to clean out the blockage in my left carotid artery that was cause of my recent stroke.
I met this afternoon with the surgeon who in fact ust over 3 years ago implanted the stent to control my abdominal aortic aneurysm.
In my case there is a greater risk in doing the stent, which also would not clear out the material from the blockage.
This operatio is considered relatively low risk but there is some — including up to a 2% risk of it actually initiating another stroke, and a similar possibility of bleeding.
I will go through pre-op on Monday Dec 16 in the morning, which means I will miss a ½ day of teaching. At that point I will also have to be off my Plavix. The surgery will be Wed Dec 18, also in the morning, and I am expected to be able to go home that afternoon. I will miss the final 3 days (18-20) before we break for Christmas.
I will be seriously restricted in activity for a couple of days, probably not cleared to drive for at least 1-2 weeks. My wife will have to take three days off to care for me.
It is unlikely I will be able to handle the travel 3 hours north for the family Christmas gathering.
I may be able to return to work relatively quickly, quite possibly when classes start up again on January 6. But for several weeks I will be limited in how much I can lift (although I have permission to put a bag on my shoulder and lift using my legs.
Because it will require general anesthesia, and because there is some risk, I will have to make sure I have an updated will, my wife has access to my various computer passwords, all that stuff.
I have no sense of dread.
I will be sorry to miss the family Christmas gathering, since by the next year one family will be in the Southwest and no longer able to join us for a complete family gathering.
My school is being supportive — DeMatha is in many ways a strongly welcoming and accepting community.
In the mean time, I have started to change my diet (far less meat, for example) and also between now and surgery doing some more walking to take a bit of weight off (“ want to get down at least 5-10 pounds in next two weeks, which actually is doable without punishing myself).
I will be, starting this weekend, planning for all work for my students between 12/11 and 12/20 (already planned through 12/10).
I suspect I will have more time to be online once I get out of the hospital.
In the mean time, I know how lucky I am — my spouse, my school, my Quaker Meeting, my wife’s church, this virtual community.
Peace.