Pre-Admission
I am so pissed off and frustrated. I spent about two hours writing this page the first time. Edited it. Added the photos and e-mails and was just about to upload the finished product to the Web, and I erased it by accident. I can't find it anywhere. Oh well, it has been that kind of day. Long and tedious.
The dogs woke Dory up at 3am and not being able to get back to sleep she got up at 4 am to get ready to go down to Toronto General for my 7:45 am pre-admission session. We made it downtown from our home on the Scarborough Bluffs ( south eastern part of the city near Lake Ontario) in good time arriving early enough to go to the Second Cup coffee bar in the hospital. We had my favorite, triple espressos with a bit of frothed milk. Sort of a giant cappuccino with extra coffee and less milk. By the time we returned to the reception desk they were open and ready for us.
We joined three other patients for an orientation session about what we should expect on all aspects of my hospital experience. We were shown how to do the breathing exercises we'd need to do after surgery and given our little breathing exerciser to take home for practice. It was very informative and we were also shown an excellent video on the same subject.
We had our own little exam room where we basically stayed and different nurses, doctors, aides, practitioners, etc. kept coming in and out asking and answering questions, filling out forms and taking tests. (EKG, blood,...)
A nice touch was when Ken the volunteer came by to advise us and answer questions. He had undergone bypass surgery in March of this year and was there just to ease our minds. He was great. He said he drop in and see me next Friday.
Another guy in a white coat came in and asked if anyone had explained the risks to us. We said, "risks? No one ever told us there'd be risks!" Just kidding. Any moron knows there are risks with surgery especially open heart! He was very frank and actually a little disturbed that I had already signed the consent form with out someone going thru this with me. Possible risks that I can remember being, infection, bleeding, stroke or death. He commented that people had said that they would prefer death over stroke. I agree.
Everyone was professional, compassionate and generally great all morning. But it was long and I could see that Dory was fading fast. Poor kid. After a chest x-ray, we finally were free to go. We were tired and hungry so we picked up some fresh sandwiches on our way out at the cafeteria. We hit the road back home at 12 noon and devoured the food in the car.
These are our silly poochies:
Beagle Bailey "just goofin' around" & Scooter doing her "frisbee-face"
After loading up the car with stuff and dogs, we hit the road again by 1 pm to our cozy little escape cottage in Niagara-On-The-Lake. When we got there about two hours later, we tuned the heat on and went over to our local pub, the Dog and Drum. The house could heat up and we could unwind with a beer or two. There's no better liquid health food than Guinness! We could also sit and chat with the owner, our good pal, Peter Griffin, whom I know is very concerned about all this. We had a nice beer which really calmed our nerves and left about an hour later so that Pete could close the pub down for his daily 4pm dog walking.
A future surgery candiate. Can I get Guinness in my IV?
A little later Pete came over to our house, where we had more Guinness and Moosehead, pistachio nuts, bits and bites and spring rolls for our dinner. Herb Nelson (my poet, keyboard playing, mechanically inclined buddy) dropped in for a "Point-9", the world's best non-alcohol beer. (Only available in Canada. Ha!) We had a good ol' time as usual. Taking digital pictures and just being silly.
Dory & Pete ~~~~~~ Me & Pete doing the obligatory spring roll up each other's nose ritual.
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1998
Subject: Well....
how did it go at the doctor's. What are you allowed and not allowed to do this weekend????
By the way, I love the idea of taking pictures of you with tubes everywhere! Blow them up for Halloween next year and put them at you front door, with a sign that says "Enter at own risk, look at what happened to this guy"!!!!!!!!!!!!
How goes it by Dorothy?????????? I'll be opening up the wines this weekend, so I'll be able to tell you next week which one I loved.
ttfn, Darlene
Subject: Just some stuff i wanted to say
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 20:43:36 -0500
The following is a post i just sent in to my newsgroup....it is self explanatory:
"I just wanted to take a moment to thank those that tried to find the website i was searching for yesterday. I managed to find it on my own, but others via e-mail and icq contacted me with both information and well wishes.
The site i was searching for is a journal of a 42 yr old man who went thru open heart surgery. My brother in law found it and wanted to share it with all of the family so we could gain some understanding as to what to expect, particularly after the surgery which is this coming Monday.
In turn, he is creating his own journal now. He's calling it "The Bum Ticker". In addition to running the family business with my husband, he is also a musician and rechristened his latest band "The Bum Tickers" as well. I admire his continued sense of humour. I have always believed that if you take what you are most frightened of and laugh at it, you demystify it, thereby lessening the fear. I have spent most of my life doing this myself and i know it helps. Laughter and a sense of humour bear great healing powers.
Some of you may be interested in reading this. Most of us have been touched by heart disease in 1 way or another. So, please...check this out if you'd like to. And on Monday at noon est, please take a moment to think of the best brother in law EVER (ok, so i'm a bit biased). Thank you all for listening."
