First Open Heart Surgery Knowledge Base
Any info on how to get rid of keloid after open heart surgery? My daughter who is 18 months old had her second and last open heart surgery four months before. After her first surgery at the age of one only a tiny pinkish line was left on her chest from the surgery. Unfortunately, after the second one the scar did not heal normally and there is a keliod on the chest. Do you have any idea how to get rid of it? Is there any medicine which could remove it?
Anyone here who had undergone an open heart surgery at Philippine Heart Center? Do you have a son/daughter, members of the family, friends who had a congenital heart disease and undergone open heart surgery in Philippine Heart Center? If yes, what can you say about the hospital (services, facilities, etc.). Who are your attending Pediatric Cardiologist and Pediatric Cardio Surgeon? Tell something about after the operation?
Whats it like to have open heart surgery? I am set to have open heart surgery in April and ive been reassured that after the surgery the actual heart doesnt hurt at all, thats good. But ive heard that the chest bone hurts. How bad does it hurt and how much pain/discomfort are you in following the surgery and for how long?
How long for the pain to stop after open heart surgery? I had open heart surgery about a week ago. already took all of my pain pills and cant get any more till i see the dr next week. just want to know how long to expect the pain to continue? oh yea i have namounia too in one lung and that hurts also, took all of antibiotics but still feel it in there. cant take over counter pain meds cause of my ulser. just want to know when this will stop? thanks mike
What is a good gift for a woman very close to me who just had open heart surgery? A very special person to me just had to have open heart surgery. She was my teacher a few years ago where my mom works and she has been almost like a second mother to me. She has done so much for me and I am thinking about getting her a gift. I got her a card but I am thinking I might want to get her something else. What should I get her? I really don't want to get her chocolate, flowers, ballons, because she will probably get these things from everyone. At the same time I don't want it to be really extravagant. Just a meaningful little present to let her know I am thinking of her.
How serious is open heart surgery? can people die in open heart surgery? I am just wondering because my friend's grandma (nanna) is going to have open heart surgery. i think of her as if she were my Grandmother.
Would open heart surgery before the 1980s have required blood transfusions? I'm just looking into something for my family. My grandmother had a congenital heart defect and had at least 2 open heart surgeries before she died. I'm not sure when she died; I just know it was before I was born, which was 1982. I know nothing about surgeries these days, let alone from way back then. So, would those have required blood transfusions at all? Thanks!
why am i gaining more weight now after having open heart surgery.? a couple of years ago i had open heart surgery to cover up a hole, i was 17 at the time. but before my surgery, i was skinny, i could eat basically anything and not gain that much weight, but after having the surgery, i noticed i started to gain more weight. was it because of my heart?
Have you had problems after open heart surgery? My husband had open heart by-pass surgery (5 of them) back in March and when he came to in the ICU he said" my left arm is killing me"and everyone just passed it off as the IV needle bothering him, but since then he has been in constant pain with it. It swells and draws up on its own. We have been to numerous doctors and hospitals for it and still no answers. Has anyone else had a similiar problem or if you are in the medical profession can you give us some help. Thank-you.
Which is more serious, stents or open heart surgery? I'm trying to give my girlfriend a little hope, as her father just had a heart attack, and is going through his second set of stents. My father also had a heart attack, but went through open heart surgery (triple bypass). I was under the impression that if you need open heart surgery, it's much more serious. If you could give me a link to where you got your information, it would be most appreciated.
Has anyone had open heart surgery and experienced this? Hi, I had open heart surgery a month ago, (I am only 36 years old) I have been having a problem when i move a certain way or bend over it feels like my rib cage shifts. It's almost like one side pushes forward and the other side goes in making it feel like it is crushing my lung. Has anyone else experienced this and if so how long did it take until it stopped. Thanks to anyone who can help me out.
What is normal after open heart surgery? My mother is a diabetic and went in to the hospital with chest pains, after about a week they said she most have open heart surgery asap. We all hugged her, she seemed totally fine, before going under. Now its been almost a month, shes finally of the sedation. But she has had clotting, 5 strokes, and had to go on dialasis many times. All of this happened after surgery. Her eyes are opened and crossed because of the strokes. She cant talk or move still. She just started to move one legg. The docs wont say she will recover but wont say she wont. They wont let us know whats normal. Whats happening, will she ever really wake up? She can hear I know that she gets tears in here eyes when she hears us or when we say bye. Something went wrong, its been so long, shes 46 and the 70 year old man who went in for the same surgery after her is already home I saw that with my own eyes. I feel like shes so strong and can recover, but another part of me when i see her makes me feel she is really bad, and she has had 5 strokes in a month. Can anyone ever recover from this honestly? It really seems that anything they said can go wrong has went wrong! pLEASE HELP
Information on exercise post Open Heart Surgery - what is possible? My father had a very difficult time deciding to go ahead with his triple heart by pass as my mother (his wife of 44 years) had been admitted into a hospice after battling melanoma cancer for 8 years. On the morning my father was taken away for surgergy my mother passed away. My father awoke from surgery to be informed Mum had passed. He has always been a very fit man his whole life and is continuing to exercise however the complexity of his situation has meant that he is often lacking energy probably suffering a little depression not that he would ever say that. He also suffered a virus and infection in the lung which delayed his recovery further. He is desperate to find a book that gives you a guide on how far you can push exercise after open heart surgery as he is keen to get back into it but does not feel his body is up for it which I believe is more psychological than physical. Does anyone have any books they could recommend on this subject???
Any parents of children that had open heart surgery..? My daughter had open heart surgery little more than a year ago at 21 months old. She is now 3.She has pnamonia now for 2nd time. Doctor told me regular colds turn into pnumonia for her since her heart and lungs are weaker than other kids.She caught a cold first from one of my other kids. Has naybody have this problem too. And what steps have you taken to prevent this when one kid is sick or in public places they say where others have colds.
Open heart surgery on an infant? What are the costs of an open heart surgery on an infant in America.. I am trying to sponsor a child that needs to have this surgery done because they can not do it in the country that this child is from.. I know that my insurance will not cover him * 5 month old boy * is there a free clinic around that would operate on him and where can i go for help regarding this matter.. I am desperate.
During an open heart surgery do doctors freeze the body of their patients? Like pouring ice all over the body before the heart is stopped...I heard somebody said something about it a long time ago. Is this really true? Barabara nope i know what i am saying during an open heart surgery a heart must be stopped first for the surgery to be carried out but what i need to know is if the body is frozen with ice or the ice is packed around the heart. DrM you are quite correct...I have watched a partial video of people actually covered almost complete with ice during open heart surgery.... I was just shocking curious about it.....Thanks DrM... A lot of people always complain about partial numbness when they wak up and feel like they have been frozen. Another point is that many doctors have told me about bodies being frozen during the surgery...but i still cant believe it...
asking for help for a 2 week old baby, who just had open heart surgery? I have a very good friend who has just given birth to twins.She and the father are really having a hard time. One of the twins was born perfectly fine and the other was born with a heart defect.He has already undergone his first major surgery ,with many more to follow. I am trying to find some way to come up with ideas to help them in their time of need.We are trying to get together a benefit ,yard sale, bake sale ,anything that we can to help them. If anyone has any ideas please send a responce. Thank You! I want to thank everyone who took time to comment.God Bless you! Despite all efforts and prayers,Baby Shawn passed yesterday morning. His little body could not hold on any longer. He is with God now,and we are continuing to help the family.Thank you all again! God Bless
I had open heart surgery 3yrs ago,it was taped . How can i get a copy of this? I had a tumor wrapped around my heart ,was told I was like the third person in the world to have this. I know i have rights but i don't know what they are,when this was done i asked my docs. for a copy and they pretended like they didn't hear me. Is there a web site i can go to,tooget me started in getting this video,so i know my rights exactly.
How can I make my open heart surgery scar less obvious? I know it is something not to complain about because I survived the surgery, but I would like it to be less obvious.....I can't wear bikinis even though I only weigh 100 lbs because the scar is so weird looking if I wear a top like that or any top that shows skin. any help?
What is open heart surgery like for an infant? My daughter is going to have open heart surgery in a couple of weeks. SHe is 8 months old. I am just wondering if anyone can tell me what they went through and what I should expect. She is getting a large VSD fixed. Thanks!
How dangerous is open heart surgery? On average what are the real risks and survival risks of having your heart operated on? i have a friend being operated on soon. I dont know the details, but i know it's somewhat major. So i a was just wondering thanks let me put it this way: she is 16 and pretty small. only about 5'1". I forgot what exactly is wrong, but it has to do with her heart.
What is a good gift for someone who just had open heart surgery? A very special person to me just had to have open heart surgery. She was my teacher a few years ago where my mom works and she has been almost like a second mother to me. She has done so much for me and I am thinking about getting her a gift. I got her a card but I am thinking I might want to get her something else. What should I get her? I really don't want to get her chocolate, flowers, ballons, because she will probably get these things from everyone. At the same time I don't want it to be really extravagant. Just a meaningful little present to let her know I am thinking of her. Chat, that is SO not an option.
