I made it through Open Heart Surgery!!!

Thank- You- Jesus!!!!!

I couldn’t be more grateful for the fact that the very skilled hands of an amazing surgeon who has mended the hearts of celebrity actors, professional athletes, and dignitary lawyers, (malpractice ones, at that) would also use those very same hands to mend the,

Not-so-notable heart

 of,

Me,

Valerie Archual.

This was,

undoubtably,

a “God-thing”

that this man,

of mitral valve expertise,

would cross my broken heart path!

 

I am also overcome by all the endless amounts of well wishes, thoughts, and prayers for myself and my family during this time.

It, literally, brings me to tears (and not my “normal tears” these are newly acquired tears that are EVEN MORE easily expelled) when I think of all the texts, cards and messages that have flooded us!!!

There were even some delicious hot meals that showed up to fill our bellies when we would have been too exhausted to eat anything other than the secret stash of gummy bears hidden deep in the pantry.

My little healthy “tuned-up” heart is overflowing with more love, gratitude, and crazy post op tears, than it could have ever imagined!!!!

I am indeed thankful.

So.

Now that you know I did indeed SURVIVE,

I need to be upfront and honest with you about this whole blog thing.

One of the only-

Who am I kidding?!-

THE ONLY-

Reason I started it,

was the fact that I was convinced I would,

most likely,

die

during the surgery…

Yes, it was that positive mindset that gave me the courage to bite the bullet and, as the famous tennis shoe slogan goes, ‘just do it!’

Kinda like a “bucket list” thing.

I am sure my master surgeon would do nothing less than chuckle, if he heard me say this.

First of all, it’s not like I had any doubt about my surgical team-I didn’t!

I was very confident in my doctor and his staff.

I literally had THE best person for my particular surgery that I could have ever asked for!

But still, during those last few days before, when I would sit and contemplate things, which I did often, it was still a huge deal for me.

After all,

It would be MY breastbone that would be sawed in half…

MY heart that would be temporarily stopped and hooked up to a “generator” to keep the blood flow encircling into, and out of, my body…

And

MY lungs that would rely on total assistance to keep my life sustained…

All while his hands would work their magic to delicately cut and craft the intricate details of my heart valve- precisely trimming and modifying each part and incorporating a small device that would make my heart as good as, or in my case, even better than, new.

He would be the sole engineer that would enable my heart to do something it had never had the capability of doing on it’s own- and that was to beat and pump normally.

The man is a complete and utter genius!!

And May 16th would be a normal Tuesday for him.

For me, not so much.

 

This would be THE day that I would face THE surgery that I had researched, had talked about, had prayed about, had written about, and had dreaded, now, for almost a year.

And yes.

I had convinced myself that I was gonna die…

Or at least there was more of a POTENTIAL for me to die on this day than any other.

(It actually depended upon the mood I was in as to what my conclusions were and how I would process them on any given day)

But overall, this was enough for me to get my “affairs in order.”

And that I did.

I did the important things:

I wrote personalized letters to those I love…

I made sure my pets were taken care of…

I cleaned out my underwear drawer…

Along with a few other things that I would eagerly check off my “to do list.”

It was enough for me to know that on Sunday May 14, 2017 when I walked out of my house to climb into the car and head to Cleveland, Ohio, that I would feel confident enough to know that I had done everything within my power to ensure that I had taken all measures in the unfortunate event that I would not have the opportunity to ever step back inside.

Dramatic I know, but that’s me for ya.

 

Cleveland Clinic-The “Disney World” of Medical Establishments

“Located on beautiful Euclid Avenue, you will approach a very organized round-a-bout method of parking and patient drop assisted by multiple valets all uniformed and ready to help.

The artistic display of relaxing waters and stunning stone work make up the alluring fountain that is centered in front of your entrance.”

Sounds a bit like a vacation package, doesn’t it?

You do get more of a sense of a “resort” type feel than a hospital.

“As the automatic doors open and you enter The Sydell & Arnold Miller Family Pavilion (otherwise known as the “J Building) which houses the Heart and Vascular Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, the sounds of beautifully performed classical music fill your ears from multiple musicians performing daily on the elevated staging area, complete with a baby grand.”

“Before you have time to realize that nearly a dozen of them are surrounding you at various front desks, you are greeted by one or more “Red Coats” that are eagerly waiting to assist you.”

Aside from their red blazers, I know that this is their proper name, as they are clearly identified, along with the other staff that you will encounter during your stay here at the Cleveland Clinic, in the three-ring binder given to you at your pre-surgical appointment.

(Told ya it was a bit like “Disney World”).

Your appointments start at desk J1 and coordinate with the next, all working together like a well-oiled machine.

If you are scheduled for lab work, the results are quickly processed and on their way to your doctor, arriving before you do, at the next “J” desk.

I waited for nothing, and if I had a question, a “Red Coat” was always within sight.

The Cleveland Clinic has this down to a science.

May 15, 2017: Surgery Eve

Several appointments awaited me bright and early in the J Building.

