A friend's vertical, aortic aneurysm procedure

My friend Mike had triple bypass heart surgery a little over two years ago. It wasn't a total shock. He had had some brief fainting spells, and A fibrillation. A couple years before he had abdominal surgery. Some of the blood thinning meds he had taken had caused internal bleeding. The abdominal surgery fixed that.

But Mike continued to have problems. In the 11 years I've known him, he's always had a lot of abdominal problems. After a meal he frequently had stomach cramps. Now I think that had more to do with his heart than his digestion. Women usually are the ones who mistake heart symptoms for digestive symptoms.

Before Mike had triple bypass he called me from the ER. He sounded afraid and very tired and told me that he might have to have surgery. When I did not hear back from him, I tried to call. When I got no answer on his cell, I called his wife's cell. When she did not answer, or return my call, I was concerned.

My sister visited soonafter and on our we to shopping, she told me about Mike's surgery. He and his wife did not want to tell me because they were afraid it would upset me. They called my sister and asked her to tell me.

After I heard about his surgery, I called his wife to check on him. When he was feeling better I called him. When he spent two weeks in a rehab facility (nursing home), I kept missing him because he was in cardio rehab therapy. So, I called him at a nursing home suppertime, 5 PM, and he answered. I only talked for a short time so it would not interrupt his dinner. But talking to him made me feel better..,

After he was discharged the cardio rehab therapy continued for several weeks. When he finished, he came to visit me. He told me all about the surgery. He showed me the "cell phone size" device which monitors his heart. It takes a heart rhythm every night while he is asleep. It also has a panic button that he can push if he feels ill. It was both creepy and comforting to know that high-tech is keeping track of him.

Since then, Mike developed a vertical, aortic aneurysm. It sounds scary to me and I'm sure it is for him. In the last two years his doctor has been watching as it increased in size.

Mike last went to the cardiac surgeon in December and his aortic aneurysm was 3.9 cm. The usually do surgery when an aneurysm reaches 4.0 cm. Mike will be away from his 30 hour a week, part-time job for at least four weeks.

Mike saw the cardiac surgeon a couple of weeks ago. When I called the next day, He Was Waiting for the surgeon to schedule his aneurysm strengthening procedure, either using a stent or a graft. It's done with a robotic device Thruway small incision. He would only be in the hospital for a few days.

Mike visited me last week and took a shopping and I took him to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. The weather got a bit intense and shortened the day. I feel badly that Mike's having surgery again. He is 74 and surgery is never easy when you're older. But Mike doesn't have much choice. If the aneurysm bursts, it means a stroke and probable death. I'm sure he thinks about that every day, as do I.

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Mike had surgery yesterday. His wife texted he's doing well. After his surgeon saw him walk in the hallway Mike was released a day after his aortic aneurysm procedure.

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