Are there any REAL Scar Cover-Ups? I Have From Open Heart Surgery? I have a scar 10 years old from Open Heart Surgery. I am spanish with a light olive complexion and my scar is thin and pale colored. Are there any real scar cover ups? I am going to be in my brothers wedding and the dresses that were picked are low cut. I'm very embarrased to have the scar showing and would appreciate any and all real responses. The cover up would have to last me through church and photos...about 4 hours or so. Thank you!
white folk did you know that a black man did the first open heart surgery. so next time you indulge in your? artery clogging cheese sammich, and bloody meat, after the meal go on your knees and thank the black man because when your artery clogs up, the remedy will be there, courtesy of the honorable and respectable black man. sparkles dont disrespect a black mans achievement (open heart surgery) on a black mans invention(the internet). thank you i will not be spoken to rudely by you all especially not on a medium (internet) invented by the black man. i will have to tell philip emeagwali to seize all your computers because you desecrate his work with your filth. please dont spew negativity on his invention bahahahahahahahahah ivy that was mad funny lol lol gunshy wat it do pimp?
I am looking for a life coach for my aunt who had open heart surgery. She refuses to leave the bed after 1 mo? She will not get up out of her bed, even to use the restroom. She needs outside motivation in order for her survival, i strongly feel this because her lungs are filling with water on and off. If her circulation was better, she would recover.Her doctors agree. This is her second open-heart surgery, and after the first one it was hell to get her to eat. I am looking for a personal life coach, a woman, in Suffolk County. my aunt is in Stonybrook hospital. SOS!!
open heart surgery? has anyone else around my age(22) gone through open heart surgery? what was the reason for the surgery? how old were you when you had the surgery? does it run vertical or horizontal? how do you feel about your scar? how do you feel when its pointed out? AND would you ever have plastic/cosmetic surgery to get rid of the scar?? I was 16 months old when i had my ASD repaired. but i still had a mitrol vavle leak and tricuspid valve leak. they left that alone until i was 20 and then repaired those(after my heart had enlarged some and i had pressure on my right chambers). both times they did it vertical(top to bottom). when i was younger i hated my scar, it was bumpy and other kids always asked questions i didnt know how to answer. now that ive had my second surgery and im more aware of what has happened im completely comfortable...and i wouldnt have surgery to take the scar away, its part of who i am and reminds me of things ive overcome in my life!!! lol people see the scar if i happen to be wearing a v neck shirt or swim suits...its not like im flashing people!!! thanks for the reply!
open heart surgery?? Omg i'm bawling my eyes out!!! My grampie went to the hospital for his annual check up and they (my nanny and grampie) found out that he has a clogged artery and they have to do surgery to get rid of it cause if they leave it it will completly clog up and he'll have a heart attack or something because not enough blood is getting to his heart or something. Anyways they want to do open heart surgery but they say that they of course have to put him on the thing that will keep him breathing during the surgery so hopefully he doesn't die during it!! However thye also say that because his lungs are in such bad condition (he's never smoked he's just always had screwy lungs) that when they take him of the breathing thing his lungs may not re-act correctly and he might die!! I'm so scared!! I'm praying and stuff and doing a lot of crying but what do you think the percent would be of him coming through the surgery?? He's 78 if that helps!
Pediatrics open heart surgery. Do you have any stories? My son 10 months old is having open heart surgery in the last week of March. I'm just looking for any one who has had any experience with their child having open heart surgery. I want to hear both sides, so if you have a story and it's not the happiest, it's ok. I do realize that their are two sides to this proceedeure. Even if you haven't had any personal experience, but you've had someone close to you go through this that will due. Please only serious answers. This is not the kind of question to have fun with. This is a serious situation, and i'm in need of serious guidence, and advice. I would like to add that the condition that my son has is called Tetrology of Fallot. For the last 10 months his condition has been improving. The condition consists of four defects; the first is a large VSD, ventricular septal defect ( for all who dont know what that is, it's a hole in the septum, the wall that divides the left side of the heart from the right). The second is a pulmonary stenosis ( narrowing of the pulmonary valve). The third is a right ventricular hypertrophy ( when the right venticle thickens because the heart is pumping harder than it should to move the blood through the narrow pulmonary valve). The fourth is an overriding aorta (the defect is in the location of the aorta, instead of being attached to the to the left ventricle allowing only oxygen rich blood to flow through, the aorta is between the left and right ventricles right over the VSD. As a result the oxygen poor blood from the right ventricle flows right into the aorta. Instead of into the pulmonaryartery So far he has been able to, by himself heal all of his defects on his own, except for the stenosis. He still has a small hole remaining in the septum. Which is pulling the mitrial valve into the septum, causing a small leak. And that is what will be operated on. I've looked over the proceedure, and of coarse it looks cut and dry. but thats never who it goes. If you've had a surgeon make any mistakes during your childs heart surgery please let me know what it was and how it was dealt with. Also how your child is doing.
Open heart surgery and cholesterol? I had open heart surgery about 3 years ago, and have since had my cholesterol tested on a few occasions. Each time it says i have high cholesterol but i have been told that that could be due to the surgery. does anyone know where i can get more information on this, or does anyone know the answer to this. Oh and my surgery was to fix a Birth Defect i did not know i had that involved two of my pulmonary veins being connected to the wrong side of my heart. I should add i am 25 and had the surgery at 23, i had never shown instances of high cholesterol before the surgery.
open heart surgery? my grandpa is 74 years old and has to have open heart surgery either this thursday or friday. he had a heart attack today, that is why. he has 6 block and 2 are VERY bad. what are the chances of him making it through?
non-invasive aneurysm surgery, or open heart operation? i have found out that I have a heart aneurysm. I am trying to decide between non-invasive surgery and open heart surgery. I am 27 so I (hopefully!!!) have a long time ahead of me. I dont want to be in and out of surgery. does anyone know the chances of having to repeat surgery with the non-invasive methods, coil and stent and the risks of open heart surgery on someone my age. i think there is obviously less risk for me than for a 60 year old man.
history of open heart surgery? ok i have to do a report about open heart surgery.... my teacher wants me to get the history of open heart surgery and how it compares to surgeries today. plus how dearths have gone down- and survival rates are up. where can i find history of ^^ these things...i need a specific WEBSITE cuz ive already typed in some things but i couldnt find n e thing....PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!
Open heart surgery? My 8 month old son has a very large Artial Septal Defect (ASD) and is scheduled for open heart surgery Oct 3 and I am scared to death. Anyone else been through this? I know this is a routine surgery, but it's being done on MY baby.
Open Heart Surgery? how does your age sex health affect open heart surgery? What if you were a 44 year old male? what are some risk factors!
open heart surgery? Hi, My husband found out this morning that his mom will be undergoing open heart surgery on Friday. We are really worried. I will be going with my husband to the hospital to be supportive. The doctor said something about 4 bypasses. What does mean? Also, can we have some extra prayers for her. Thanks so much.
Open heart Surgery on an infant, any moms who have dealt with this and anyone who has dealt with the condition My daughter was on Friday, morning and there was a window of time where she was ok then a few test came back irregular, then she couldnt hold her o2 blood level. They did a bit of tests ultrasounds and so on, the found she has Transposition of the Great Arteries(TGA). They rushed her from our hospital to the local childrens hospital. (I was discharged 26 hours later) They plan to do surgery Tuesday. I was hoping to hear all ends of the spectrum on this to have a better understanding of what to expect. The fact that this is one in onehundred makes finding someone with common ground difficult. Any stories or experiences of moms(or dads) of infants in open heart surgery and any particular to TGA would be greatly appreciated. I know each child is different but i would like to know how long they were in the hospital and if there were any future procedures(they dont anticipate her needing them but curious about others, and i know that they cant predict the future) Thank you in advance Sorry she was born on friday. i left out born in the first sentence.
open heart surgery? Hi, My husband found out this morning that his mom will be undergoing open heart surgery on Friday. We are really worried. I will be going with my husband to the hospital to be supportive. The doctor said something about 4 bypasses. What does this mean? Also, can we have some extra prayers for her. Thanks so much.
Open Heart Surgery...? My grandma whom is 72, will be having an open heart surgery because of clogged arteries. I don't know how to react or what to say.. I'm really kinda hurt right now, because my grandma means the world to me and I don't know how I can make the situation better for her, when I have always been able to. Can someone please explain how this works? How the procedure will go, and what are the risks... Please help. Thanks. Mr. Me : Thanks :)
After open heart surgery, should there be a piece of bone missing from the rib cage? Ten years ago my son had open heart surgery. All went well until this year when we needed to do a chest xray do to constant chest colds. When the results came back that he was healthy we where elated...but, the doctor had a concerned and asked if we knew there was a piece of bone missing from the front of his ribcage by the sternum...Both my husband and myself where puzzled...we got a hold of the xray and it looks like a chunk is cut right out... Is this normal? The doctors never told us of this.... Ten years ago my son had open heart surgery. All went well until this year when we needed to do a chest xray do to constant chest colds. When the results came back that he was healthy we where elated...but, the doctor had a concerned and asked if we knew there was a piece of bone missing from the front of his ribcage by the sternum...Both my husband and myself where puzzled...we got a hold of the xray and it looks like a chunk is cut right out... Is this normal? The doctors never told us of this.... The type of heart condition is subaeortic stenosis...
