alt=woman covering chest, alt=open heart

My Open Heart

Sixteen months ago, to the day, I had open heart surgery. Not a transplant but I got a new valve and a bit of plumbing.

It’s literally taken me all this time to actually blog about this. I’ll definitely write a lot more about what happened, the investigation leading up to the surgery, the surgery, my recovery, my challenges. Honestly I need to write about it. Not to get it off my chest, so to speak, but to maybe help one other woman out there. And yes, I mean to single out women. Initially it felt like all the information was slanted towards men.

Open heart surgery changed me on so many levels, and I’d like to think that they were all positive changes. I am also emphasizing that it was open heart surgery, because it’s a big deal. My heart was stopped, my lungs deflated, and my sternum was cracked open. I’m not trying to gross anyone out or looking for sympathy, I just forget how big a deal it actually was.

And I’m here. Pretty healthy all in all. 16 months later.

(Imagine my big sigh at this point)

Ironically I’ve known, deep down, since I was five years old that heart surgery was a possibility. But I still didn’t think it would happen to me. I’m feel so emotional just writing this post and I’ve barely skimmed the surface.

Photo credit: Giulia Bertelli via Unsplash

Sharona

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