Last weekend was a big one for Floyd. On Saturday, he, or rather his heart, got to be the star of the show. Its road to fame began a few years ago when Floyd fell off a ladder and tore his rotator cuff while climbing up to fill a gas tank. But when he was being prepped for surgery, they had to cancel it when they discovered he was in A-Fib (short for atrial fibrillation).
They sent Floyd to Dr. Wassim Shaheen, a cardiologist at Heartland Cardiology in Wichita, that same day. Dr. Shaheen explained that the upper part of Floyd’s heart was beating at a different rate than the lower part. That meant it was not pumping the blood back out as well as it should. When that happens, the pooled blood can form clots and cause a stroke. Consequently, he was prescribed a blood thinner to keep clots from forming.
But that didn’t solve his heartbeat problem. Dr. Shaheen ordered an ablation which is a procedure where they remove the extra electrical connections on the heart that are triggering it to beat abnormally. That worked long enough for him to get his shoulder fixed and to heal. But the next time he went to see Dr. Shaheen, he was in A-Fib again. This time they tried cardioversion, a shock treatment like you see on TV. They had to do it twice that day before his heart went back into rhythm. But it didn’t last.
Floyd returned to work, but one day when he was getting ready to fix a propane tank, he started feeling sick. He was able to pack up and get the truck back to the bulk plant. But he was too weak to park it where it belonged and called me to take him to the emergency room. He was nauseous and could feel that his heart was out of rhythm again. They sent him back to Wichita in an ambulance. After a few days in the hospital and a change in medications, his heartbeat finally stabilized.
Then just as he was enjoying retired life, Covid came and we hid out knowing that he was at high risk because of his heart issues. But we caught it anyway, despite being hyper careful. Nearly a year later, when he was walking again and finally well enough to see Dr. Shaheen, Floyd was in A-Fib again. That’s when Dr. Shaheen referred him to Dr. Dhanunjaya “DJ” Lakkireddy, a cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology or electrical problems of the heart, at the Heart Rhythm Institute in Overland Park.
Dr. Lakkireddy performed another ablation. He also inserted a device that would better monitor Floyd’s heart between doctor visits. But at his next checkup, some of the connections that Dr. Lakkireddy had fixed had grown back and, you guessed it, Floyd was in A-Fib again. Because Dr. Lakkireddy had to be out of town, his associate, Dr. Krishna Pothineni performed the ablation this time. It took six long hours but finally worked.
Early on, Dr. Lakkireddy said he hoped that as soon as Floyd was stable for a while, he’d be able implant another device called the Watchman. It’s about the size of a quarter and looks kind of like a marshmallow. In a minimally invasive operation, he’d guide it into the pouch-like part of Floyd’s heart called the left atrial appendage. It’s the Bermuda Triangle of blood clot formation, responsible for over 90 % of the clots formed in patients like Floyd. But with the Watchman fitted inside and the heart growing tissue around to seal it, Floyd could get off blood thinners for good. That sounded great since merely bumping into things made him look like a prize fighter and I was about to bubble wrap him.
Finally, a few months ago, after his last checkup and no more issues, they were ready to schedule his Watchman procedure. They mentioned that sometimes they film the procedure for teaching purposes and wondered if he’d mind. He agreed since he believes God allowed him to survive Covid because there’s more for him to do. And this would be a perfect opportunity to help others!
So, last Saturday, dressed in the latest in heart surgery attire, Floyd walked into the operating room full of cameras, climbed onto the table, and promptly fell asleep, allowing his heart to steal the show. Dr. Lakkireddy narrated as he inserted Floyd’s Watchman and the whole performance was broadcast live to 300 doctors in Kansas City and another 700 around the world!
A few more hours in recovery and Floyd was able to go back to the motel for a Kansas City Joe’s supper and a good night’s sleep. His comment about his stellar experience?
“My heart was in it.”
For sure, my dear. For sure.
NOTE: Be sure to click the links in this newsletter to read more about the Watchman procedure and Floyd’s doctors. Their work and that of their staffs is amazing!
Also, I’d hoped to draw for book marks this week, but am postponing until next week. So there’s still time to make comments and enter for the drawing.
Hugs, everybody. Happy Easter to all!
I'm thinking Floyd needs a mixed tape. Might I suggest Heart Like A Wheel (Linda Ronstadt), Neil Young's Heart of Gold, Don't Go Breakin' My Heart (Elton John). I'm sure you can come up with many! I am so happy that all went well! Many congratulations to Floyd as well as loads of gratitude to his medical teams!
This is such great writing. Love to you and your star! So if he is Barbra Streisand, does that make you Kris Kristofferson? ;)