Angioplasty or Open heart surgery which better when i Have three blocks in coronary Arteries? Recently i underwent Angiography and was diagonised with blockages as follows LAD : Focal minor lesion just before origin of D1 and focal significant lesion in very distal part LCX : short segment significant lesion in proximal part at OM1 RCA : Dominant total occlusion in proximal part faint antegrade filling. Had gone for angioplasty and stent was placed in LCX but could not open RCA. what should i do? Do i hve to go for open heart surgery or can i live with the block in RCA. is block in RCA life threating.
Depression after open heart surgery? How common is depression after open heart surgery. I had OHS Jan. 3rd I'm only 39 years old and had to go with the tissue valve instead of mechanical, due to other health issues. This means I will have to face another OHS in approx. 10 years, but to be honest I just can't see myself doing this again. I feel guilty for feeling this way, but this surgery was HARD, VERY HARD. I'm wondering if this depression is from the surgery or from knowing that I will need to do it again, per my surgeon. What causes the depression anyway? Thanks for any comments, suggestions. Thanks to all of you. I guess I thought I was going to handle it better than I have. I do feel guilty, because I have a 20 year old son whom I love dearly. He says I will do it again if he has to drag me in by the hair of my head kicking and screaming the whole way. That's why I feel guilty about the way I am feeling. I do appreciate the comments I have a follow up appt. with my surgeon on Wed. I will bring up this issue with him. I am also hoping 10 years down the road it will be much less invasive. I had my aortic valve replaced. Thanks again. To Mike P: I found it interesting what you said about getting rid of friends. I actually called someone who I called my best friend for many years, and she was, but she let me down big time. Didn't show up at the hospital or call until my 4th day in CICU. I asked her where she had been, but got no answer. She is in an abusive relationship and has been for many years. She has had many chances to get out of this relationship, so when I called her up of course she blamed her husband for not being there for me, but at this point I told her it is her fault for what she is living through. I would have been there for her and she knew it, so I told her to just stay in her little world until he kills her and I'll fight to live in mine. We haven't spoken since, she never even attempted to call me back. I agree it was time to let her go; you just can't help someone who refuses to help themselves. Sorry for the rant; it just hit a spot with me.
Is an open heart surgery the only option to close a moderate VSD? My 2yr old son has VSD since birth & his doc insisted an open heart surgery be done ASAP. the thing is, my child has never turn blue or become breathless & no feeding probs watsoever,signs tat the doc said we shld look out for. So i'm sort of not keen on doing the surgery as of now. What will happen if we go for the surgery when he's bigger?
Open-heart surgery support groups? Does any one know if there are any support groups for people who NEED open-heart surgery in Ohio. I am looking for other people who have had it done to help me prepare or mine. I have a congenital heart defect called: Tricuspid Atresia Hypoplastic Right Ventricle Pulmanary Stenosis And I guess what I am looking for is anybody who has had open-heart surgery or has to have it. I would like to find someone else with the same condition but it is pretty rare.
I had open heart surgery 3yrs ago,it was taped . How can i get a copy of this? I had open heart surgery 3yrs ago,it was taped . How can i get a copy of this? I had a tumor wrapped around my heart ,was told I was like the third person in the world to have this. I know i have rights but i don't know what they are,when this was done i asked my docs. for a copy and they pretended like they didn't hear me. Is there a web site i can go to,tooget me started in getting this video,so i know my rights exactly. In Houston Texas Have copies of medical records I want a copy of video or the video
Memory loss and Open heart surgery? I had open heart surgery 2 years ago (MVP), and it seems since then, I have memory loss. Is this normal? I can remember what I did recently, but not from years ago.
how long is the open heart surgery good for? I had open heart surgery 4 years ago and I'm now 48 years old ex football player and in great shape ,I had quad- bypass and today I:m in great shape I have the strength that I had when I was 30 everybody keeps saying take it easy "what does that mean ", I'm 6' 4 and 245, solid muscle I don;t smoke or drink and I do not do any drugs SO how long is this surgery good for. and no I have no heart damage, I'm looking for experienced answer not knowledgeable ones
I was operated for open heart surgery. A titanium plate was fixed on my sternum caused problem. can I sue? I was operated for open heart surgery. The surgeon from USA brought a titanium plate to be fixed on the sternum (chest bones). Due to the fault in the titanium plate I had gone through tough time and survival was unpredictable. The doctors opened my chest 4 times due to the problem of the titanium. But the doctors did not know that titanium plate was the cause until they opened the fourth time. I had to spend 3 times more than usual charges and also I am not feeling well, too.Can I sue the company ?
I had undergone for open heart surgery - VSD Closure? I am 23 years old boy. I born with hole in my Heart (VSD) and when I was 10 years old in September 1994 operation/open heart surgery for VSD closure is done. I have been living the normal life and not taking any medicine. we have done check up and the report was normal. my question is will i be normal whole life? Currently i can do every thing like normal person, i can run, i can play cricket etc... Please let me know Is there still any risk in my future life? My weight has been increased because i am working in night shift. currently i am 77kg and 6 ft. tall. i want to reduce my weight, but I am worried to do excercise, Yoga or pranayam. please let me know what is best for me i mean can i do Yoga or pranayam. please advice me friends. thanks in advance.
question for drs/nurses about open heart surgery?? my dad has blocked arteries, and this is going to be his 2nd open heart surgery in less than 2 years and my mom doesnt like to tell me anything even though im old enough to drive. anyways, hes had over 5 heartattacks and has bad diabetes, and i want to know what the chances of him making it through this surgery are, and if the surgery works about how long he can live. im very close to my dad and want honest answers from doctors or people with experience. other info: lately hes been having alot of diabetic attacks, and chest problems with breathing and etc. also, his eyes are extremely swollen lately, and i think thats from the diabetes?
Children's hospital recommendation for open heart surgery? A friend's son 3.5 years old - has been diagnosed with a rare heart disease. He will need to have an open heart surgery fairly soon, most likely within the next 2 weeks. Since this type of operation cannot be performed in Serbia, where he lives, we are looking for a hospital in Europe or USA where this can be done. I would like to ask you if you know by any chance what would be the best children's hospital for this kind of surgery, or if you know anyone who has a child and had a similar procedure done. We are recommended some hospital in London, but I'm looking for alternatives in the rest of Europe (Germany, France, ...) and in the USA.
my baby boy had open heart surgery.....? my little boy is now 13 months old when he was 6 months old he had open heart surgery to close two of his holes. anyway he still has a rather large lump on his chest where the had to cut through his sternum, is this normal? or should this swelling have gone down by now? im just worried because he seems to get sick alot, and after his surgery i worry about everything. thanks for ur answers.. ok the lump is directly under the scar but it is rock hard it feels like bone and its round if that helps....
my daughter had open heart surgery? my daughter had open heart surgery a year ago she is sixteen now her scar down her chest is still very pink and lumpy does anybody know how long it takes for it to sink into a smooth scar. i have asked her local doctor but he just said time will tell. she has stopped going swimming because she thinks people are looking at her .
How can I comfort my husband before open heart surgery? My husband is soon to have open heart surgery for 3 blocked coronary vessels and while I know that others have this and survive , I worry for him and find myself crying thinking I might lose him. We've been together for 33 years and have 3 children. I want to be positive that he will be ok, but he is a diabetic(poorly controlled on insulin) he is 55, and has high BP (controled with medication), and has 26% kidney function. Seeing him scared knowing he does'nt have a choice except to get the surg. is tearing me up.I want to be able to ease his fears, but don't know what to say. He thinks he will die or come out of the surg. on a dialysis machine.How do I prepare my kids 12, 13, and 20 ,we are all just scared and no one to talk to that has been through this. I try not to think of myself, and I need to be strong for him but this is really the worst thing we've ever faced. He never had any idea his heart was bad, the Dr.s found this out while he was in hosp. to get his foot ulcer rep.
today is day 1000 after having open heart surgery? today janurary 3rd 2008 is my 1000 day out of having open heart surgery has any one else hit that mark or past it today . today saturday janurary 5th is day 1003 and all systems are go and i want to thank all the people that answered the question and all the well wishers to quote a verse from a greatful dead song "what a long strange trip it,s been "
question for anyone that has had open heart surgery? Hello I have a few questions for anyone who has had bi-pass open heart surgery. My father 53 years old had a 5 way bypass October 19th he has came home and is sleeping in a hospital bed. Even though he is out of the hospital he is still not able to sleep very well he is taking about 7-10 different meds at one time and has even been taking half of a sleeping pill and was told to take a tylonal pm this has not helped and making him fill weaker. Did anyone have any of the same problems i like to say to him he's not alone on this problem may make him fill a little better. Also if anyone knows of anyway to find support groups for him that be great to and any other encouraging advice you might give for them would be most helpful! Thank you!
