Paul's Heart

Life As A Dad, And A Survivor

Archive for the category “Education”

19 Oct 2022

Happy TAVR-sary?


If you have followed “Paul’s Heart” for at least a year, you know that I mark various health anniversaries and milestones, beyond my cancer survivorship of 32 years from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Today marks a new anniversary, an amazing procedure, replacement of my aortic valve.

This is a picture of the replica of my actual valve replacement, actual size, in the palm of my hand. Now for the cool part of this post. If you are wondering how they put this large device inside my heart, as I did once I received this replica, here is a short, and very cool video, showing how the procedure is done.

@ghostmedical

Aortic Stenosis is a type of heart disease where the valve becomes narrowed and doesn’t open properly. #medicalanimation #awareness #heartdisease #interestingfacts

♬ Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) – Gotye – fiona

Pretty cool, right? What is even more cool, is that just a few years ago, I would never have been eligible for this surgery, because of the late effects I live with from my cancer treatments. You see, the radiation damage that caused so much extensive damage to my heart, this is my 3rd heart surgery, is also, what made this type of surgery, nearly impossible years ago, from “scarring” caused by radiation damage. But because of progress and technology, I was able to avoid having my chest opened again, and have the procedure go through my leg, into my heart as the above video demonstrates. The obvious advantage, much faster recovery time, I was doing stairs in two days as opposed to building up a tolerance to walk even at eight weeks.

I knew this day was coming. However, when I arrived back home from a visit with my daughters, there was an envelop in my mail, which I recognized the sender as the manufacturer of my valve.

I was initially jarred by the surprise mail. Other than receiving the package with my valve replica, I have only received emails with surveys and topics related to good heart health. Over the years, I have also learned to recognize signs, such as when you are the first patient to arrive, yet the last to leave, you know a doctor wants to see you, and that will likely not be a good thing. In this case, if it was going to be bad news, I know it was not going to be about my heart, as testing recently showed my valve was working as it was supposed to. If it was going to be bad news, it would have to be some sort of recall, which would mean yet another surgery.

But there was also one other possibility. Have you ever gotten a “birthday card” from either a dentist, auto insurer, which of course came with a reminder of a soon due premium or appointment? I allowed my mind to take a slight detour from the usual “oh here we go again” path, and recognizing the upcoming date, could it be possible…?

The manufacturer of the valve, sent me an “anniversary” card. They referred to it as a TAVR-sary, TAVR standing for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Transcatheter, meaning, it would either go through the arm or the leg, to the heart, no open heart surgery.

It is hard to believe that it has been one year already, fourteen years from my first heart surgery, open heart for an emergency double bypass, and three years from my second heart surgery. It is also hard to believe, that this needed to be done during one of the most difficult times for hospitals, in the middle of a pandemic.

But unlike my open heart surgery, I was walking long distances the next day, and no discomfort from the surgery.

One question that I always get when it comes to all of the procedures I have faced since my days with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. “If they knew all of these things were wrong, especially back then, why didn’t they fix them all while they were in there?” This is a perfectly reasonable question, and one that I could not grasp the answer until this procedure. The position had always been:

  • “we need to wait until the risk of a heart attack outweighs the risk of the surgery”
  • “we need to wait until the risk of a stroke outweighs the risk of a stroke during surgery”

You get the idea. My body is treated like it is a ticking time bomb. But here is the reason why, I have to live my life on the edge, waiting for another shoe to drop in an event, much like the Sword of Damocles.” All of the repairs that have been done thus far, are not permanent. My bypass, the stent with my heart, the stent with my carotid, and now the valve, all have potential expiration dates. And if those times come, I will have a very difficult decision to make, because going through them again, will be even more risky than the first time. On top of that, I still have two other issues with my heart, considered stable at this point that could require attention in the future.

I have never been able to get a firm answer on how long my bypass should last, but I have been able to estimate approximately fifteen years on average. The good news so far, as I approach my fifteenth anniversary in April, the stats are still encouraging that I have a few more years to not worry. Stents are usually patent ten to fifteen years. The type of heart valve I received, should last between seven to ten years (a mechanical valve, is thought to last a lifetime, but there are several factors that led me not to consider that option, mainly having to be done by open heart, and a lifetime of maintenance of heavy blood thinners and other potential complications).

While doctors were aware that I had these other heart problems when my bypass was done, at the age of 42, had those things been corrected back then, while they had me opened, it is very likely, at least the stent and the valve would have needed to be replaced again by now. So I get it why they made that decision years ago.

So until that time comes, that either additional procedures need to be done, or re-done, the company that made my artificial valve, had a message inside of my anniversary card, how to take care of my heart, suggestions that actually can apply to anyone, regardless if you have had heart surgery or not.

It is not easy being a long term cancer survivor. But I have had, and continue to have, a great life.

I have had fourteen more years with my daughters than I quite possibly might not have had. I have gotten to watch both grow into adults, and will get to see who they become and the lives they will have. And that in the end, is all that matters to me.

Posted in Cancer, Education, Family and Friends, Inspired By..., Side Effects, The Heart | Leave a comment
05 Oct 2022
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Time Is Running Out


One month is done into the new school year already. My one daughter is approaching mid-terms in college. My younger daughter about to approach mid-term of her quarter of her senior year of high school. As their Dad, I play a separate role for each.

Throughout their elementary and middle school education, I could be described as a very involved parent when it came to their education. Not to be confused with “helicopter parenting,” I simply made sure that homework was completed, quizes and tests were studied for, and best efforts were always encouraged, and achievements were recognized and praised.

Once my daughters reached high school, they each developed their own unique study habits. I turned over all of the responsibility of their schooling to them, with the exception of important deadlines pertaining to milestones, the college application process, and of course, graduation. Not one to have any place to ridicule their methods and means as students and their study habits, I did not have great study habits either, they have done nothing but produce great grades.

