SURVIVING A CRISIS OF THE HEART

On January 13, 2022 at 7:30 am, I underwent cardiac bypass surgery. Dr. Fayyaz Hashmi replaced four arteries, two feeding blood into my heart and two out of it. For a 75-year-old, I was active, with a resting heart rate of 55 beats per second. Yet, a slight pressure in my chest when walking up a hill suggested a problem. Tests in mid-December showed extensive narrowing of major heart arteries.

Before my surgery, I learned the surgeon cuts your breastbone to access your heart. He or she may stop your heart and put you on a heart-lung machine. Then, you undergo a three to six-hour surgery. The surgeon bypasses your clogged arteries with new ones. After surgery, you may feel sad or depressed.

If you felt squeamish when reading that description, imagine what I felt. Will I wake up from surgery? Will I have a stroke? Have I prepared enough for my family if I die? Facing my mortality was difficult.