My sister was trying to get a VISA to come to his son's open heart surgery here in USA and she couldn't get it My nephew is a 9y/o boy with a Cardiac problem. He is with my father here in USA. He has a VSD (ventricular septal defect) now his aortic valve is affected too; he needs an open-heart surgery. My sister wanted to be here for his surgery, which is February the 20th, she went to the American Embassy in Mexico today to get a VISA (they call it a "humanitarian VISA"). We got a letter from the surgeon doctor who will make the surgery. She took the letter to the Embassy in Mexico, but they denied the VISA to her, despite the fact that she was showing also a bank account, proof of income and properties in her name, She want's to be here in USA for his son's surgery. My father is going to pay for the surgery, so we are not asking for any government funding like Medicaid or anything like that. We are self-pay for the surgery. I don't understand why they don’t let here to be here for his son's surgery. (They told her she could not get a VISA because she may stay here in USA after the VISA expires) Anybody knows where we can get help, so she can be here for the surgery. It is really important because this was not planned he came for vacations and his health was getting worst while he was here so we thought would be better to have the surgery here in USA. So if she is not here, I (his uncle) and my father will have to take care of him after surgery) any suggestion is appreciated about what we can do to help her to come to USA for that surgery. Thank you
My sister was trying to get a VISA to come to his son's open heart surgery here in USA and she couldn't get it My nephew is a 9y/o boy with a Cardiac problem. He is with my father here in USA. He has a VSD (ventricular septal defect) now his aortic valve is affected too; he needs an open-heart surgery. My sister wanted to be here for his surgery, which is February the 20th, she went to the American Embassy in Mexico today to get a VISA (they call it a "humanitarian VISA"). We got a letter from the surgeon doctor who will make the surgery. She took the letter to the Embassy in Mexico, but they denied the VISA to her, despite the fact that she was showing also a bank account, proof of income and properties in her name, She want's to be here in USA for his son's surgery. My father is going to pay for the surgery, so we are not asking for any government funding like Medicaid or anything like that. We are self-pay for the surgery. I don't understand why they don’t let here to be here for his son's surgery. (They told her she could not get a VISA because she may stay here in USA after the VISA expires) Anybody knows where we can get help, so she can be here for the surgery. It is really important because this was not planned he came for vacations and his health was getting worst while he was here so we thought would be better to have the surgery here in USA. So if she is not here, I (his uncle) and my father will have to take care of him after surgery) any suggestion is appreciated about what we can do to help her to come to USA for that surgery. Thank you
My neice is 4 months old and has a heart problem she might need open heart surgery? ok i dont know much because my sister just hung up on me she said that the baby has a heart problem didnt say what but that she might need open heart surgery and i guess they were going to put the baby on steriod meds to make her heart stronger is this normal something doesnt sound right...they said that shes gotten sick over night (shes had a heart problem for about a month) and i guess they said that they are quarentining the baby...now why would they do that? does anyone know anything i dont know much about this but i want to be more into whats going on would they really do all this with a 4 month old? when in quarentene can the parents or anyone see the baby someone please let me know what can be wrong
question for anyone that has had open heart surgery? Hello I have a few questions for anyone who has had bi-pass open heart surgery. My father 53 years old had a 5 way bypass October 19th he has came home and is sleeping in a hospital bed. Even though he is out of the hospital he is still not able to sleep very well he is taking about 7-10 different meds at one time and has even been taking half of a sleeping pill and was told to take a tylonal pm this has not helped and making him fill weaker. Did anyone have any of the same problems i like to say to him he's not alone on this problem may make him fill a little better. Also if anyone knows of anyway to find support groups for him that be great to and any other encouraging advice you might give for them would be most helpful! Thank you!
My Mom is 81 years old. Should she have open-heart surgery? She has had an angiogram and has a blocked heart valve as well as leaking arteries. She has to make the decision whether to have open heart surgery. She goes through spells of finding it very hard to breathe and then can't do anything. Should she have this very serious operation?
WHY HISTORY BOOKS LIE AND SAY THAT Dr. Daniel Hale Williams in 1893? Heart Surgery (first successful)? Dr. Daniel Hale Williams in 1893? No! Dr. Williams repaired a wound not in the heart muscle itself, but in the sac surrounding it, the pericardium. This operation was not the first of its type: Henry Dalton of St. Louis performed a nearly identical operation two years earlier, with the patient fully recovering. Decades before that, the Spaniard Francisco Romero carried out the first successful pericardial surgery of any type, incising the pericardium to drain fluid compressing the heart. Surgery on the actual human heart muscle, and not just the pericardium, was first successfully accomplished by Ludwig Rehn of Germany when he repaired a wounded right ventricle in 1896. More than 50 years later came surgery on the open heart, pioneered by John Lewis, C. Walton Lillehei (often called the "father of open heart surgery") and John Gibbon (who invented the heart-lung machine).
Why don't black people get enough credit? â?¢Daniel Hale Williams performed the first succesful open heart surgery. http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:RQBW_iNdNXgJ:www.blackinventor.com/pages/danielwilliams.html+Daniel+Hale+Williams+first+open+heart+surgery&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2 â?¢ Garrett Augustus Morgan invented the first traffic light and the first gas mask. http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:T943yMNoFxAJ:www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0883926.html+first+traffic+light+African+American&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4 African Americans invented a lot more than that: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/black.shtml I've read a lot of questions and answers here saying that white people invented everything http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap6vslydgFTkQdhR9ICOXwrzy6IX?qid=20060928165724AAmwQiF http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ah3mqh6vZjYcmggI50PeUDPsy6IX?qid=20060924192342AANH5Tv
Current Event VOICE YOUR OPINION? please summerize voice your openion and tell me how it relates to socail studies and name 3 words you never heared of or knew the meaning of the winner get 10 points BEDFORD, Texas -- One of the first things you notice about Adrian Vasquez is the bulge beneath his shirt. It's a pacemaker, the size of a chocolate-covered Oreo cookie. Adrian is only 2 1/2 years old. Born with a double outlet on the right ventricle of his heart, Adrian has endured three open-heart surgeries and countless trips to the emergency room. His life has been fragile from the beginning. The day after Adrian was born, a hospital chaplain baptized him in the ICU. With a tube in his nose helping him breathe, Adrian's mother and father sprinkled holy water on his tiny head. He was so weak, they weren't allowed to hold him. Adrian's first surgery was three days later, when he was 5 days old. (Watch a boy with a broken heart ) Sitting in their home in suburban Dallas, Texas, Anthony and Matilda Vasquez recently talked about the night their son almost died. Adrian was 5 months old and had just undergone surgery. He had been in the hospital for about a week and seemed to be thriving. In the middle of the night, the young couple got a call. Adrian was crashing. They rushed to the hospital. Anthony Vasquez says Adrian was "gasping for air and turning blue." It took doctors a half-hour to stabilize him. "He pulled out of it," Vasquez says with fatherly pride. For a long time, Matilda Vasquez says, she went over in her head every aspect of her pregnancy, trying to figure out whether she did something to cause Adrian's heart problems. She says she didn't smoke, didn't drink, exercised and watched her diet. She says she didn't even want to take aspirin for fear it would hurt the baby. However, she was taking the antidepressant Paxil when she got pregnant. She says she asked her doctor about it and after checking the labeling, he said it was safe for her to keep taking it. But late last year, Anthony Vasquez heard something on television about Paxil, heart problems and babies. He checked the Internet and found a warning from the Food and Drug Administration. It said early results from two studies suggested women who took Paxil during the first three months of pregnancy were 1.5 to 2 times as likely to have a baby born with a heart defect as women who received other antidepressants or women who didn't take antidepressants. Paxil is made by Glaxo Smith-Kline. A company internal study released in 2005 and shared with the FDA found a 1.5 times increased risk for heart malformations for Paxil compared with other antidepressants. Normally, the risk of giving birth to a child with a heart defect is about 1 percent. At the urging of the FDA, Glaxo Smith-Kline changed Paxil's labeling in September 2005 to warn about the risks of birth defects. Adrian's parents were furious. They believe Glaxo Smith-Kline was aware of the drug's risk before he was born in April 2004 and didn't do enough to warn doctors or expectant mothers. In July, the family sued the company. Glaxo Smith Kline declined to comment on the lawsuit, but in a written statement said it has diligently monitored the safety of Paxil before and after its approval by the FDA in 1992. The American Medical Association estimates about 40,000 women take antidepressants while pregnant. Weaning a woman off an antidepressant while pregnant can be excruciating. Many doctors we spoke with say the pros often outweigh the cons. On Wednesday, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice recommended that the use of paroxetine, or Paxil, among pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant be avoided, if possible. The group also said that treatment with with all SSRIs or selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or both during pregnancy be judged on a case by case basis. But Matilda Vasquez believes expectant mothers should have all the information so they can make the decision for themselves. She says had she known about the possibility of heart defects, she would have stopped taking Paxil. These days, Adrian spends a lot of time at the doctor's office. He is behind developmentally and communicates on the level of a 9-month-old. His big brother, Isaiah, often "translates" for his parents and grandparents. It breaks his father's heart to think that Adrian will never be able to do "boy things" like roughhousing or playing soccer. When it's not too hot, Adrian and his brother "drive" around the family's back yard in a child-sized electric truck. The boys smile and squeal as their dad follows. Matilda Vasquez smiles at her family, but there is also a longing in her eyes. "Adrian will never have a normal life," she says. "I just hope this lawsuit will just warn people and let them see what an innocent baby can go through."
