Cougar's condition…...and thanks for your support
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I want to thank all of you for your support over the last couple months. It has really meant a lot to my family and me. Thursday April 1st, I am going back to the hospital for open heart double (probably triple) bypass surgery. The support we have for each other has always been great and that is really what makes us really great friends and a family.
Some of you are not aware of what transpired while I was at the hospital……so here it is…
Back in Septemberish time frame when I was getting ready for a PT test, I was running on the treadmill and noticed that I was not able to get past a mile. I also noticed that I was having chest pain and that it was radiating up my left shoulder and down my left bicep. I went to the doctor on base and they referred me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist had me doing a stress test, heart ultrasound, EKG and a CT Angio (which is a CAT Scan of your heart). This revealed some calcium deposits. On Jan 22nd, I went back to the hospital to have a heart catherization done so they could look at my arteries. While they were doing the cath, they saw that my 2 left arteries were blocked about 80% and my right artery was blocked 99%. As they were looking at the right artery, something happened (don’t know what) and it completely closed on itself. This put me into cardiac arrest. The nurses and doctors were trying to revive me for a couple hours and they were doing CPR on me for 45 minutes. They put a temporary pacemaker in and stented that artery. Once they got me stabilized, they realized that it was not good for me to stay at the hospital at Wichita Falls and were trying to get me transportation to Dallas to the heart hospital there. They tried via helicopter, but the weather was not good enough, ambulance….I would not have made it…so they had to pull some strings at the hospital and got me on a plane. I was put in a sedated coma, they put me into hypothermic state to keep my brain cells from frying, did a tracheotomy, bronchoscopy because I had a blockage in my breathing tube, put a PICC line in, put me on a ventilator, put me on ECMO lung machine. I was in a coma for about a week. When I woke up, I had jaundice so they did an MRI and medicine for that.
I got discharged on 5 February and transported via ambulance to a recovery and rehabilitation hospital in Wichita Falls. I was there until 3 March learning how to walk again via physical therapy, use my arms (which are still weak) in occupational therapy and speech therapy. It only took me about a week maybe a week in a half to start walking on my own again. Like I said my arms are still weak but not as weak as they were. Being in that coma for a week not moving put me into a muscle deficient state.
About a week after I got discharged from the R&R hospital, I went to my doctor on base and he asked me if anyone has talked to me about doing a CABG on me. When I asked him what that was, he told me it stands for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Basically they open your chest and take a vein from you leg or chest and bypass the blocked arteries using this vein…sewing it to your heart. I told him that know one has said anything to me about this…(they probably did but I was to drugged up). About 15 minutes after I got home from the base doctor, the heart hospital called me to set up the bypass surgery…caught me completely off guard and caught my wife off guard as well.
That is where we are now. As I said at the beginning, on 1 April, I am going in for double, probably triple bypass surgery. 29 March we are driving to Dallas and 30 March, I go in for pre-admittance, EKG, X-Rays, COVID test, meet with the cardiothoracic surgeon and another heart catherization. Chances are they will probably admit me on the 30th and surgery on the 1st.
I jus wanted to give everyone a head up with what is going on. Again I thank you all for your support and prayers and I ask that you please continue to keep my family and me in your thoughts and prayers. Lauren has had to go through a lot with this and she really has been a saint thru all of it.
Thank you again
Cougar
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Good luck from another in Wichita Falls. I hope all goes well and without any complications with a speedy recovery.
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Thank you for sharing this Cougar. It may not transpire either, all the gratitude I and other have for your work in BMS, and your unsuspected work in real life. You could be retired and stop BMS though, it wouldn’t change anything. Keep up through that time and give us news in April.
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I will be praying that everything goes great with the surgery Cougar56th. You get some rest and take it easy before and after the operation. Good luck and thanks for the help the other day with the mods.
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Hi Cougar,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time. Like you, I had a heart condition diagnosed out of the blue after a routine aircrew medical found an issue, culminating in a double CABG. All went well and I was in and out of hospital in 5 days and more or less back to normal in a month. But don’t be tempted to rush things and take your time. Hang in there buddy.
Kind regards
Dram. -
Oh my! You were incredibely lucky that your heart stopped beating where and when you in the hospital with staff (more or less) ready for such action and not, say, home alone!
Good luck on your next surgery, it will be fine. Have to be.
Best regards,
sun. -
Hope all the best for you and your family.
Stefano
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Mission success Man !
Best wishes
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Get well cougar, try to not overstress yourself, that’s not good for flighthours you have Wish you speedy recovery and all the best
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Best wishes, brother, for a speedy and full recovery.
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Best of luck to you Cougar, and thank you for all you have done here. You will be a new man when all this is behind you!
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Wish you the best. Good luck.
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All the best to you and your family.
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Dear Cougar,
I will keep your family and you in my thoughts and prayers, hoping that everything will go well.
After all, do not forget, you have to pass that mile you left undone, back in September! -
Take care and remember to relax once you are back home from the hospital. Wish you a speedy recovery Cougar…
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Best of luck sir !
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So sorry to hear about the crisis you and your family had to face together. My dad had CABG 30 years ago and his heart is still going strong today. I hope things start breaking your way now.
Looking forward to seeing your next post when you are home and safe and ready for your next BMS flight! Remember to take good care of yourself and your family first before you check on us.
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Wish you all the best!
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The worst is over, Cougar. Patience and encouragement for you and your family.
Best wishes
Fresco
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Best wishes and recovery , Soldier Cougar !
Laurent