OK.......back to "LIVE" me: As you've kinda noticed over the last 6 years, I generally speak my mind, tho most of the family has certainly wished to gag me at some point or another...hehehehe. I just want you to know that I love, respect and appreciate you. I also know that, you, dear bro, have got SPUNK!! A quality I much admire (just ask Dory)! You are the person that the entire family looks up to.... "If Steve thinks so, then it must be right". I have heard that expression, even in my own home, many times. The respect you command without effort (or usually desire) is remarkable. I have never met anyone who has an unkind word about you. Certainly a rarity in these gossipy backstabbing days.
Thank you for being the best man at our wedding (don't recall ever actually saying that). Thank you for being the kind of man that a little brother and sister can look up to (ok...so we're both closing in on 40). Thank you for letting me get to know you through your writings. I am not writing this for any reason other than after reading the wonderful e-mails and postings received, I figured I should at least get my buck fifty in there.
I would also like to offer my services in updating your friends on NanciNet after the surgery. If they are anything like the people I know on the net, they will be thinkin of you and anxious to hear how well everything went. Please supply me the info so I can report the great news!!
I know I've already told you, but I will reiterate it again....I will be there completely for Dory!!! She's my sis, and that's what sisters do. Plain and simple (or so it is in MY fantasy world).
Love ya BRO, HUGZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Glenn
(Pretty neat sis-in-law, wouldn't you say. Thanks Glenn, I'm speechless. But you know I really do appreciate all those things you said about me. Makes me sound perhaps a little too good. We can't let that happen. Anyway, I raise my last Guinness to you.)
Subject: journal Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998
Hi Steve, just read your journal. it is really neat! just wanted to let you know i am happy to be a part of
it. i know how you are feeling about now and i'm here if you have any = questions. we will be pulling for
you. wish you the very best. Rich Barbour
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 10:53:11 -0500
Subject: RE: Bum Ticker
Dear Steve,
I get a lot of funny titled e-mail. So I thought bum ticker would be something funny like a new band name. But no it wasn't.
As I read through your site today my heart was racing! I squirmed in my chair as you described the yucky tests. But I thank you for sharing it with me.
As musicians we have and do experience many things that most people won't know, some funny and some not funny. And there always comes a time when we can look back at those experiences and reflect on them as something that added to our own life history. Even the unpleasant ones somehow with time get buffed up to shine as the story is retold.
So now you're going through a whole new experience without being in control. It's a bit like flying because you're on a journey and trusting others to get you there. You can't steer. But you always get there OK. You are in the best of hands and care. We do have the best medical technology available anywhere, right here in Toronto. My health is under the care of specialists at Mt. Sinai. I had an MRI at TGH two years ago. So I know how you felt in there. I've had some gross tests that I'll tell you about next time I see you.
A little bit of new pipe and you'll be back in action with stories to tell for many years to come. It's OK to be scared. It lets us know we're alive. But tell yourself this is life-an experience. Don't worry though. You'll be fine. Warmest thoughts for you. --- Dave Freeman :)
Subject: Re: The Bum Ticker
Steve,
Just a note to send our best...I know Monday will be a (stiff) breeze and we'll have you back with us soon, chatting away.
Also the best to those you love and who love you during this time...heck, you get the anesthetic and the red carpet treatment, but they have to do the worrying!
Blessings and cheer, Sarah and Vince
Subject: Good luck! Thinking of you Monday!
I really loved your web page. My time is coming shortly and it was very helpful to read your story. You have a great way with words. Will be keeping you in my prayers and looking forward to the sequels in your web page! Susan
Subject: Some possible e-mail comin ur way Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 13:05:53 -0500
Hiya!!
Just wanted to let u know that if you receive any mail from a person u don't know named Mike Bell, he is the approximately 20 yr old son of a net friend of mine.
His mom wrote me the following:
"thanks Bree for Steve's home page.....I understand it now. I really didn't think we were talking about the same thing the other day, and we weren't. My son had just what Steve is having done 4 yrs. ago. It is the ascending aorta. Mike has dacron, as Steve is getting, but Mike has mechanicalvalve. This surgery went very well. Being 16 yrs old his recovery was fast. 4 days in hospital and back to school in about 6 weeks."
She also thinks Mike may wanna drop you a line. So if you see a reference to Bree...just think of ur cheesy sis/law Love ya, Glenn
Subject: Fw: about Steve and his Bum Ticker
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 18:59:21 -0500
Hey there!! I am forwarding this to you.....Cindy is a good internet/spades friend of mine....She is from the Boston area.....thought u would enjoy!!
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> Subject: about Steve and his Bum Ticker > Date: Friday, November 06, 1998 6:09 PM
> Hey Bree..thanks for sending me the url for Steve's website..I was gonna ask for it today.
> I really like the person that wrote all this!..such a nice, conversational way of writing, and although the overall tone was light and > humorous, I know that the last few years have been overwhelmingly stressful for Steve, Dory and the entire family. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time...but I know that all will be fine in the end. It's the getting there that's the hard part. Please give my best regards to all.
> Cin <---who can't wait to read about Steve's adventures during recovery!
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