Can a doctor or anyone with knowledge tell me the life expectancy of my father? My dad is 52 years old. He had his first heart attack of 3 - 9 years ago. He is still very active although he has had 2 open heart surgeries (6 bipasses) a diffibrillator (sp?) & has bradycardia. He pumps 19. He asks his doctor all the time what his life expectancy is because of such a low number. His dr replies, "I treat patients... not numbers". I respect that & am grateful for his response. But just the other night I took my dad to the ER because of problems he was having & the ER doctor told him that she gives him less than a year. My dad did ask but she shouldn't have told him that. After all... it was her first time seeing him. Now my dad is depressed more than he was & is worried even more that his time is near. He's always been aware that his life will end sooner than most but now it's more of a reality. I've tried looking on the internet but am not very good at it. Can someone please tell me what the statistics are for someone in my dad's conditition? Thank you!
did you know an black person....? woman was the first female millionaire Madem C.J. Walker? did u know we've had 5 black presidents (thomas jefferson, andrew jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge) http://www.google.com/search?q=black+presidents&hl=en&lr= invented the blood bank (Dr. Charles Drew)? was the first to complete a successful open heart surgery (Daniel Hale Williams)? invented paper (not the asians)? the development of crop rotation (george washington carver)? Invented a video home survelance security system (marie brown)? responsible for the meat curing products, seasonings, emulsions, bakery products, antioxidants, protein hydrolysates and many other products that keep our food fresh and flavorable (Lloyd Augustus Hall)? invented the Super Soaker® a squirt gun and also invented thermodynamics systems on the side (lonnie johnson)? invented the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks (frederick jones)?
My DD has been told she may be carrying a baby with Downs Syndrome. Her first reaction was to talk to a? professor with a Down's child so she is now convinced she should have an abortion if further testing confirms this problem. (He convinced all these children have heart defects and need open heart surgery.) I would love to calm her down to wait for all the tests before jumping to such a decision. Her mind is made up. Any suggestions on how to approach such a sensitive subject? I don't believe in abortion in this type of case, but would like some insights from others who have faced this situation. I have a feeling she is going to make a decision she will regret. The baby with Downs would be my grandchild, so I would be directly involved in helping raise the child. She is finally listening, discussing and weighing all the possibilities. I know her well enough to know if she rushed in with her first response, she would spend a lifetime regretting her decision. (She has ADHD.) I feel now that she can at least make a competent decision.
SHOULD I TELL OR NOT & IF I do , how do i say it?? I have a great conundrum, i m 30yr old male. I have been dating but afraid to move on because of one medical problem that i have. I have a leaking valve in my heart due to which i have to get an open heart surgery sooner or later and may have to get that valve replace with an artificial one. I have been to few doctors and they say its not a big deal as its common surgery these days. But I cant seem to past the fact that i have a damaged heart and anything can happen before, during or after a heart surgery. How do i tell this to her, lets say i met her on from online dating sites. or someone who i start caring about. When do i say it on first date, 2nd date. WHEN and HOW, how do i not make it such big deal that people around me are convincing me to believe???
SHOULD I TELL OR NOT & IF I do , how do i say it?? I have a great conundrum, i m 30yr old male. I have been dating but afraid to move on because of one medical problem that i have. I have a leaking valve in my heart due to which i have to get an open heart surgery sooner or later and may have to get that valve replace with an artificial one. I have been to few doctors and they say its not a big deal as its common surgery these days. But I cant seem to past the fact that i have a damaged heart and anything can happen before, during or after a heart surgery. How do i tell this to her, lets say i met her on from online dating sites. or someone who i start caring about. When do i say it on first date, 2nd date. WHEN and HOW, how do i not make it such big deal that people around me are convincing me to believe???
I want to organize a walk in the Boston area to raise money for CHD, but I don't know where to start!? I was born with TGV a type of congenital heart disease. I am now 28 and growing into adulthood I am realizing how little research has been done on adults with CHD. When children used to be born with CHD after having corrective surgery they were cnsidered "cured". They are now realizing 20+ years later that adulthood brings on a whole new set of problems. I am living with this now. As I age my heart is growing weaker and I am developing arrythmias that I have never had before. The doctors can't tell my what lies ahead of me, another open heart surgery, a heart transplant, sudden death by cardiac arrest...They have no idea because this is really the first "generation" of children living into adulthood. This for me is a very scary thought~the unknown. I really want to organize a walk in the Boston area to raise $$$ for research on adults with CHD so no one else has to live their life in the dark. I just don't know how to get started. If you have any information for me it would be great!!!
Have I waited to long for a relatioship at age 46? Let me explain? First off let me say I have been divorced now for 13 years. I didnt mind at first I rather enjoyed my new found freedom. But 2 years ago I found that I had some serious heart diease going on. I had open heart surgery a little over a year ago. but now at age 46 I find when ever I tell a woman that I will never work again, I never hear from her ever again. Am I destined to be alone for the rest of my life? Or should I hold out hope that someone may come along? New some advise here. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Should i sue the hospital? i was in a car wreck a few weeks ago. i went to the hospital and got xrays and a cat scan, they said i was fine so i went home. a week later i woke up in the morning throwing up blood, went to a different hospital and they said i had a ulser. i lost a lot of blood and had surgury. i was in icu and woke up with a 12 inch cut down my chest. they said that i was losing blood pressure and had to do open heart surgery. see when i had the car wreck i damaged my heart and was leaking blood around my heart. causing it to slow down and would eventually stopped it. if i didnt have the ulser i would have just went to bed that night and not woke up. i just think that i almost died because they didnt look hard enough when i went the first time to the hospital, oh they sure did charge my insurance 13,000, but sent me home to die. im only 26 and have a wife and kid. what do you all think i should do?
Why did the Family Leave Act Law fail my husband? My husband had open heart surgery and was off work for four months. His company layed him off after the first thirty day and took away all his benifites. Is the Family Leave Act Law not for all employees or was his company at fault. HELP.
Can I sue my children's peditrician? My 13-year-old son had to have open heart surgery last month becasue he was born with both arteries on one side which made it difficult for him to play sports because he would have difficulty breathing and he would have terrible chest pains.All this was unknow about him becasue when he was 6 and first started playing sports he was having these pains but his then peditrian(now deceased)claimed that he would grow out it and never did any tests on him.Now this pain had been going on until he turned 13.His peditrician two years ago never did any test on him but ruled out that he had asymum and prescribed him with a pump.He prscribed a oral medication and that was that.So this year when he had his pain during p.e at school and they called me I went to that doctor ,I told him to refer me to someone else because he was not doing what he was suppose to do.The docot that we went to did a MRI and they found that his arteries were located on both side and he needed surgery now.His dr. failed to
What do you think of my second round of original 'yo momma' jokes? People seemed to like my first ones so I thought up some more... yo mommas goatee so nappy I punched her in the jaw and got rug burn yo momma so fat she went in for open heart surgery and they found out the b*tch had cream fillin. yo mommas coochie so nasty after I ate her out I had to get a root canal yo mommas so fat I stabbed her in the gut and the knife came out candy coated yo momma so fat I was boning her from behind and got motion sickness yo mommas head so small it look like a pimple with a weave Opinions appriciated
Can smoking Marijuana cause Down Syndrome? I know someone who is due in a couple weeks and just recently found out her baby has down syndrome. I know this woman smoked cigarettes and I found out she smoked Marijuana throughout her pregnancy also. Her first baby she did the same and she came out alright thank God, but thi sbaby has Down syndrom they said and needs open heart surgery right away when she is born and her chin is small too. Can this be from her smoking pot(weed) or is it just chromosonal and has nothing to do with what she did or didnt do?? please show facts or sites to back up the answers so i know and its not just an opinion. Thank You all and pray for the baby and pray the mother wisens up now and turns her life around and takes care of the baby as she needs taken care of, please.