The school district has a very well constructed communication tool to keep parents apprised of the status of their childrens’ grades and other personal information. All I had to do at that point, is just sit back and watch. Every now and then, I would be approached by either of them for help with a specific assignment, whether it to spellcheck, or provide information. Both knew not to come to me for math, at least the “new math”.

With my college student, I no longer have that ability to see how she is doing. I can ask her how here classes are going, and I get simple answers, “good.” Instead of seeing her daily progress, I am now just an observer and must wait for the end of the semester to hear of her results. I am just an observer.

But with my high school senior, I still have a little more time of usefulness as a role model with her education. As her senior classes seem more geared to current events of the world today, whether it be business, economics, or politics, I am watching her develop as an independent thinker, something I think a lot of people fail the ability to be.

Part of her Summer assignment for her AP Government course, was to select five topics, and then find three news stories with different leans; extreme right, right, center, left, extreme left. She had to summarize each and compare it with all of the facts that she had gathered with each topic. Her first impression while undertaking this assignment, is she now understands why so many adults cannot get along with each other. The confusion for my daughter, is that when only facts are considered, solutions should be able to be found. Of course she realizes that each media resource she looked at, many have a political lean or agenda, aligned with a certain party or sub-party. Again, another observation on her part about the generations ahead of her, by ignoring the facts, too many put a party affiliation over issues that really matter to people.

She will turn 18 years old next year, and I am proud to say, I will be two for two, with registered independent voters, such as myself. My daughter will not be swayed by one particular news source, but a variety, and only when all the facts are laid out, she will make her decisions.

Another assignment she has been assigned, to argue either that “greed is good for the economy” or “greed is bad for the economy.” The assumption that we have gone from a society based on capitalism to one of greed, simply by “trickle down economics”, going back to the Reagan presidency. Simply put, make the rich more wealthy, and then they will eventually share it with those below them. Only in the forty years since the concept, that has never happened. NEVER. With the values I have taught my daughter, greed being bad, I encouraged her that she would be able to make an easy and well defined case that greed is bad for our economy.

I have to admit, with the exception of the new math, I have enjoyed assisting my daughters with their schooling when asked. I know that as adults, they have been well educated, and can have intelligent and informed conversations with people, not based on media influences. But this time is going to end when she graduates from high school, and like my older daughter, totally independent with her future endeavors.

As I see many of my friends who have just begun sending their children to school, I find myself thinking, “oh how long ago that was.” But it wasn’t. The time really flew by.

Posted in Adoption, Education, Family and Friends, Inspired By...
30 Sep 2022

The “I’s” Definitely Have It


I have been through many hurricanes in my lifetime. Five years ago, I experienced my first encounter with an “eye” of a hurricane, courtesy of “Irma.” All of my experiences were different, from wind and rain damages. As far as my memories of each, and the days after, they are all distinct to each storm; “Gloria”, “Floyd”, “Irene”, and super storm “Sandy”. All of these storms had differing impacts and affected daily activities from clean up to functioning without conveniences of running water, electricity, and cable. Life after “Irma” gave me experiences I could have only imagined, such as driving at night, with absolutely no lighting, traffic lights and street lights, not even the ambient lighting of businesses along the roads, just pitch blackness, with no concept of where I even was.

But “Ian”, now the second storm to hit the east coast of Florida in five years, has left me with a whole new level of feelings of heartbreak that I have not experienced with the other storms. As far as “Irma” was concerned, it was a much more scary hurricane, in that its anticipation, and roar as it passed overhead, really had me feeling it was not going to end well.

“Ian” on the other hand, was not as bad a storm for those of us further inland, but for those along our coast, using a gauge of location to a main highway, all those located on the coastal side of that route, needed to evacuate due to an expected storm surge, likely over ten feet, which could potentially push Gulf water miles inland.

Just as with “Irma,” now that power and cable is available, we “locals” can now see the devastation that has been left behind. Homes flooded. Boats having floated from their docks, many now dumped in lawns and parking spaces. Cars have been washed away, many now settled and huddled together in various locations.

Again, it is not the destruction that is really affecting me. We expect that. And our hearts go out to all of those who lost everything except for their lives. Hopefully, just as with the other storms, the rebuilding of lives will begin.

The one thing different for me with this storm, is that just over a month ago, while my daughters were visiting me here, we visited many of the locations, now either destroyed, or totally gone. The pictures above are from Fort Myers Beach, just completely flattened with is landmark pier destroyed. One of the most beautiful pictures at sunset with my daughters came on that pier, this past August. We enjoyed some ice cream in the shop just next to the pier. All that is left is a photograph and the memory. The destruction of a major causeway, beginning at the location of a restaurant we just ate at, will serve as a constant reminder to where it will be a long time again, before we can travel, with access to the beautiful islands now cut off. Video of the angry tides from “Ian” thrashing the buoy at Mile Marker 0 in Key West, my daughters now look at the reporting today from the news, and can personally reflect on a happier time at these famous spots.

We all thought “Irma” would be the worst storm we had ever experienced. We were wrong. “Ian” will go down in the books like “Katrina” and “Agnes.” Places will be re-built, and hopefully casualties will be kept to a minimum. I am not sure when I will get to see all the beautiful spots again, or even if, as it is going to take a long time to build back.

But for now, for those of us who were fortunate enough during this storm, we need to do what we can to help, whether it be by donations, or soliciting local businesses with patience and understanding, that someone serving us, might have just lost everything. A stranger’s kindness can go a long way in times like these.

Posted in Education, Family and Friends, Inspired By... | Leave a comment

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