Hello everyone.
I had my massive vascular surgery (Carotid to subclavian bypass) on Monday. The surgery was over 8 hours long. Suffice it to say that it was a insanely complex procedure and the surgeons had to improvise as they made the repairs due to the massive damage to my arm from the motorcycle accident 25 years ago. I got to come home late yesterday and it is true, there is no place like home!
Other than looking like a man who lost a knife fight, I am so happy and excited to be home. I have some gnarly scars now!
I have a rather lengthy recovery but there is blood flow back in my left arm, and the capillary beds are beautiful with fresh blood all the time now. There was a very real prospect of losing my left arm if this had not worked so I am so grateful to my outstanding vascular surgeon. She was amazing and has been holding my hand and doing literally everything she possibly could for the last 7 months, as far as diagnostics and planning of the repair. She was incredible!
God Bless Dr. Kate Marie Gates, DO - Vascular Surgeon at Promedica Hospital in Toledo, Ohio!
Other than the fact that this situation forced my retirement a little early, I don’t mind a bit. I am looking forward to healing and actually riding my motorcycles everyday that I can, instead of fixing everybody else’s motorcycles.
To all my friends here who have reached out with thoughts and prayers for my safe and positive outcome, I am very grateful and thank you all. I hope to be around for several decades still, God willing and the tires don’t go flat…
The truly funny part of this is that how they used superglue (yes, medical stuff) to close my throat and top of my shoulder, but there are sutures under my arm where they connected my new plumbing! Apparantely there are disolvable sutures on the inside of those glued areas, but I laugh thinking about being Super Glued back together!
Who cares right? I have restored blood flow and my limb works again. Thank God! Thank Dr. Gates!
Go out and enjoy life today, I know I will be.
Cheers!
I had my massive vascular surgery (Carotid to subclavian bypass) on Monday. The surgery was over 8 hours long. Suffice it to say that it was a insanely complex procedure and the surgeons had to improvise as they made the repairs due to the massive damage to my arm from the motorcycle accident 25 years ago. I got to come home late yesterday and it is true, there is no place like home!
Other than looking like a man who lost a knife fight, I am so happy and excited to be home. I have some gnarly scars now!
I have a rather lengthy recovery but there is blood flow back in my left arm, and the capillary beds are beautiful with fresh blood all the time now. There was a very real prospect of losing my left arm if this had not worked so I am so grateful to my outstanding vascular surgeon. She was amazing and has been holding my hand and doing literally everything she possibly could for the last 7 months, as far as diagnostics and planning of the repair. She was incredible!
God Bless Dr. Kate Marie Gates, DO - Vascular Surgeon at Promedica Hospital in Toledo, Ohio!
Other than the fact that this situation forced my retirement a little early, I don’t mind a bit. I am looking forward to healing and actually riding my motorcycles everyday that I can, instead of fixing everybody else’s motorcycles.
To all my friends here who have reached out with thoughts and prayers for my safe and positive outcome, I am very grateful and thank you all. I hope to be around for several decades still, God willing and the tires don’t go flat…
The truly funny part of this is that how they used superglue (yes, medical stuff) to close my throat and top of my shoulder, but there are sutures under my arm where they connected my new plumbing! Apparantely there are disolvable sutures on the inside of those glued areas, but I laugh thinking about being Super Glued back together!
Who cares right? I have restored blood flow and my limb works again. Thank God! Thank Dr. Gates!
Go out and enjoy life today, I know I will be.
Cheers!
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