Roger Kobeska, Unix Systems Data Center Manager. Born in 1955, 50/50 Russian/English. Diagnosed in 1991 with Descending Thoracic Co-Abdominal Aneurysm. Operated on 1995 Baptist Hospital, Memphis Tennessee ? Dr. Edward Garrett Jr. Recovered and Lives Happily with his Wife (care giver and companion extrodiaire) and last teenaged daughter in Plano, Texas. ~Blessed and Living~
28 January 2004
I am a 48 year old male that is gazing at wonder at the stars every night. My legs work, my arms work, and the only thing I have to remind me of my brush with my aneurysm is this cute scar that traverses body from between my shoulder blades all the way down to my groin. And the fact that my ribs get out of joint now and then. I have "recovered" from my descending thoracic co-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with few side affects or changes to my life style.
I was totally asymptomatic. Nothing bothered me, no back pain, no numbness, nothing. The discovery of my entire aorta being dilated can be owed to a 1/2 pound of peanuts eaten in gluttony while watching a boxing match. No, I'm not overweight, nor have never been overweight. Peanuts led to gallbladder attack, (bless them gallstones) which led to ultra-sound, which as my GP told me, "You've got some bigger problems than your stomach ache".
My GP referred me to a wonderful doctor at Baptist Medical Center (yes, a teaching hospital) in Memphis and so began the long process of watching an aneurysm that extended from my heart all the way down to my abdomen. It started at 5.1 cm in my chest and was 4.2 in my abdomen. It grew some, it grew some more. And I read up on every surgical procedure the Surgeon mentioned. He was kind enough to get me access into the school medical library. It didn't take me long to realize this was NOT a laughing matter. In fact, the stats' (at that time) said 15% chance of death 10-20% chance of paralysis.
Three years passed and the magical day arrived. After my bi-yearly CAT scan revealed it had matured and was now ready for repair. 6.2 cm on the scale! To be honest, I was in the very middle of renovating my girlfriends house. I could not stop and leave the kitchen incomplete. After all, this was to be where I recovered. Against my surgeons advice I took 4 weeks off work to complete the renovations. Yes it included things like ripping the old floor out, installing new, lifting, carrying, pulling, pushing, and of course, riding my motor cycle as much as I could. Dumb? perhaps. I entered the hospital on my scheduled day, had a CAT scan to verify what the current status was. My chest was inhabited by a 7.4 cm aneurysm that just narrowed slightly as it made it's way down to my legs. Nice!
Cut, splice, remove and replace, bleed, pain, die, awake, pain, puke, sit up, stand, walk down the hall a few times, go home, never eat a thing in bed but walk to the table 3 times a day, get the mail at the end of the driveway, walk around the cove, once, twice, 10 times, lift the groceries, smile, live, go back to work.
Ninty days after surgery I went back to work, that was almost 10 years ago.
The only change to my life style is I no longer ride a motor cycle. Not out of fear, but the left side of my chest is numb and the abdominal muscles have atrophied. Difficult for me to do a sit up but hey, who cares about sit ups. I owe my life to a 1/2 pound bag of peanuts and one hell of a good surgeon.
I may make it sound painless, or trivial, believe me, it wasn't, and it isn't. Prior to the operation I asked my surgeon "how long will I hurt for?" He smiled and told me, "It's going to hurt for two years after you die." I do believe he was right. But a little pain beats the heck out of the big dirt nap.
Thanks Dr. Ed Garrett Jr.!