For those wanting to know more I’ll try to make it brief. As previously mentioned the aortic aneurysm was enlarged and at a dangerous level requiring surgery. Opening the chest was necessary. When the doctor opened the chest he discovered that the old heart valve hiding under the aneurysm , installed in 2010, was kaput and it was only a matter of time before a second operation would be needed. He decided to install a new (another) while he was already in there along with another by-pass to clear blockage. I had no idea about the extent of the operation. It reminded me of someone taking their car to a mechanic and putting the car up on the rack for a general check, then deciding that the shock absorbers were not working well. Then a further check determined that the uneven wear on the tires may be caused by a needed front-end alignment. Instead of having an oil change, a range of repairs were carried out. In addition to the new heart valve, they learned that the heart rhythm was erratic and decided to fix that as well. To do that meant stopping the heart and re-starting it with some form of electrodes. That didn’t work and it was performed later while in rehab.
While under narcosis, I am told that I did some strange things like trying to pull tubes out. I have a vague recollection of trying to rid myself of some foreign objects, but little more than that. I was placed under constant observation to prevent harming myself.
While under narcosis, I felt that they (the staff) were trying to kill me. I had attacks where I had difficulty breathing and requested oxygen. That was further aggravated when I had problems getting attention to these anxiety attacks. Pushing the red button for immediate attention caused some of the attendants to resent the intrusion. During the night they slept and did “whatever else”. The variety of languages spoken indicated that a good number of foreigners were being employed. One incident pissed me off. It was early in the morning and I had a horrible taste in my mouth so I requested a “mund spulung” (a mouth wash). The guy said, “That is women’s work. You must wait another two hours until they come on duty.” I requested and received a transfer to a different hospital. I was taken by ambulance to Landau where they would prep me for my forthcoming rehab. In the meanwhile, they discovered that I had pneumonia and was treated for that as well. I was so weak that I couldn’t walk without support. The rehab was the right facility for heart patients and they did an excellent job. They even insisted that I push the red button if I had pain or anything else. What a difference it makes when the customer (patient) is given the attention they deserve. In addition, the cheery “good morning” gave a good start to the day. I will have to re-adjust to hearing my name again since I was referred to only as “Herr March”. Curiosity meant that many wanted to know why I was in Germany and whether the name “March” was of British origin. We had fun with the language where they tried to speak English and wanted to practice their limited vocabulary on me. It was a learning experience and one not soon to be forgotten.
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