BajaNomad - Back from the brink

Back from the brink

baitcast - 9-28-2009 at 01:32 PM

Back from the brink
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:07 pm

BAITCAST
Crusty Old Surf Fisherman

Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 790
Location: Kingman AZ.

Been home now for 4 or 5 days after a fun 7 days at the Sunrise cardiac ICU unit in Las Vegas.

I,ve had this pressure in the chest for a month or two,had every test known to man with no solution,finally after more of my pestering,only test left was a angiogram so the doc gave his ok and set up the test.

Noon had me on the table and the test was quickly over,,my doc being a clown had this clever remark for me when I came around Rob he says "don,t make any plans for the rest of the day,you are headed for Vegas within the hour,every been in a helicopter before? HELICOPTER WHAT DO I NEED ONE OF THOSE FOR?

Living in a small town does have its draw-backs,he says and we are not equiped to handle BY-Pass operations here in Kingman

Shortly after I,m in the helio headed north and they are hooking me up to everything,the wife is driving the 125 miles and will get there an hour later,by the time the wife gets there the doctors are already working on me.

Let me say now before going any further this is not something you ever want to do,I,ve been on the table for six hours,a quadruple by-pass has been performed and I wake with my chest on fire

For the last six houre I have been a vegetable tended to by strangers,no heart beat I don,t even breathe on my own,my first thoughts that I can remember are PAIN,DRUGS and WATER.

This is the way it was for many hours,drugs are now at the top of the list,but there is a problem they don,t give drugs to heart patients like everywhere else because they want you to hurt when hurting they know you will be coughing and when coughing you are helping to keep the lungs clear,pneumonia is a ever present danger.

The ICU in the cardiac ward is like nowhere else,no showers,the beds have straps to hold you down,not much smiling going on and if they are smiling most are faking,just not a fun place to be.

Lessons learned I,m a wuss,there were a couple of little old ladies who I never heard at nite like most the guys,never a peep or whimper,I thought at times they must be dead but when I was able I checked on them and there they lay,one even smiled at me several time when I looked in,tough gal.

There is much more to the story,paranoia,delusions,there were dogs loose one nite in the ward

This had nothing to do with fishing just thought I would share it with you,so you had a bad day
Rob

I can,t believe I forgot to give a brief describtion of the operation,they cut you from the adams apple to the belly button and then break out the saw,open you up like a walnut and shut everything down,agh!!!!enough of that.

_________________
Anyone can catch fish with a boat but only El Pescador Grandes can get them from

DENNIS - 9-28-2009 at 01:43 PM

Bad day for sure, Rob. Hang in there, Buddy.

Cypress - 9-28-2009 at 01:47 PM

baitcast, Thanks for the update. Good luck with your recovery.

tripledigitken - 9-28-2009 at 01:48 PM

Take good care of yourself!

Taco de Baja - 9-28-2009 at 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by baitcast

I can,t believe I forgot to give a brief describtion of the operation,they cut you from the adams apple to the belly button and then break out the saw,open you up like a walnut and shut everything down,agh!!!!enough of that.

Sounds like what happens to a fish....

Hope you have a speedy recovery and are back to fishing soon.

toneart - 9-28-2009 at 02:07 PM

Baitcast,

If you have been home for a few days, it sounds like you are on the road to recovery. I hope you continue to improve quickly. I also hope you have good health insurance. Also, you are back here on BajaNomad, so that is a good sign too. Glad you could drop in on us. Stay in touch here, and when this string has run out of steam, may your next stories be good fish stories. :bounce:

Bajahowodd - 9-28-2009 at 02:10 PM

Rest easy and get well. Two folks come to mind that had the exact same surgery and seem to be thriving- Bill Clinton and David Letterman.

Skeet/Loreto - 9-28-2009 at 02:20 PM

Rob:
You described it exactly as it happened.

Me to May of 08 but let me tell you in about a month you will feel so much better with all that new Blood coming through.
God Bless

Skeet

24baja - 9-28-2009 at 02:23 PM

Yes our friend your life of recent has been hell, but you are still here and with time will feel the tug on the end of your line for many more years. May god bless and strengthen you, and may he be with your wife who has been there to support you and care for you.

