My participation here since the holidays as been curtailed pretty radically of late, and I wanted to let you know why. We’ve had a bit of a life-altering event. Just before Christmas I learned that I needed open-heart surgery to correct some severe blockages I wasn’t even aware of. So on Jan. 4 I had a quadruple bypass, and I’ve been recovering, mostly at home, ever since.
I say “mostly at home” because things were going very well here, when, one week after discharge, I started having severe light-headedness, which culminated in passing out, flat on the floor, and an ambulance ride back to the hospital, where they discovered a couple of bleeding ulcers. An upper GI endoscopy and cauterization (and three units of blood) later, I’m home again and gradually improving, working not just on gentle conditioning, but also doing what I can to rebuild hemoglobin levels. As it happens, cardiac rehab starts later this morning.
Unfortunately, because the listening room is in the basement, I’ve only spent a few minutes with music during this time. I hope to change that in the coming days as I get stronger and I can manage the stairs without feeling like I’ve just run a hundred-yard dash. So far each day has been a tiny step closer to feeling “normal.”
Anyway, I miss the community, and wanted to let you all know what’s going on here.
My friend had the quadruple heart surgery a few years back also. It took him one year to fully recover and he is back on the golf course playing better!
Take a good care of yourself from now on, soon you will be able to enjoy your system again.
Yikes! It’s good to hear you’re on the mend, Craig. Hopefully it will be a nice easy bit of progress from here out. My dad had a triple bypass years ago. It is definitely a life changing event. Focus on getting better and the sound room will be there when you’re ready!
