Two Weeks and Counting

Welcome to my Heart 2 Heart Series featuring existential reflections of the narratives of my heart stories and those of my children and how these stories impact me, my wife, family & friends. Glad you have joined me on this introspective journey.

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Two weeks from today, January 31st, 2023, I am scheduled for have open-heart surgery to continue the heart saga that was started before my birth.

Teratology of Fallot (ToF) is a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth:

a ventricular septal defect (VSD),

pulmonary stenosis,

a misplaced aorta and

a thickened right ventricular wall (right ventricular hypertrophy)

In 1965, when I was born, the medical community in the United States did not have a surgical procedure to correct these issues. In 1970, one is developed and in March 1971, I had the procedure.

Adults with ToF usually have a second surgery later in the life to replace the corrected pulmonary valve, close the VSD, and address arrythmia issues. And a little over fifty years later, it is my time.

It’s starting to get real.

Planning for the “event” is now my focus. Soon, additional tests will be ordered and completed. Packing for the hospital stay will start. Trips to the airport to pick up family support team members will occur. However, right now, I am focused on transitioning my life into a pattern that will only be focused on the surgery, hospital stay and early recovery.

I am starting to wind down my practice and counseling my clients so that my five to six week medical leave will not impact their care. On January 28, 2023 my medical leave of absence will start, or so that is the plan, and I will pivot all of my focus on my own care, healing and recovery.

I won’t lie. As an entrepreneur, who doesn’t have paid sick days, there is something quite surreal and frightening about shutting down your business for six weeks. Turning off the income spicket can get the heart racing.

Over the next two weeks, my focus is ensuring my client’s well being and ensuring that when my leave is over and I can once again offer counseling services, I will be in a position to do so.