SharivilleLife stories from Shari

Hello everyone, all our prayers and good will thoughts have been answered.  Jerry got out of surgery yesterday evening about 6 pm.  His surgeon replaced his aortic valve and decided that was all that was necessary, after looking the situation over up close and for sure.  He was unable to put in a larger valve due to the small size of Jerry’s vessels, so he put in the same size only new.  I guess the old valve was very calcified and bordering on useless. We got here just in time.  Anyone of you who have googled Dr Michael Mack know how brilliant he is as surgeon and I’m here to tell he’s a wonderful human being also.  Very laid back and down to earth. We have been so blessed to have him.

While here in the Dallas area, I connected with a fellow class of “60″, classmate, Joy Jones, and she asked us to consider Baylor Heart Hospital for the surgery.  It’s a Christian Hospital , based on Baylor Christian University. Let me tell you all about this fabulous hospital. Talk about being blessed with the heart surgeon, this hospital is a work of art.  It’s a 100 million $ facility.  It has 68 beds and 400 employees. It has 4 floors, 3 cardiac catheterization labs, 3 operating rooms.  It has free wifi. There is the Heart Rock Cafe a nice dining venue.  In suite dining, valet parking Concierge service and a heliport.

Each room is a spacious, private suite.  Family and friends may visit here as their schedules permit. When Jerry is ready for breakfast, lunch or dinner we simply pick up the phone an dial ”ROOM SERVICE”. Food service has already been notified of his particular diet plan and he is able to select from a personal menu.  The meals come with fine china and cloth napkins delivered by a tuxedo attired server.  Families can use the room service also for a charge.  They serve Starbucks coffee, and oh well, if I can’t get Green Mountain, Starbucks will do.   They also have a great cardiac rehab program here that Jerry will make use of.

I spent last night here in the room with Jerry and will again tonight.  There is a comfortable day bed in his suite and huge bathroom where I can shower.  The kids brought me a change of clothes and other things I needed so I am all set. He really feels more comfortable if I’m here.  I am able to help him with some of his activities.  He is doing super will.  Liz, they already DC’d the Swan and Largest chest tube, 2 Peripheral IV’s. He’s been up and down in his chair, tolerating it well, they will be walking him in a little while. He is eating some, not a lot yet, but all seems to be progressing well. They have not snowed him with pain meds, a little bit goes a long way with Jerry.   All the rooms have floor to ceiling windows, wood laminate floors and comfortable furniture. It’s more like a hotel than a hospital room.   They use the universal bed concept where , GUESTS, as the patients are called, stay in one room during their entire hospitalization. No crazy multiple transfers from room to room. We are having some blood pressure problems, too high. They are working diligently on that.  This floor is run primarily be nurse practitioner’s.  Hey Liz, one for our side. Well so much for the less than 24 hour post op update.  I will keep all informed of Jerry’s status. The kids have been right here with me all along except to go home last night to sleep.  Once again this is a 3 generation operation we have going here.  Thank goodness for their constant support.   Hugs.  S and J.

Such a busy,  busy day and I am exhausted.  First off we headed for the day activities at Mt Rushmore.  We ate whats called ” the Monument Breakfast.”  It was actually good, scrambled eggs, bacon, ironed like Kathy always did for Jerry, tater tots and a biscuit and sausage gravy.  We also had the best coffee and hot cocoa, yes, Angie, it was Green Mt coffee, they have good taste here. Wonderful!  We toured all the exhibits, saw two films, went to all the gift shops and took many photos.  We thoroughly enjoyed Mt Rushmore, and I’m sorry to be leaving, knowing I’ll probably never see it again and it is so wonderful.  I can’t imagine not ever seeing it, I’m such a history buff.  This place so instills a sense of patriotism and love and respect for Country.  The 4 Presidents represent the cream of the crop, and gave so much to starting our Republic off with ” THE RIGHT STUFF.”

Then we checked on the old time  train ride from Keystone to Hill City.  We were to late for the round trip for today, so we went to plan B.  Tomorrow is another day and the last day here also.

So then……….We went to Wind Cave Natl Park.  Well……….what can I say,  I can’t pass up a Natl Park at any cost, so says I.  The tour we took was called the Natural Entrance tour. 1 1/4 hours, 1/2 mile.  Now that doesn’t sound far, but the journey is through the middle level of the cave.  Wind Cave is famous for it’s abundant boxwork, not the usual stalactites and mites.  There is not another cave in the world like it.  Well it was beautiful.  We were down 290 ft. and there were 300 steps all down except 11.  It’s called a moderately strenuous tour, then exit is via an elevator, and you can bet I was on the 1st elevator trip up.  The cave temp is a constant 53 degrees, and let me tell you I was so warm that my glasses steamed up and Jerry thought because I was soaking wet, any minute I was going to panic.  Man of little faith.  Considering I’m very claustrophobic, maybe he had grounds, but I did it.  I must admit the deeper and further into the cave we went and the fact that some of the passageways were quite narrow, the walkway very uneven and the lighting dim, there were times I wondered what WAS  I going to do?  So I said to myself, self, you can do this, at this point what else was I going to do. So I made up my mind,  NO MORE CAVES.

Tomorrow is another day and how difficult can a train ride be?      Love to all,  Shari and Jerry