Excuse me, but I'm going to piggyback on this shit.
I also had open heart at a young age (18), and I have to say it's been an interesting experience. Looking back at the creative writing I did in my senior year of high school, immediately prior to the surgery, I can't help but notice a very strong tendency towards brutal fatalism; most of my stories were about the acceptance of death in the face of unlivable circumstances, or a striving for life that was proved futile by factors outside of the individual's control. I didn't know it at the time, and would only realize it during the nights prior to my surgery (it was delayed 3 times), but these were reflections of my heart's impact on my views regarding life and death. It is of my opinion that great wisdom can be gained through the experience and internalization of this philosophy, but in the time since I have realized that there is much more to it than I realized at the time. Keep thinking, for the turmoil you are feeling now will lead to peace in the future.
The moment you enter the hospital the day of the surgery, you will know what it feels like to be the baddest dude around. Appreciate these moments, you will never feel like this again in your life. Know that there is nothing you can do to fully calm your mother, or anyone else who loves you. Feel the love, realize how deep through these people it flows.
The surgery will be a bit odd. They will likely drug you up in preop if they notice any anxiety at all. I refused initially, as I didn't want the last minutes spent with my parents to be "contaminated" by being high, but whatever anxiolytic they gave me was great. I was able to express to my parents the things I wanted to, and most importantly to myself, try to comfort them a bit. It was probably a benzo.
You will wake up, and it will be beautiful. And you will be thirsty. The next few days will be a fine opportunity for learning extreme patience and willpower. You're at a children's hospital, so the nurses will be awesome. I've come to realize they are like compassion incarnate. Best of luck with your recovery, it will probably be rough.
Realize that this may or may not be the last of your heart's meddling with your life. My surgery involved a lot of slicing and rerouting, and unsurprisingly as a result I have complete heart block and require a pacemaker to, uh.. live. I need to take a suite of heart drugs each day to dissuade my heart from beating abnormally. Remember what you learn from your experience today, and just about everything you encounter from here on out will be cake.
Before my surgery, I was able to contact a guy who had undergone a similar procedure and exchange some emails. I'll leave you with the parting words he gave me: it's true, man, chicks dig scars. Best of luck :)
badastrobiology116 karma
Excuse me, but I'm going to piggyback on this shit.
I also had open heart at a young age (18), and I have to say it's been an interesting experience. Looking back at the creative writing I did in my senior year of high school, immediately prior to the surgery, I can't help but notice a very strong tendency towards brutal fatalism; most of my stories were about the acceptance of death in the face of unlivable circumstances, or a striving for life that was proved futile by factors outside of the individual's control. I didn't know it at the time, and would only realize it during the nights prior to my surgery (it was delayed 3 times), but these were reflections of my heart's impact on my views regarding life and death. It is of my opinion that great wisdom can be gained through the experience and internalization of this philosophy, but in the time since I have realized that there is much more to it than I realized at the time. Keep thinking, for the turmoil you are feeling now will lead to peace in the future.
The moment you enter the hospital the day of the surgery, you will know what it feels like to be the baddest dude around. Appreciate these moments, you will never feel like this again in your life. Know that there is nothing you can do to fully calm your mother, or anyone else who loves you. Feel the love, realize how deep through these people it flows.
The surgery will be a bit odd. They will likely drug you up in preop if they notice any anxiety at all. I refused initially, as I didn't want the last minutes spent with my parents to be "contaminated" by being high, but whatever anxiolytic they gave me was great. I was able to express to my parents the things I wanted to, and most importantly to myself, try to comfort them a bit. It was probably a benzo.
You will wake up, and it will be beautiful. And you will be thirsty. The next few days will be a fine opportunity for learning extreme patience and willpower. You're at a children's hospital, so the nurses will be awesome. I've come to realize they are like compassion incarnate. Best of luck with your recovery, it will probably be rough.
Realize that this may or may not be the last of your heart's meddling with your life. My surgery involved a lot of slicing and rerouting, and unsurprisingly as a result I have complete heart block and require a pacemaker to, uh.. live. I need to take a suite of heart drugs each day to dissuade my heart from beating abnormally. Remember what you learn from your experience today, and just about everything you encounter from here on out will be cake.
Before my surgery, I was able to contact a guy who had undergone a similar procedure and exchange some emails. I'll leave you with the parting words he gave me: it's true, man, chicks dig scars. Best of luck :)
View HistoryShare Link