Evil Spaw here!

Since you're home and doing well Magician, you may also have a couple of other things to note. I assume they took the vein from your leg? I had a quad so I'm not sure what they do on a double. If so, you are probably complaining more about your leg than your chest. BTW, have you ever seen one of these operations? They use a gawddam power saw to cut through your sternum and then (at least here) generally use staples to pull it back together when they're through. Don't go to the airport for awhile because at first because the staples are new enough and very shallow under the skin, so you will set off the metal detectors......NAKED!!

You might also remember that about two and a half years ago I also had my Mitral Valve replaced and it was done with a robotic surgery technique. When I heard they were going to have to replace it, I honestly cried. ONCE is enough with the "Broad Axe to the breastbone" bit. But then I found out that I could possibly have it done with this robot they were testing at Ohio State and it was great. NOW for the bad news.......They are doing all types of things with the robot now and one of the best things is bypasses!

Just imagine......Instead of having your chest hurt as it does now and your leg hurt as it does now, YOU could be out and washing the car or doing whatever you actually want to do (washing the car would be low on my list). They use a vein from inside the chest for the grafts and the only openings in your chest are two holes about the size of a pencil. (For my Valve replacement they put in a 3 inch incision to pass the valve into the robot's "hands" but it was not painful at all)---No sawn sternum, no post op pain...........Most of the bypass patients at Ohio State are in and out of the hospital in 3 days and feeling great! They advise not going back to work until the work "inside" has a chance to heal, but there is no pain with this procedure at all!!!

You didn't want to know that did you?   Evil Spaw strikes again!!

Another thing you might consider is ordering this tonic or tea or whatever you call it from Mercy General Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Does a great job of helping the heart to heal if you can stand the stuff. Not to gross you out too much, but this tea/tonic stuff is made from Koala Bears and some other herbs. It's completely disgusting but it works. And when I say disgusting......well, to be frank, there are some chunky little bits and hair and stuff in it. I wrote and asked them if they could at least get the hair and the chunkier bits out and they wrote back saying, "The Koala Tea of Mercy is not strained."

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Have mercy on me for telling that one!!!

Get well Bro!

Pat