Bypass surgery and options? I am a 48 year-old woman who has severe heart disease. My heart disease is hereditary. I had quadruple bypass surgery in November, 2003. I actually had 6 blockages but one of them was opened using a stent and the decision was made on the other to not do anything at the time. The surgeon had trouble finding veins and arteries in my body that were in good enough shape to perform the surgery with. By January of 2004 two of the 4 bypasses that they performed had collapsed. The decision was made to attempt to maintain my health through numerous medications. A second surgery is in my future but the surgeons feel that it is the last option I have with the remaining useble arteries.veins in my body so they are holding off as long as they can to give me more time. I have two questions. I had asked the first one of the surgeons after my surgery once I knew of my situation and at the time they had nothing positive to say. Please bear with me.. I need to type additional info... Has anyone ever heard of using pig (or any other kind of animal) veins and arteries to perform bypass surgery with? 2nd Question.. Is it possible that I am building up an immunity to the medications I am on? I have noticed recently that my symptoms are increasing in severity and am wondering if the meds I am on aren't as effective as they once were. The main medications I take are Isosorbide, Plavix, Toprol, Lisinipril, Lipitor I am on an experimental drug that works with the Lipitor to help raise my good cholesterol and I take an aspirin every day... Let me say this... if you didn't know that I have a heart condition and couldn't see my "zipper" then you would never know one exists. I don't live like I am waiting for something to happen. I refuse to. I treat every day as a blessing and am still very active only sowing down when my body tells me I must. Thank you in advance for any information/advise you can give.. Sincerely, Tammy. Thank you all for your responses.. Such kind souls you all are.. Nice Guy, you really are :) The only relatives that I have that may have suitable veins/arteries are my own children. Never in a million years would I allow that to happen. The day may come when they are going to need access to all they have as well. The three of them have offered. I guess the look I got on my face told them all they needed to know. It's good to know I can still scare them. *lol* The lifestyle changes you mention are a work in progress. Everyday... IAINTTELLEN, Thanks for the input on the meds. Your answer is extremely helpful. Yeah, the anti-rejection meds I would have to take was the main reason the surgeon felt using porcine tissue was not an option at the time. I was curious if anything had changed. finaldx, from your keyboard to God's monitor.. :) Thanks for the input... you confirm what the other two said.. I Doc8, I do expect it. I just don't dwell on it. This isn't the first time I have faced a disease that could potentially end my life. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32. I breezed through that. Thanks for the prayers all.. Let me say this. I am a blessed individual. While battling the cancer I learned a lesson about life at a young age that most people don't learn until the best years of their lives have passed them by. How precious living a happy life is. Can't be happy all the time but, life is what you make it. I've had a good life and it ain't over!! :) I'll continue checking back here... Thanks folks... you've been extremely helpful and made my day. :) Now I gotta go paint the porch!
has anyone read these books? 1. the lion attacked: claude yarmoff 2. how to write big books: warren peace 3. the art of archery: beau n. arrow 4. songs for children: barbara blacksheep 5. irish heart surgery: angie o'pasty 6. split personalities: jacqueline hyde 7. under the bleachers: seymour butts 8. desert crossing: i. rhoda camel 9. school truancy: marcus absent 10. i was a cloakroom attendant: mahatma coate 11. i lost my balence: eileen dover and phil down 12. mystery in barnyard: hu flung dung 13. positive reinforcement: wade ago 14. shhh!: danielle soloud 15. the philippines post office: imelda letter 16. things to do at a party: bob frapples 17. stop arguing: xavier breath 18. come on in! doris open 19. the german bank robbery: hans zupp 20. i hate the sun: gladys knight 21. prison security: barb dwyer 22. irish first aid: r.u. o'kaye 23. my carrer as a clown: abe bozo 24. theres pus in your eye: lance boyle 25. my life on skid row: titus a. drum 26. i didnt do it: ivan alibi
Aunt on Ventilator for almost 4 mo will she be able to breath? My Aunt went in for heart bypass surgery almost 4 months ago.She had problems, first was her breast bone-the wires used to sew it back together-they cut thru the bone.Then they tried a muscle wrap and that didn't work. Now she has had to have her chest open to allow the infection to heal. The Dr's planned to graft skin there. During all of this she was placed on a ventilator and had a Trach put in. She has days were she is real alert, and then she has days were she is sedated and sleeps. She is in alot of pain, but she is concious and can "talk" to you by mouthing the words (we have to read her lips). Her children love her very much .They know she would not want to live this way. Her bro & sis do not want to unplug her from vent. The Dr says she will never come off of it. Her kids do not want her quality of life decreased. She will most likely die w/o the vent. Tomorrow Morn. they are to unhook her. Is this what we should do? We all love her and just want whats best. One of her kids has power of attorney. The Dr says that due to her damaged sternum she will not have the "mechanism" to be able to breath. This is very sad and the family is very divided. I see both sides and understand their concerns and fears. thank you so much for your help. the hardest thing about this is that she is not in a coma. this morning she would give you kisses, but by the end of the day she was in so much pain. Out of the day she has about 3 hrs that are "good". SHE WAS TAKEN OFF THE VENT AT 1:30PM AND HAS BEEN BREATHING ON HER OWN. HER OXYGEN LEVEL IS AT 91 AND HEART RATE IS GOOD, HER BP IS A LITTLE LOW AT TIMES, BUT SHE IS DOING IT!!!!!
Interchangeable.....................? The first Doctor says: "I love doing surgery on Artists, they are so colorful: red Hearts, pink Stomachs, green Spleens." The next Doctor says: "Me, I love doing surgery on Accountants, open them up and all their Parts are numbered, makes it very easy. The third Doctor says: "I love doing surgery on Lawyers, they have no Heart, they have no Guts and the Head and the a** are interchangeable!"
funny or not ...surgery choices? Five surgeons are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on. The first surgeon says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered." The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded." The third surgeon says, "No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order." The fourth surgeon chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers...those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end, and when the job takes longer than you said it would." But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed: "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the a-s are interchangeable.
The Best Patients for Surgery? Five surgeons are discussing who has the best patients to operate on: The first surgeon says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered." The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded." The third surgeon says, "No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order." The fourth surgeon chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers. Those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end, or when the job takes longer than you said it would." The fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed: "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine -- and the head and the a-s-s are interchangeable.
could this be the end for jennifer capriait's Career? Jennifer Capriati, who turned 30 on Thursday, acknowledged her career could be over. She said it breaks her heart to watch tennis matches since she was forced to stop playing due to four surgeries -- two to her right shoulder and two to her right wrist. Capriati was at the NASDAQ-100 Open Friday, watching from a television booth as top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo lost 6-1, 6-4 to her doubles partner, Svetlana Kuznetsova. I'm not playing at all right now, I can't, the rehab is not going as I'd like, and this is harder than anything else I've been through because it's not in my hands," she told a few reporters who stopped her in the hallway. "It would be unfortunate if I go out this way. But if I do, I'll have to just look back at my career as one big accomplishment. I'm not retired yet, though. This is just another test, another avenue to go down." Capriati has been absent from the tour since November 2004. Her last surgery was June 2005, and she said she has no idea when -- or if -- she'll make a comeback. "At first, I thought, 'OK, I'll take a little break and come back rejuvenated, but this has been a little too long,' " Capriati said. "I guess the answer will just come. For now, I have to use positive thinking and try to still believe I can come back some day." Capriati made her tour debut in 1990 at age 13 and immediately became the youngest player ever to make a final. She went on to win two Australian Opens (2001 and 2002), the 2001 French Open, and $10 million in prize money. In 2004, she reached the semis at the French Open and U.S. Open before the injuries halted her career. She is known for one of the greatest comebacks in the sport. Capriati struggled through personal and legal troubles in 1994 and 1995, and fell out of the rankings. She came back after a 15-month layoff and finished 1996 ranked No. 24. By 2001, she had rejuvenated her career and was up to No. 2. She remained in the Top 10 through 2004. "Look at Lance Armstrong, and Andre [Agassi], they made comebacks," she said. "I'm still young and I won't give up." I really hope her career isnt over she is my hero.i miss cheering her on and watching her play...get well soon jen..
