I really appreciate things now.
You know, I don't take a lot of stuff for granted.
I won't worry about it.
I'm not a believer that worry helps.
I think that's the worst thing that anybody can do is worry.
A lot of things that might upset me a little bit, it doesn't bother me anymore.
I'm consistently flexible.
For Glenn Gormley and Robert Gillum, having open heart surgery marked a turning point.
It changed their diet, the way they exercise, their mental attitude.
You might also think it slowed them down.
But in less than a year after surgery, Glenn plays pickleball three times a week.
He walks about an hour a day.
And for both men, there's been some unexpected benefits.
I really think my golf game is going to improve just by the fact that I'm getting, I think
I'll be a lot stronger.
I think I've had more activity since then.
I keep acting.
I used to, couldn't stand to walk, but now I like to walk and I'm turning into a pretty
good walker.
That's the one thing they kept telling me.
Get out and walk.
And after seeing how I'm feeling better and eating the right things, they're really right.
For over 35 years, the Providence Heart Center has provided high quality care for patients
with heart disease.
Our skilled team of professionals is committed to the latest, most effective technologies.
And underlying that commitment is the mission of the Sisters of Providence, a dedication
to give compassionate care, to nurture each individual's dignity, to support the emotional
and spiritual needs of patients and their families.
I came in contact with people that just oozed confidence and they created it in me.
I think those things are really important, to stay positive and believe that you can
do it.
The team at the Providence Heart Center wants to make your operation safe and your recovery
as comfortable as possible.
As a patient, you and your family will be part of that team, so it's important to know
how to prepare, what to expect as the day of your surgery approaches.
Once you're in the operating room, you'll get a general anesthesia.
This will put you to sleep.
You're now in the care of people who perform over a thousand open heart surgeries a year.
One surgeon performs the actual operation.
Since the heart lies under the sternum or breastbone, the surgeon first makes an incision
down the center of the chest.
Many patients undergoing open heart surgery will have a vein taken from the leg and used
to bypass blockages in the coronary arteries of the heart.
The operation takes several hours.
During part of the surgery, you'll be on a heart-lung machine, also known as the pump
or bypass machine.
When on the pump, the heart is relaxed and quiet.
The blood circulation to your vital organs is maintained by the heart-lung machine.
After the surgery on your heart is completed, the heart-lung machine is removed and the
heart once again takes over the work of pumping blood throughout your body.
The time it takes to do the surgery varies greatly from patient to patient.
Once the repair is completed and you're off the heart-lung machine, the most critical
part of the operation is over.
The surgery, however, is not.
It'll still be one to two hours before you're taken to the cardiovascular intensive care
unit, more commonly called the CICU.
Once you're in the CICU, family members are allowed to visit.
They told me that the first day after the operation would probably not be the best day
of my life, and it wasn't.
It hurts after.
You don't feel nothing going in but it's after.
When you awake, you'll be aware of lines and tubes attached to you.
You'll hear equipment noises.
These are monitors to help the staff track your condition.
You'll find a breathing tube inserted through your mouth into your windpipe.
Until it's removed, you won't be able to talk.
This tube connects to a ventilator which controls your breathing and supplies you with oxygen.
You'll feel the ventilator breathing for you.
Relax and breathe with the machine.
Over the next 24 to 48 hours, the ventilator and other very important tubes and lines will
be removed.
During your stay in the intensive care unit, you're closely monitored and you'll begin
practicing techniques important to your recovery.
For instance, you'll learn how to do breathing and coughing exercises.
One fellow said, he says, I can guarantee one thing.
He says, if you sneeze, you won't do it twice.
And he's right.
You have a lot of respect for a pillow.
You'll hug your pillow firmly to the front of your chest for support as you take deep
breaths and cough.
Breathing and deep breathing help pop open air sacs in the lungs, minimizing the chance
of complications such as pneumonia.
You'll also frequently use a ping pong ball puffer to expand your lungs and keep the airways
clear.
Transfer out of the intensive care unit happens one or two days after surgery.
At this point, you'll continue breathing and coughing exercises and you'll begin a walking
program to get your strength back.
It takes two to three months for your chest incision and sternum to heal completely.
That's the biggest thing that you got to heal right there, that sternum.
When they split that open, that's a toughie.
The thing that I would say is just take it easy and not try and do the things that you
were used to.
If it's going to take you a few minutes to get out of bed, fine.
It's natural to feel pain from your chest and leg incisions.
Don't hesitate to ask for pain medication as you need it.
Don't tough it out.
Pain medication is more effective when it's taken early in the pain cycle and relief from
pain lets you recover faster.
You might also feel other short-term temporary discomforts.
Among them, a sensation of forceful heartbeats, a loss of the ability to taste or smell, slow
bowel activity, mood changes, depression, and strange dreams.
You might also have difficulty concentrating.
You might experience blurred vision, excessive perspiration, and a sore throat or hoarseness.
Remember, most open-heart surgery patients feel some or many of these symptoms.
They're not unusual and they go away in time.
Just four to six days after surgery is when most patients go home.
By the time you leave the hospital, you'll be able to get in and out of bed, walk, climb
stairs, shower, and use the bathroom independently.
But plan to have someone stay with you at home for the first few days until you're
settled and recovering without difficulty.
You won't be able to drive until your doctor says it's okay, so you'll need help with
transportation as well as help with general household chores, shopping, and meals.
As Glenn and others have found out, leaving the hospital is only the first step toward
recovery.
In the short term, you have to keep incisions clean.
You'll continue a walking program, and in rehab, you'll learn about diet.
They really want you to get out there and really don't baby yourself and don't feel
sorry for yourself and don't get down on yourself.
The rehab, they work you pretty good.
And you have to really get your mindset how much I can push myself.
And that's kind of hard to do at first.
But I read the labels now.
It's one of the things in rehab that they have classes on that.
Exercise is really important, but the diet, I think, is as important as anything.
I'm really conscious of what I eat now.
There's no way I want to go through another bypass.
See, so I'm going to make it a point to, I'm going to do what they ask me to do and
then take it from there.
Robert Gillum and Glenn Gormley have the largest, most experienced heart program in Washington
State to thank for their successful surgeries, but they also have themselves to thank for
making it work.
I think I'll watch out for myself and take better care of myself from now on.
It's left up to the individual.
It's left up to me now.
Either I'm going to do it or I'm not going to do it.
When you leave here, you've got to keep doing it and keep working on it forever.
Well, actually, it's your responsibility.
It's a lifetime.