Back in the Saddle

A little over a week ago, the morning of Wednesday, May27, I entered the Piedmont Hospital Fuqua Heart Instiute for a scheduled ablation surgical procedure. All went well and I was released later the same day. The preparation for the procedure started soon after my arrival at 9:30 am and included shaving what little chest hair I have and a gynecological consultation (little humor here) from a good friend and doctor who came by to check on me. Dr. Smith then took over and explained the procedure and let me know that I would have to wait a bit as he was running behind schedule. So, I finally got to the operating room, called a labratory, by noon and was back in the same room where the prep had taken place at 2:00 pm. The first step of recovery was the removal of three catheters from two 1/4 inch incisions in the upper right thigh and applying pressure for twenty minutes before dressing the wound. Remarkably none of this was uncomfortable, except for exposure to multiple nurses. I was required to lie quietly for another four hours while having vital signs monitored. Finally at around 7 pm my blood pressure was taken one last time while standing and the reading was normal. So, off I went home with a brief stop on the way to pick up dinner. I had not eaten in 24 hours and was ravenously hungry.

Joke: The anesthesiologist came by during the prep and asked among other things if I knew the difference between minor and major surgery. I replied, "No." He then told me that minor surgery is what everybody else has. So, now you know, major applies to any procedure done on you.

Dr. Smith came by and professed satisfaction with the process that included using electricity to create scaring that restores the malfunctioning circuit responsible for the heart flutter. I expressed my appreciation and admiration for the knowledge that electrical circuits exist in the heart. He said, of course, he had studied under the person who discovered the specific circuit tied to flutter. I thanked him and agreed to come back for a follow-up exam in August, when hopefully the need for a blood thinner will be eliminated.

I rested quietly at home for three days and actually took advice from my three sisters and wife not to ride until the fourth day. I am happy to report that my friend, Sam, and I rode briskly Sunday out and back on the Silver Comet Trail west of Atlanta 22 miles. We kept a steady pace on the flat trail such that we increased our heart rate and breathing. All felt fine and I experienced no discomfort. Yeah!

Still do not know when, how or if I will finish the C2C but am considering just going to Florida in the fall and ride on my own the final three days. Bubba sent me cue sheets for the routes.