It has indeed been a
while since writing a blog post! What has been happening with Don and Cheryl?
Life has been happening! We have experienced a lot of changes over the past
couple of years.
At first, my only excuse for not writing was
laziness and lack of anything to write. Since my last post, we have taken trips
to Lookout Mountain, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gulf Shores and Red
Bay Alabama; then our lives took a somewhat expected, yet traumatic turn!
Early in my life,
doctors who treated me would hear a mild heart murmur. I finally visited a
Cardiologist in 2001 and was promptly diagnosed with early stages of aortic
valve stenosis. It was mild at this point; he told me we would follow up
regularly. The "follow up strategy" continued until November 2016.
Upon reviews of the last
echocardiograms and ultrasounds, my Cardiologist prognosis was that I needed
aortic valve replacement surgery. He also recommended it happen sooner than later! I was shocked by his conclusion, although not
unexpected, my aortic valve was failing to do its job! My initial reaction was,
"maybe after the Escapees RV Rally"! Amazing how the mind works when
in shock!
I quickly discovered,
waiting was not going to be possible. The simple task of rising from a chair,
walking outside the coach had become difficult and left me short of breath.
After consulting with one of the best heart surgeons in Louisiana, we scheduled
the surgery for January 31, 2017.
My surgery was
successful with no problems (at least I was informed of any). There was a
slight problem in ICU with AFIB, but thanks to the efficient nursing staff and
an excellent heart surgeon I survived!
My recovery was
reasonably quick, thanks to Cardio rehabilitation. Six months after my heart
surgery, our adventures on the road continued sporadically. Our first trip was
to Red Bay Alabama; we finally had the motorhome remodeled as we planned before
the operation!
We are now making
preparations for a short stay at Gulf Shores Alabama in June. After a little
time with family at the beach, we may head to South Carolina to visit with more
family. We hope to increase our trips gradually and increase my blog post as
well.
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