My continuing journey of recovery from heart bypass surgery. 1
Just over twelve weeks have passed since my surgery. Last week I drove from Porto to Santander, and caught the ferry to Portsmouth. I arrived early and stayed in Sardinero.
My early arrival allowed me to visit Integral labs in Santander, and have an antigen test at €40. Only requirements are to turn up with passport, and within thirty minutes test done and results printed.
Brittany Ferries check; passport, Covid-19 test, Passenger locator form. I travelled on the Chinese built Galacia which is internally fitted to a very high standard. The thirty hour crossing is broken by free dinner on Saturday night, and free breakfast on Sunday morning.
I booked the day two, and day eight PCR tests with Abicare Health Solutions at £128.
Now, I am languishing at home, seeing out my ten day of quarantine.
Heart bypass – a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) x5
Nine weeks, tomorrow, since my surgery. I had the first check up at the hospital today. Good progress being made and more rigorous testing booked for September.
The leg wound should have healed by now and I have this vacuum creating gizmo on my leg to speed the process.
Time really heals and I’ve noticed significant improvements. I can sleep comfortably on both left, and right sides. Coughing, and sneezing is not excruciatingly painful. I can breathe deeply and clench stomach muscles. All of which hurt earlier in my recuperation.
I’m walking in Porto, and Porto has incredibly steep hills. In the last week I’ve averaged 7.3km a day.
Heart bypass – a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) x5
Nine weeks, tomorrow, since my surgery. I had the first check up at the hospital today. Good progress being made and more rigorous testing booked for September.
The leg wound should have healed by now and I have this vacuum creating gizmo on my leg to speed the process.
Heart bypass – a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) x5
I’ve walked and slept my way through May. I weigh 10kg less than before my heart bypass. I’m fearful of food and only eat home made vegetable soup, salads and tofu. I’ve given up coffee and wine doesn’t taste like it used to. I’d say I’m > 90% vegan.
After nearly eight weeks my leg is beginning to heal. I’ve had some distracting aches and pains that I haven’t felt like sharing. Everything seems OK now and I’m seeing the cardiologist for a checkup next Monday.
My Humanitarian Action assignments are nearly all completed. I’ve had some interesting assignments on the European Union refugee plan, Fair Trade ethics, and International Humanitarian Law.
My son started his first full time job in London on his 23rd birthday. He sent me this photo. I haven’t seen him for nearly a year, although we chat frequently online.
To comply with the time limit constraints that my car insurance allowed me to be in the EU, I took my car off the road in February and cancelled the insurance. I received a £50 fine today from UK Government for not having a Statutory off Road Notice (SORN).
I was insured with LV who limit EU insurance to six months. I have reinsured with Saga who offer full year EU cover.
I’m back in my feet! Trying not to push myself too hard. I’m cheating a bit - Porto is really hilly - I’m using the Metro or Uber to get to the health centre or campus and walking downhill as much as possible.
One more visit to the health centre for my leg wound.
CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft). I didn’t know the term. Now, it is all too familiar. My surgery was seven hours and I was in ICU for two days. ICU holds the darkest moments – imagined – or real.
One conversation that I know was real before I had the operation the surgeon asked if I wanted a general anaesthetic. I am sure he wasn’t joking. He said it was an option. I went for the full unconsciousness.
I’m not sure of memories, some scenes I try not to recall. Tramadol made me hallucinate and fit. Other drugs bloated me so much that I couldn’t eat. Medications were changed at request.
Post ICU – the nights were long – sleep was difficult. Ennui endured. Alarm bells rang, while patients shouted in pain or for attention.
I’m eternally grateful for all the staff that contributed to my recovery and to my surgeon Dr Benjamin Marinho who came in on his day off to say good bye. At our initial meeting, he said, ‘don’t worry, thats my job’.
I will never forget the Portuguese NHS that helped me when I needed help, when they could have so easily denied it to me. The hospital would only let me fly back to England on a medical flight which was impossible.
I was discharged from Hospital São João on 20 April 2021 and took an Uber to my apartment by the sea in Matoshnhos.
Vocabulary learned this week: sternotomy, ennui, quintuple.
Reinforced this week: kindness, hope, compassion, friends, family.
Best bits: humour, a gentle pat on the back, human tenderness, engaging meaningfully with others.
It has been exceptionally frightening at times, pure theatre at others. My friend Tim who was in the year above me at school had a stent fitted after we did the Devizes Westminster canoe race in 2010. His arteries were 90% blocked. I’m guessing mine were blocked too. We have both been lifelong endurance athletes.
Its amazing what you can achieve even with badly blocked arteries. The problem is that it is difficult to identify heart disease accurately wthout invasive procedures such as an angioscopy (please correct me if i am wrong).