Some of you wanted to know how illegals affect us? personally???? Here is ONE example!!!!!!!!!!!!! Catastrophe in Care Hospitals are being crippled by the costs of treating migrants--and that could be just the start of an immigrant-related health crisis By LEO W. BANKS Leo W. Banks One of the many signs on the Naco Highway. Leo W. Banks "It's not unusual to have one UDA (undocumented alien) cost $5,000, and we know we're not going to get that back," says Josie Mincher, emergency room manager at Copper Queen Hospital. Leo W. Banks "Until we have comprehensive immigration reform, we need to bear the health-care costs for undocumented workers, whatever those costs are," says Rev. Tom Buechele. If you drive along Southern Arizona's border with Mexico long enough, you might see a lone illegal wandering the desert. Or maybe he's hunched at the roadside sipping water from his milk jug. What's he doing there, and where are his compatriots, the people he broke into the country with? The uninformed might ask those questions, but those who live with the daily invasion across our open borders can make a pretty good guess what's happening. The fellow got bounced from his group by the coyote-guide. Two transgressions will get an illegal cut loose with certainty: Either he can't pay, or he shows signs of tuberculosis. You think these coyotes are fools? They don't want some hollow-eyed lunger hacking and coughing blood on them. So it's adios, pal, and now you're America's problem. But they know that already. Every illegal realizes that if he makes it to an emergency room in Southern Arizona, or anywhere around the country for that matter, he can get treatment, free of charge. It's federal law, and has been for 20 years. In its evolution, the policy has become a kind of federal health insurance program for illegals, and its rising costs are eating up resources that could otherwise go to poor and uninsured American citizens. It has created a financial nightmare for border hospitals and contributed to cutbacks in services at Tucson hospitals. Is this an outrage? A scandal? Some think it's both. But going back to our active TB sufferer, here's something even worse: The guy can't get treatment anywhere, goes underground and takes a job at a restaurant in Tucson or L.A., and coughs his way to infecting scores of others. Talk about a Hobson's choice. But as with everything in the ongoing crisis of illegal immigration, the hard choices would largely evaporate if the federal government fulfilled its constitutional duty and took control of our border. The threat illegal immigration poses to American public health plays out every day at Arizona's hospitals. Until recently, the issue remained only marginally public, a problem medical people batted around among themselves, not with the media. Even today, several hospitals contacted for this story declined comment. The Copper Queen Hospital in Bisbee, one of the hardest hit, helped break that barrier when CEO Jim Dickson began returning reporters' calls, even though the subject, as he puts it, has become "like the third rail. You don't want to touch it." But his problem had grown severe. Dickson's uncompensated costs for treating illegals rose from $35,000 in 1999 to $450,000 in 2004. His total shortfall now sits at about $1.4 million, a hefty deficit for a 14-bed hospital. To make ends meet, he had to close, in June 2000, the Copper Queen's long-term care facility, and cut back on staff and hours, forcing some employees to take second jobs to survive. The hospital has seen a ray of light, however. In the first months of 2005, the Copper Queen has gone back into surplus, in part because more illegals are in Border Patrol custody when brought in to the hospital. That means the Border Patrol must reimburse the Queen for the cost. In the past, agents would drop injured illegals not in their custody at the ER and take off, sticking the hospital with bills that never got paid. Another reason for the decrease, says Dickson: the Minuteman Project. "It's been terrific for us in April," he says, cutting down on the number of people coming across and therefore the number requiring ER treatment. Dickson says the hospital wrote off about $6,000 in losses in April this year, compared to about $35,000 in April 2004. The central issue, though, remains in place--the hospital has had to scale back health services to American citizens to treat illegals. Bisbee isn't alone. The most comprehensive study on the subject found that 24 counties in four states bordering Mexico wracked up $190 million in unpaid emergency medical bills caring for illegals in the year 2000. The study, commissioned by the U.S.-Mexico Border Counties Coalition, found that California spent $79 million of that; Texas, $74 million; Arizona, $31 million; and New Mexico, $6 million. Bear in mind that these numbers, the best available, are from 2000. We can assume, with increasing rates of crossings since then, the costs are considerably higher today. Nor do the above figures take into account non-border counties. Treating illegals in Maricopa County costs as much as $50 million a year, according to an estimate used by Republican Sen. Jon Kyl. Nationally, American hospitals lose $1.45 billion a year. The Medicare reform bill passed in 2003 allocated $1 billion to reimburse states for federally mandated ER care given to illegals--about $45 million a year of that to come to Arizona over four years. But even that, some hospital staffers say, is little more than a Band-Aid on a huge problem. Ruth Kish, director of patient care services at Copper Queen, expects that under the repayment formula, her hospital will receive only 10 cents of every dollar they spend on illegals. "But every bit helps," says Kish. Another factor: The counties in the above-mentioned study spent an additional $13 million in 2000 on emergency transportation, such as helicopters and ambulances, to pick up illegals injured after sneaking across the line. The Bisbee Fire Department's ambulance responds to about one of these calls a day during the summer, says Chief Jack Earnest. Asked how many of these patients pay up, Earnest wasn't sure, and recommended contacting the billing office in Sierra Vista. The billing office knew exactly how often illegals pay their ambulance bills--never. But there's another category--Mexicans injured in Mexico who call American ambulances for help. By federal law, they have to respond, which makes Bisbee's Copper Queen the trauma center of choice for Sonora's northern frontier. The calls come from Naco, Sonora, the town across the line just south of Bisbee, where, in spite of widespread poverty, cell phones are popular, and everybody knows the Americans are bound by law to treat them. "When we get a call we go, and we don't ask where the person's from," says Earnest. Naco residents needing care go to the port of entry and declare an emergency to American officials. When they're waved through, they're transported to the Copper Queen's ER in Bisbee's ambulance, or they drive themselves in private cars. The policy is called Compassionate Entry, and it applies to hospitals up and down the line. The Copper Queen averages about five such cases a month. Some abuse the privilege, says ER Manager Josie Mincher. She's seen Compassionate Entries with bad sore throats and others who aren't sick at all. One pregnant girl landed in the ER recently complaining of morning sickness. Most are seriously sick, though, and the staff rushes to help, "because that's what we do," says Mincher. But it doesn't take much to blow the budget. "Just walking in the door is $400," says Mincher. "It's not unusual to have one UDA (undocumented alien) cost $5,000, and we know we're not going to get that back. We're playing with monopoly money here." Here's an example of how one patient can wrack up a huge bill: A young Mexican man had a bad auto accident across the line and was taken to Douglas' Southeast Arizona Medical Center with severe neurological problems. After being stabilized there, he was transferred to Barrow's Neurological Center in Phoenix. He spent a costly month there, courtesy of the Center, and was transferred--with a tracheotomy tube in his throat and supplies to clean it, also provided gratis by Barrow's--to a hospital in Hermosillo. That facility kept him less than a day before releasing him to his home in Naco. But for reasons no one can explain, the Hermosillo hospital kept his trach kit and cleaning supplies. As a result, he became septic--a bad infection--and came through the Naco port under Compassionate Entry to the Copper Queen. He spent three days there, then the staff sent him off, with more free supplies, to a clinic in Agua Prieta for continued care. How much did this fellow cost the American health care system? A figure of a quarter-million dollars would surprise no one. Cost to the Copper Queen? Almost $6,000, and they got none of it back. Northern Cochise Community Hospital is in Willcox, far enough from the border that it doesn't get patients crossing the line for health care. But that doesn't mean it escapes the invasion. CEO Chris Cronberg loses about $100,000 a year caring for illegals, mostly those injured in traffic accidents when their loaded vehicle flips while speeding north. "It's not make or break for us," says Cronberg. "But as a small hospital, we depend on cash, and those are dollars that aren't coming in, so it has an impact." The same is true at Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, according to Vice President Marie Wurth. She expects the hospital to lose $250,000 this year treating those who jump the line, get hurt doing it and don't pay their bills. The big squeeze is on in Tucson, too. Tucson Medical Center loses an estimated $4 million every year treating illegals. The corresponding figure at UMC, which includes some foreign nationals, was $3.5 million for fiscal 2004, a $2 million increase from the previous year. Part of that is attributable to UMC, in July 2003, becoming Tucson's only Level One trauma center, meaning it saw the most serious cases. Chief Financial Officer Kevin Burns says the hospital's re-payment rate for treating illegals is about 5 cents on the dollar. "It's very expensive for us and continues to grow," says Burns, who says many illegals, as well as uninsured Americans, use his ER like a primary care physician. "We hear anecdotally that people come here from across the border because they know they can get cared for, and if they present at the ER, they can get that care at no cost." The federal law that put the hospitals on the hook for the medical bills of illegals goes by the acronym EMTALA--Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. It says that anybody who shows up in an ER must get screened, treated and stabilized, regardless of citizenship or ability to pay. But since its passage in 1985, the definition of emergency has evolved to include just about anything, and because Congress didn't fund the requirement, hospitals have had to eat the costs as word has spread that the federal goodie wagon is parked at the ER door. In cities with huge illegal populations, such as Los Angeles, the effects have been disastrous. In its spring 2005 issue, the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons reported that between 1993 and 2003, 60 California hospitals closed because, for several reasons including EMTALA, half of their services became unpaid. Another 24 are near closing, says author Madeleine Pelner Cosman. She also writes that in 1983, before EMTALA, L.A. County put together a trauma network that was "one of America's finest emergency med response organizations." A mere 22 years later--again, in part because of EMTALA--Cosman says the system is coming apart, with most trauma hospitals having left the network, along with physicians, surgeons and others. The law has caused a similar situation in Tucson, on a smaller scale. "With EMTALA, the government created an unfunded national health insurance program, and it has caused real problems in this community," says Dr. Herb McReynolds, who works for a company that manages the ER department for St. Mary's Hospital, which treats a large number of illegals. Lawmakers wrote the legislation to prevent patient dumping--in which one hospital refuses to accept, say, an uninsured woman in labor, telling