The Wizard of Oz Trifecta: Did I Complete It?

30th of August 2021

This year has been hard on me. I don't want to say it was bad because it could be worst. I could be dead. This year has mostly been spent at the hospital. I almost want to get my mail delivered there. My first trip was January 2nd, I believe. I wasn't breathing right. The next few months were spent having tests ran to find what the problem was. Eventually, a TEE test was ran, and they found what was causing me to feel tired, short of breath, and everything else.

What they found was my mitral valve was severely leaking. The blood wasn't getting fully pumped out of my heart, so it was going back in my chamber. This may have been what caused my stroke in August 2020. I was told I need open heart surgery.

These last few years have had me spending lots of time in the hospital. August 2018 was the start of it (click here to read about it) . Then, 2 years later in August 2020, I had my stroke (click here to read about the stroke). Now, in July 2021, I had open heart surgery to do a lot of things to my heart. One was repairing the mitral valve. Another was ablation, and the final procedure was shaving off part of the thick walls in my heart. To say it took a toll on me is a big understatement. I was more terrified of this surgery than any other trip to the hospital. That is until about a week after the surgery. I'll get to that in a minute.

Leading up to the surgery, I was trying to calm my nerves, but nothing was working. It didn't help that I was preparing for my death. What calmed my nerves was the peace lilies blooming, the same peace lilies my work sent to me at my mother's funeral. I felt like my mother was telling me everything will be alright.

So I ask myself if I met the criteria for completing the Wizard of Oz Trifecta? I proved I have a heart with the first episode (August 2018). I proved I have a brain with the stroke (August 2020). Did I prove I have courage with the open heart surgery? Let me explain what I'm going through with this surgery. I had no energy waking up after the surgery. Well, duh, I just had surgery. They had to cut my sternum to get to my heart, so I'm on a 10 pounds lifting limit. I can't walk as far as I used to or as fast as I used to. I realize I'm a month and a half after the surgery. I have to watch what I eat more so than I had to before. I can't tolerate the heat as well as I used to. I have constant headaches. I couldn't drive for a month. I'm not allowed to mow the lawn. My chest still hurts because the bone is still healing. It hurts to sneeze and cough. I had so many tubes stuck in me, I look like a voodoo doll.

A week after the surgery (coming back to this), I landed in the hospital again. Yes, it was complications from the surgery. I felt nauseous and couldn't eat anything. I felt very weak. At one point, I couldn't walk. In fact, my friend had to grab the wheelchair when we got to the hospital. What happened was fluid built up around my heart. A liter's worth. That was the worst. It was worse than the surgery itself. I was thirsty and my stomach was turning. However, I couldn't eat or drink because they were deciding what to do to get rid of the fluid. They ended up sticking a wire to my heart and draining it that way. When I went back, a second bottle was still attached to me in case there was more. All of this led up to some of my organs almost failing on me. Yes, I almost died this time. My only regret was not going in the hospital earlier. Sadly, some of the nurses recognized me.

I finally got out of the hospital the second time. Depression hit hard the first time out, but this time, it hit even harder. I started to wonder if I was going to be around much longer. I won't go into it too much, but just know that if someone goes through major surgery to watch out for them. Be there for them in every way possible. If you notice something off, get them help.

So now that I explained all of this, I ask: do I complete the Wizard of Oz Trifecta with this surgery? I may be modest, but I say yes. That was a hard surgery to go through. There are kids that go through this surgery, and they probably do it stronger than I have. Anyone who went through it, or will go through it definitely have lots of courage.

If you know someone with heart disease, please be there for them. We don't like asking for help, but we know we need help. We don't want to be a bother, but if you don't want to see us in a casket yet, please be there for us.