Heart Valve Replaced with No Pain

I heard Angelo’s words in my head and carried his triple by-pass experience, from back in the late 80s or early 90s (forgive me on dates) with me the entire time that I was recuperating. Of course I watched him struggling to heal but I had no idea what he was really feeling or suffering. It’s not like he would ever complain about something like that. He saved his complaints for more mundane things. Now I have an idea.

But I didn’t have the pain I think he had. NO PAIN. I’m still sore inside but of course. I had a rather blaze’ attitude about the whole thing until the anesthesiologist explained what he was going to do to me. I got a bit serious then, but I had seen myself healing in my mind’s eye so I couldn’t get too intense about it regardless of the great respect I have for these knowledgeable and skillful people who held my life in their hands, literally.

In between anesthesia (as I understand it and I’m medically blank) he gave me what he called a ‘giggle gas’ (again I’m remembering with a fuzzy mind) this is where the patient tends to rattle on about whatever.

 “Oh, my God! What did I talk about?” I asked with great anticipation. He smiled and said “Pickle Ball. And furthermore everyone in the OR talked about it for two hours because they had no clue just what it is.”

I also remember telling my pacing, anxious son just before the surgery not to worry because I’d had no visitors. Both my mother and brother had visitors i.e. loved ones who passed away, come to them for a period of time before they, too passed away. It must be a family tradition.