a red stocking with an "S" and a strand of garland for my room - kinda corny but I like it.
I will update this blog later tonight after we have settled into the hotel. We are staying at the Galleria in Houston so maybe I will do a little shopping before we settle down tonight.
Talk to you soon,
Scott

Monday, Monday...

2008-12-15T14:03:00.007-06:00

It's Monday afternoon and this day is flying by. I have so much to do and no time to do it. I was just thinking about the possibility of being in the hospital on Christmas and not being home - that's really a bummer. I'm not really religious but this time of the year always has been very special to me and my family. I always look forward to Christmas morning and family time. This year our family will be a little spread out with Bryan and I in Houston and Frank in Austin. Daniel may be with us in Houston. Maybe I will decorate my hospital room with some sort of tiny tree and streamers to make it seem festive. Boring Hospital room??? No way!
Bryan is my rock and has always been there for me. During my last surgery he spent the entire time with me at the hospital; he slept in my room on a roll-a-way bed and took care of me when I returned home. Last night he had a lot on his mind and I can tell he is very worried. Please family and friends also give him your support also during this difficult time.
This morning I spent time getting my meds, mailing a package to my mom and dad and then going to Linen's and Things to see what they had left. I did find Bryan a cool gift that I think he will like - if he doesn't use it I will be happy to use it!
You know what sounds good? A spa day - I will not be able to get a massage for some time after my surgery so I think I will have one tomorrow. Maybe I will get a pedicure/manicure also. Who knows! I am a little on edge today and looking forward to a massage will keep my mind off of things. Plus I need to finish taking care of the house before company arrives. Cleaning the house would be a good incentive for me.
****
Thanks everyone for the nice notes on my blog and sending me good energy!

Love,
Scott

Good Sunday Morning!

2008-12-14T09:33:00.004-06:00

Good Sunday Morning! I have been up for hours doing nothing but surfing the web and watching QVC gifts for men. Yesterday was a very good day, I have been trying to keep busy to avoid letting my mind wander about my surgery this Thursday. My son Frank has been a joy to be around… Usually he drives me crazy but recently it seems he has really started to grow up and mature. We have had some very interesting conversations and he is impressed that I have started to write a blog.

Saturday was busy, we worked on household chores for part of the day then met our friend Bruce to drive over to the convention center to a National Geographic warehouse sale and to inspect Austin’s new Metro Rail trail. Later we had dinner with friends Terry and Ramon and really had a nice time chatting.

This morning I have been thinking a lot about my surgery. It still does not seem real but I know it is going to happen and I know I will be fine. Every once in awhile I catch myself starting to panic and thinking about the “what ifs”. It’s sometimes hard to step back and look at the whole picture and tell myself everything is moving forward as it should, the doctors are in place and friends and family are focused on my wellbeing. The universe, higher power or God has allotted for this healing to happen and I am agreeable to the process. My job now is to keep positive and bathe in all of this good energy I am receiving.

Happy Friday!

2008-12-12T17:12:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! Today is Friday and I am feeling a little sleepy. I did not sleep well last night so I am feeling the effects today. I received a call from St. Luke's Hospital informing me everything is ready to go for this next week, my insurance has given them the approval to move forward.
Today I stop taking coumadin and begin lovenox shots twice a day to keep my blood thin until surgery. The last time I used lovenox I was a little hesitant about giving myself an injection but it is not a big issue. The needle is very thin and the only thing I feel is a slight burn from the medication.

Bry brought me a bouquet of tulips which made very happy!

Six days to go and counting. Our friend Rose was here today and her persona gives me such strength. She reminds me of my late Aunt Mikki and today she reminded me how lucky I am to be aware of this path of healing I am on. I really feel there is a reason why my medical problem was found and why I have one of be best surgeons taking care of this issue. I need to take a step back and look at this whole experience as an incredible journey to resolve this issue. It is truly amazing how all of the pieces came together so fast and without much effort. I am blessed in many ways.

Tomorrow is my first Saturday off in several weeks and I am looking forward to spending time with Bryan. Frank is spending time at his friend Ellis' home and we are able to sleep in!

One Week Away!

2008-12-11T21:29:00.000-06:00

One week from today my surgery will be over, Yeah! I am so looking forward to getting this thing done and over. This feels like it is happening to someone else, not me. I know I am going to have surgery but I it has not hit me yet - even when a CT machine is whizzing around me or I am going through testing.
OK, this is my story... Three years ago we were living in the beautiful State of Maine, loving life and the beauty of that enchanted place. During my work day I would become a little dizzy and my back would hurt a little. Not a big deal but then I started to wonder if I had some ear infection or a slipped disk so I made an appointment with my GP. My visit seemed normal until my doctor inquired about a heart murmur. I had never had a murmur before, but then I learned I had a seriously bad sounding murmur and it was time for me to visit the cardiologist just across the parking lot. Anyway, long story short, I was on the fast track to have my failing bi-cuspid aortic valve replaced with a titanium value which should last my lifetime. So in Maine I had my first open heart surgery which I thought was my last.
Fast forward to now... My partner, son and I moved back to Austin a year and a half ago and I have an new cardiologist and a new set of eyes looking over me. After a new CT scan this new doctor was concerned about my aortic root and ascending aorta. I found out after my original surgery that people with bicuspid aortic valves are prone to a weak ascending aorta and possible aneurysm. I volunteered to be in a genetic study for people with bicuspid valve defects and when I met with the doctor heading up the study she asked me when my next surgery was scheduled. It surprised me when I found out I needed surgery again. So now surgery is next week (December 18th) and I am looking for ways to keep my mind clear.
I am very happy to have one of the world's best surgeons working on me and my chances for a full recovery are excellent. It's surgery with a long recovery and I am ready to move forward.