During my first appointment, I met a very sweet lady from Michigan who was there for her post-surgical 6 week follow up appointment.

Sensing my apprehension, she shared with me her story.

She had become very ill and after several months and numerous doctor appointments, it was determined to be a cardiac issue. She had gotten a pacemaker about a year prior, but it seemed to be working fine.

Still, her home hospital couldn’t pin point as to why she was continuing to rapidly decline. Approaching a very critical state, she and her family demanded for her to be transported by ambulance (5 hours away) to the Cleveland Clinic.  Once she arrived, it was quickly determined that her pacemaker had become infected, most likely when it was installed well over a year ago.

They quickly treated her and basically saved her life.

Sharing her story while vigorously knitting a blanket, this woman showed no signs of being near death less than two months ago.

She hugged me and prayed for me, and reminded me there was no better place I could be than to be right where I was sitting.

She was right.

I continued to move on down my agenda until all my pre-surgical testing was complete and it was time to meet with my surgeon, who actually showed up early and joined us in the pre-surgical interview.

He was chipper, friendly and very down to earth. My level of anxiety dropped several notches just minutes after he entered the room.

This highly sought after heart surgeon was still very confident about the repair of both my valve and the ASD (hole).

He actually compared it to, nothing more than a “little plumbing fix,” which in turn, calmed and reassured me again.

Although he felt confident in the repair, the discussion of which valve- a mechanical or tissue-I would choose still had to take place in the event that a repair was unsuccessful.

I chose a tissue, and he made me feel confident in my decision.

The next topic for discussion was which type of surgery would be best for me.

My husband and I had both researched the robotic approach, which was less invasive and overall seemed to result in a much quicker recovery time.

We had made up our minds that if the surgeon felt like I was a candidate for the robotic approach, we would go for it.

But, after reviewing my past surgical history from birth, there was too much scar tissue in the exact area where the robotic incision would need to be placed. I was not a candidate.

It would be a traditional sternotomy for me.

Deep down, I kinda had a feeling.

On the up side though, we learned that the traditional approach was a bit of a quicker surgery, believe it or not.

As I glanced at my notebook of well-prepared questions, I realized he had already answered each one.

Our appointment ended as he gave me a copy of his bestselling published “Heart 411” book, and even signed it! (Don’t worry, I reciprocated, expressing my gratitude with a signed copy of “Tom Tom and Rose” in return!)  🙂

Day #1 was complete.

We grabbed lunch at a quaint little Greek café in downtown Cleveland. The owner chatted with us and told us about how his uncle received a heart transplant there at the Clinic well over a decade ago, and continues to do extremely well!

He also shared with us a fun fact that was actually confirmed by my husband’s cousin, dad and others during our stay: Apparently “The Sheiks” who have their top pick of any of the hospitals in the world come to the Cleveland Clinic for heart issues, leaving behind gifts of Rolexs for the doctors and nurses, (a far stretch from a signed copy of “Tom Tom and Rose” but hey, that’s all I got!)

Pretty impressive.

I received my call shortly after lunch stating to arrive at the hospital at 10 am the following day for my surgery.

I had almost hoped I would be the 5 am patient just to get it over with, but at least we knew we wouldn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn and could attempt to enjoy some of the afternoon and evening before.

We took a nice drive out to the country and visited with my husband’s cousins before heading back to Cleveland to switch hotels to be closer to the hospital.

Days prior, I had a bright idea…

I decided to book our pre-surgical night’s stay at the historic Tudor Arms Hotel, which is also rumored to house several “haunting spirits.”

I figured this would be a good distraction…

and plus, it was way cheaper than any of the other hotels neighboring the hospital…

Add a thunderstorm and a broken-down vehicle into the mix, and you’ve got yourself the perfect means for a classic horror script…

We checked into the hotel and then went to grab dinner at that amazing Thai restaurant we visited in January-you know, for my “last meal.”

The same hilarious waiter that waited on us before, was there again and was a great distraction also. He had us rolling!!! But on a serious note, he too had a Cleveland Clinic story about a loved one who continues to thrive after facing a very serious circumstance. He also confirmed the Sheik story.

Before leaving he asked if he could pray for us.

Even in my final hours beforehand, God was continuing to place people and reassurance in my life.

We got back to the hotel and decided to take the hotel clerk up on her offer to “explore” the building on our own as the manager, who routinely did evening hotel tours, was out sick.

It was indeed a pleasant diversion! From it’s elegant ballrooms, to it’s enchanting staircase, we had an enjoyable little tour of our own!

 

I had almost forgotten why I was there. The hours rolled by.

 

Back in room 619, I glanced out the window before heading to bed.

The view was illuminated by the Clinic’s different buildings, specifically the Taussig Cancer Center.

As the words “Cleveland Clinic” shone back at me, there was no sense of anxiety of the impeding morning, nor was there any premonitions of ghosts, or things that would go bump in the night.

Instead, I felt a sense of peace.

As the moonlight and darkness continued to fight their battle casting moving shadows across the towers of the Tudor Arms Hotel, it was late and I was tired…

For that, I was very thankful.