ambulance personnel to take her to the county hospital instead. It stopped that practice. But it has caused a big increase in the amount of un-reimbursed care that hospitals provide, and in McReynolds' words, "made physicians rethink their careers and lifestyles." "The price of it has come over time, because after so much uncompensated care, it forces physicians off our call list," says McReynolds. "Physicians have a practice to go to the next day and a family, and ask themselves, do I really want to be up at 2 a.m. providing care when I won't get comp, and I can still get sued?" Some docs have removed themselves from on-call lists by going to work at outpatient surgical centers not affiliated with a hospital. Others stay on call, but limit the amount of time they're available. A neurosurgeon might take call one day a week, and that satisfies the law. EMTALA says that you must provide a reasonable amount of coverage, without being strict or specific about how much that is. McReynolds says that EMTALA--in tandem with the malpractice crisis--has caused the loss of medical coverage at many hospitals around the country and in Tucson, including St. Mary's. "Several years ago we had five neurosurgeons on staff here, and now we have two," he says. "We had hand surgery coverage every day, and now we have it one week a month. We used to have full ob-gyn coverage, and now they've left and gone to TMC. We have no ob-gyn and one gynecologist on staff covering emergencies one day a week." With docs all over Tucson running for cover, trying to stay off call and away from ERs, the variety of emergency health care available to Tucsonans has seriously diminished. And here's the most maddening irony of all: The feds now reimburse American hospitals for treating non-paying illegals, but not for treating American citizens. Exception: Those eligible for care under Federal Emergency Services, a fairly restrictive program. For a year and a half now, UMC has approached non-paying illegals in a novel way--it actually reports them to immigration officials. "Some people find that cold, but we have a responsibility to protect this charitable asset (hospital)," says CFO Burns, adding that UMC's status as a public entity requires a different approach. "Our belief is that to the extent people have ability to pay, we expect them to." After triaging and stabilizing an ER patient, the hospital sets out to learn who that patient is, and how he or she plans to pay. To those who are uninsured and underinsured, the hospital offers the option of applying for its innovative Charity Care program. Under it, the hospital charges the patient the same rate it would receive for that service from Medicare, a possible reduction of up to 70 percent. Patients unable to pay at that discounted rate are eligible for further discounts that can tear up the bill entirely. To apply for Charity Care, the patient need only return to the hospital with a W-2 or other documents. Those who cooperate and return with the required documents don't get reported to the feds. But the hospital does report those who take the medical care and run. How many illegals cooperate with this generous offer? Ten percent. Burns says UMC began reporting the 90 percent who don't pay in November of 2003. So far, they've reported 565 persons. Why start reporting? "Maybe a bit of it was born of frustration because people use our resources and make no effort to work with us and pay," he says. "Even if part of the population doesn't pay, I still have to hire new people and buy and upgrade equipment, which costs $15-$20 million a year. When you have these strains on resources, from foreign citizens and as well as Medicaid patients, you have to manage cash flow very carefully." As with most issues related to the illegal invasion, those who live along the Mexican border, the scene of the crime, have the best view. Where health issues are concerned, it's not a pretty sight. Residents say they've come across ground dotted with discarded pills, syringes containing nobody knows what, and used needles. Some report riding horses along creek beds, popular pull-up areas for groups heading north, and finding 70 or 80 piles of human feces, some of it blackened and running with blood. It's as disgraceful as it is disgusting--and it raises a question: What happens when rain washes all this into the water supply? Is it a threat to spread diseases such as hepatitis? Some believe it might be. What happens when cows drink from these contaminated creeks? And what happens when this constant flow of Third World humanity goes north, fanning out all across Arizona and the country? What kind of diseases do they bring with them? ER workers like Mincher live with that question every day. "We protect ourselves best we can," she says, "but if somebody comes in with a contagious disease, I might as well buy the farm, because I don't know what it is. A lot of times, they don't know what they have either. If they came off a ranch in southern Mexico, they've had no immunizations, no health care, nothing." Most of what she sees at Copper Queen--around 75 percent--is orthopedic, falls suffered while jumping fences, for instance. Dehydration, too. Some of these are pregnant women nine months along, who, in Mincher's words, "are so desperate to have their babies born in the U.S., they'll do whatever it takes." She sees cardiac-related cases among illegals who've been given crack, methamphetamine or speed by their coyote so they can keep walking. But she's also treated illegals with active chicken pox, tuberculosis, all varieties of hepatitis and AIDS. The Web and print media are full of stories about the diseases illegals carry, and their effect on American health. But some writers make alarming claims with sketchy evidence at best. In the cases of two diseases, however--Chagas and tuberculosis--the evidence is clearer that they're indeed coming across our border. Chagas, a potentially fatal illness spread by contact with the feces of the reduviid bug, called the "kissing bug," is prevalent in South and Central America. Fifteen million people in that region are infected with the parasite, and 50,000 die of it every year, according to the World Health Organization. A person can be infected for 10 or 20 years or more before showing symptoms, making it particularly insidious. At its most severe, the disease can cause the heart to fail, and literally explode. In the United States? Louis Kirchhoff, of the University of Iowa Medical School, estimates that between 80,000 and 120,000 Latin Americans with Chagas live here. Matching prevalence studies and immigration numbers, Kirchhoff figures about 10 Chagas-infected persons entered every day from Mexico alone in the 1990s. The disease can be transmitted four ways, but for Americans, the most worrisome is the blood supply. In the United States overall, the chance of contracting Chagas from a blood transfusion is small, one in 25,000, according to David Leiby, a research scientist at the American Red Cross in Washington. But in cities with high populations from Latin America, the numbers fall to much riskier levels. In Miami, for example, the chance is one on 9,000. In L.A., 1 in 5,400. Researchers have confirmed seven cases of people contracting Chagas through blood transfusions--five in the U.S., two in Canada--and they say the number of unknown cases is probably much higher. "A rate of one in 5,400 is something we're concerned about," says Leiby, adding that the FDA is still a few years away from a useable blood-screening test. "Chagas is overlooked by the health care system in the United States. Our physicians aren't aware of it and wouldn't recognize it in most cases." Tuberculosis, which also shows up in high rates in Mexico, is migrating north as well. Many assume a place like Cochise County, right on the border and overrun by illegals, would have a high incidence of TB. But it doesn't, says Edith Sampson, of the Cochise County Health Department. "The immigrants only pass through here on the way to Atlanta, or whatever city they're going to," she says. Exactly the problem--which is a big reason why 53 percent of the TB in the United States in 2003 was among foreign-born persons, up from 29 percent in 1993, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In L.A., again because of its huge illegal population, the figure is closer to 80 percent. Only 15,000 Americans suffer from active TB, the only dangerous kind because it can be passed to someone else, usually by coughing and expelling the bacteria from the throat or lungs. That's a small number, but the New York Academy of Sciences estimates that each victim will "infect 10 or 20 or more people--in whom the disease will likely remain latent, creating the potential time-bomb effect." The State Health Department says that Arizona had 295 reported cases of active TB in 2003, a jump from the previous year. Why the increase? More of the disease was found among kids under 5 years old and prisoners. The latter were mostly Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees--in other words, illegals. Sixty-eight percent of Arizona's foreign-born TB cases are from Mexico, says state health. Will TB return to the United States in a big way? It hasn't yet, says Lee Reichman, executive director of the New Jersey Medical School's National Tuberculosis Center. But he adds that with globalization--the ability to get around the world in 20 hours--and because "we can't stop people from getting in to this country, no matter how hard we try," the potential exists for a new epidemic. His particular concern is with multi-drug-resistant TB, fatal in 60 percent of cases. This strain requires a long regimen of costly drugs that illegals are unlikely to take, or have access to. Arizona has a small number of MDR-TB cases, and all of them in the past five years have been among foreign-born persons. "The reason you haven't heard about TB here is that good public health is working," says Reichman. "People who are symptomatic go to physicians, and the physicians don't ask questions. As soon as you have to ID yourself, or say we're going to send you back to Mexico, these people go into hiding and spread more TB. Any physician who cares about being a physician isn't going to ask those questions, because he took an oath to treat sick people." The Copper Queen's Rush Kish says that under Medicare reimbursement guides, her hospital cannot ask patients if they are in the country illegally. But how do you bill the feds to get money back for treating illegals if you can't ask if someone is illegal? Well, you play a little Orwellian word game, probing around the issue with a list of government-approved questions, then make educated assumptions. But the illegal holds the trump card, because he can refuse to answer every question. "We don't know yet what evidence Medicare will accept when we apply for reimbursement," says Kish. "But at least we can begin documenting the enormity of this problem." The question isn't whether those with genuine emergencies should get treatment. Of course they should. In Naco, residents have no access to ER care and many would die if they didn't get to the Copper Queen. The real question is: Who pays? Rev. Tom Buechele, pastor at St. John's Episcopal Church in Bisbee, thinks it's appropriate for the federal government to keep ponying up, as long as American companies "maintain their illegal trafficking in human labor." "Until we have comprehensive immigration reform, we need to bear the health-care costs for undocumented workers, whatever those costs are," says Buechele, who, for almost a year now, has been running a free monthly clinic in Naco, Arizona, catering to the poor and uninsured on both sides of the line. Although they talk a different language, politicians, even Republicans, promote policies that further Buechele's liberal vision. They boast to constituents that they've saved border hospitals by pushing through the Medicare reimbursement plan, which provides a relatively small amount of money over four years. But that's another Hobson's choice, which is to say no choice at all. What do you do, let hospitals go under? Kyl, who pushed to get the reimbursement money, says an emphatic no. "If we want those ERs to be there for us, then we'd better keep them in business," says the Arizona senator.