Skeet/Loreto - 9-28-2009 at 02:45 PM

Rob: After the operation and on my release the Doctor looked me directly in the Eye and told me that he had just "Added 20 years to my Life""

You will be surpised at how much better you are going to feel.

comitan - 9-28-2009 at 04:07 PM

Skeet thats scary I had my 4way done 13 years ago, so I only have 7 left? Rob I know you were walking before just keep it up, and eat low fat.

woody with a view - 9-28-2009 at 04:46 PM

your wife drove 125 miles in an hour? gotta keeper there, buddy!!! we're pulling for ya brother. we gotta trip to the place no one knows about ('cept you!) in a month. i'll get one for ya!!!

Iflyfish - 9-28-2009 at 04:53 PM

I won't say anything funny so you don't have to laugh. On second thought, that might be very funny.

Heal fast and live well!!

Keep your tip up!

Iflyfish

oladulce - 9-28-2009 at 04:54 PM

Chest pain for a "month or two" and you're here telling your story! Somebody's watching out for you baitcast, although it probably doesn't feel like it whenever you have to cough or , heaven forbid, sneeze.

Happy healing to you.

Diver - 9-28-2009 at 05:35 PM

Interesting story; thanks for the details and best wishes on a speedy recovery.

Now let me tell you the story of my recent colonasscope ...... :biggrin:

BajaWarrior - 9-28-2009 at 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Diver
Interesting story; thanks for the details and best wishes on a speedy recovery.

Now let me tell you the story of my recent colonasscope ...... :biggrin:

No thanks!

comitan - 9-28-2009 at 05:43 PM

I believe his chest pain is called angina and you can have that for some time before a heart attack, If you feel something in your chest that feels like arthritis of the breastbone brought on by exertion and cold.

Better get to a doctor.

shari - 9-28-2009 at 06:08 PM

gosh, thanks for the play by play....it's good to remember to check up on those chest pains all right. I'm so glad you are back in the ball game and will be fishing in no time! Heal fast and well!

Udo - 9-28-2009 at 06:19 PM

My boss and father-in-law both went through the bypass. Pretty tough recovery, baitcast. Both had strokes before though.
Now...if you wanna talk about colonoscopies and prostatectomies...two each and no malignancies.
But according to my wife, nothing is worse than childbirth!

BajaGringo - 9-28-2009 at 07:07 PM

Glad you are here to be able to tell us the story. Take care and wishing you a speedy recovery...

Bajame - 9-28-2009 at 07:48 PM

Sounds like you are lucky to to still be here. Just think that just a few years ago we would be saying prayers for your soul. You should feel a great relief soon knowing that all is flowing well. It sounds scary what you went thru. Take care and let yourself take the time to heal and we will be looking for you soon.

Mexitron - 9-28-2009 at 07:51 PM

Glad you made it through....and now another 20 years of Baja!

Natalie Ann - 9-28-2009 at 07:59 PM

Oh baitcast - You are so wonderfully blessed by your own insistence that something was wrong and by your doctor's diagnosis and quick action.

I know the pain is not fun, and I'm sorry for that. But I'm delighted to know you will be around for some good time to come. I rather enjoy those fishing tales you tell.

Get better each day until you're healed.

nena

(edit for grammar)

[Edited on 9-29-2009 by Natalie Ann]

cabobaja - 9-28-2009 at 08:02 PM

Glad your on the road to recovery. Dad just had open heart surgery to replace his aorta valve with a cow valve. He is 84 and now I"ve never seen him drink so much milk!

bacquito - 9-29-2009 at 04:06 PM

Thanks for the report, keeps all of us "old pharts" on alert. I wish you speedy recovery.

Phil S - 9-29-2009 at 08:05 PM

Prayers to you for a very speedy recovery, and sorry that you had to go through that pain & hospital stay. Our paths will cross someday if it is intended to do so.

Barry A. - 9-29-2009 at 10:23 PM

You just proved that NOMADS rule!!! Well done, Baitcast, and so good to have you still with us---------appreciated you tale, also, tho pretty darn scary!!!

Barry

vgabndo - 9-29-2009 at 10:47 PM

Hang in there amigo. I got 13" of new trophy scars last year with the removal of about 2 1/2 pounds of cancerous junk. It hurt a lot at first, a year later I can hardly remember that discomfort.

Here's the upside for you. Heart disease doesn't metastasize. Live like there's no tomarrow.

BajaDanD - 9-29-2009 at 10:57 PM

If you had been the surgens first patient, ever. He would have had to eat the hart. Right?

Skipjack Joe - 9-30-2009 at 12:01 AM

Your survival, baitcast, is a good omen.

You now owe it to yourself to make the most of your coming years. I'm expecting an annual fishing report from BOLA from you each year now. You can start planning for your first trip as you convalesce. The roosters are waiting ...