March 16 Update

Another beautiful day!  Call it 70 degrees and sunny, beautiful for March and no wind. We got out for a mile and a half stroll so far; then Rita reigned me in and said “Maybe after supper we do another mile?  Good time for you to take a break”.  She has a gift for knowing some restraint whereas i would plow headlong into another mile and maybe pay for it.  I check my heart rate on my Fitbit as we walk just because nobody said where the top end (red line?) should be for me 4 weeks post op (today).  I was up as high as 130 BPM but did not get winded today at all.  I can almost say I feel like nothing ever happened right now.  I really want to hear from the cardiologist and/or surgeon what my redline is for now and how to make sure I’m pushing for better but not too hard.

I’m still forced to sleep on the couch, not because Rita said so but because i just can’t fall asleep in bed.  The angle on the reclining couch just works so well and I’ve found that a poor night’s sleep makes for a bad/rough start on the day.  I have started in bed then sneak off after Rita goes to sleep as she seems to sleep better when I am with her.

I got to do the grillmeister job last night and made a couple steaks and some kabobs for my girls.  I so love to cook and they like a good meal (as do I but you can tell by looking at me more than by looking at them).  I should have snapped a picture since everything came out perfect but you’ll just have to use your imagination.  Today we made a batch of chicken salad that wouldn’t make for as good of a picture but on toast with a slab of provolone and a handful of spinach they’ll make for some great lunches.

Nick has been great in the shop carrying the load alone and I have finally been able to spend more time at my desk over the last few days.  I feel blessed and have much to be thankful for.

One evening a week or so ago I left the TV remote lay and went thru and read the blog from the beginning including the comments.  I had missed a bunch of stuff while I was in surgery- they wouldn’t let me have my phone then  🙄 . I have to say this whole situation has humbled me greatly.  I am so thankful that all of you cared and prayed for us through this time.  I really enjoyed reading the comments and believe that you all push each other up with your uplifting remarks so please feel free to comment.  I think originally the blog site was doing a simple math problem to make sure a bot wasn’t trying to post (Making sure the poster was a real person) but that seems to have gone away?

I wanted to thank Larry at Oqobo.com one more time for his help in getting this blog site setup FAST and his patience as I asked questions since.  If you need any help with designing or hosting your website let me put you in touch with Larry.

Shanen at CTi did his part and is always a treat to deal with.  Any time I call i just love it when he answers the phone.

I am still blown away at the generosity of my buddy John H who drove us to Philly for my surgery.  We left here I guess about 9:30-10am and I didn’t go into surgery til like 3:30pm.  John stayed with Rita and Emma even through getting to see me in recovery and hear what the surgeon said then he didn’t leave Philly til midnight or after.  John brought Emma home about 3:30am Thursday and he kept going.  We gave John a Sheetz gift card that Joe and Charlene blessed us with thinking gas and other “on the road” expenses would be taken care of but he left it in the car.

While I was “incarcerated” as I call my hospital visits we were so blessed that Stella opened up her home and gave Rita a safe place to stay.  (Stella was Brian K’s friend whom I never met and Rita didn’t meet til Stella picked Rita up at the front door of the hospital.  As with these “God things”, they just turn out. The Uber worked great for Rita’s further transportation and things just came together.  I think God sets up things that we often call “coincidences” but I am not sure I like that word.

Jack and Linda drove clear to Penn for a visit as did Wayne and Ruth (and they brought Emma).  My childhood friend Will who works in Philly now, dropped in to see me twice (Thanks to Dan S who tipped Will off that I was going to be there).  John offered to come back for a visit as did others but we basically tried to talk people out of 6 hours on the road; it was just too far.  Dave and Carolyn would have easily made the trip but Dave had surgery the same day as me so it was easier to talk them out of it.  Dave and Carolyn spent the night with Rita while I was in Hershey.

Hospital staff told us I’d be in the hospital 7 days Post OP; I predicted I would be out in 5 days and met that goal.  When it came time to head home, Terry and Paula loaded up their van (even though they just did a funeral meal); and made the trip to Philly.  They picked us up at the front door of UPenn Hospital and brought us in the front door here.

The next morning we were not up long til Nancy B was on the phone asking if we had a grocery list which we did not as he hadn’t done “inventory” yet.  We had to determine what Emma ate and what we needed.  Seems Emma ate nothing that week.  Nancy took a handful of prescriptions to the drug store for us and brought back the goods; Cindy J ended up grabbing up a few things at the store for us.

We have been blessed with meals and visits by so many since we made it home.  At the risk of forgetting somebody I will not attempt to name everyone that brought meals/food.  I apologize and do not want it to seem unimportant but I have had some good painkillers and been subject to some “coma like naps” since returning home.  Please don’t be offended that I didn’t run a list here and know that we greatly appreciate everything from the prayers, cards, rides, meals, offers to help, just everything.

I have been meaning to get this out on the blog but had not made time; today was the day it is supposed to be out and here it is.

Thanks again to all of you; you continue to make us feel loved and appreciated.

With much gratitude,

Sam