Never let pain harden your heart.

[jackshoegazer]

The main scar from my surgery has finally healed.  Tests done while I was in for my pleural effusion show that the bypass is functioning properly.  Additional bonus, my snoring has miraculously vanished (too much blood flooding the vascular system, pinching off sinus cavities, the lungs and whatnot, now all fixed!)  Minus the pain and complications, this surgery has been great and very freeing.  You don't quite realize how much something is crushing your spirit until it has been lifted.

Below the cut is a scan I did of a printout I got from my doctor of my heart both before and after the surgery.  You can see the superior vena cava in the upper left of the heart.  It looks sort of rigid and unhealthy because of the non-functioning stent that's in there.  In the After picture, you can see the bypass - a vein from my leg that was split and wound into a thick spiral to handle the massive bloodflow that the SVC is supposed to handle.  Also, there is a photo of me today, just before my shower, showing off my massive scar.  I've never been embarrassed of my scars.  I am proud of them.  I don't know if I quite understand this.  Conquering death?  Vanquishing enemies?  Strength through tragedy?  A shield of suffering?  A sign of triumph?  I don''t know, but sometimes I feel like I shine with the pride of them.

Comments

[lady-fox.livejournal.com]

Wow. Nifty.

I'm glad it's helping. Yay modern medicine!

[hellocthulhu.livejournal.com]

Wow, damn man, that's gotta be amazing to see your own heart like that.

Glad things seem to be working like they're supposed to!

Behold! Jack's Tiphareth!

[anubis75.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear the surgery went well, if there's one avenue of Western Medicine that still has my respect and admiration it's the Surgeons, and their trade.
I'll continue to keep the healing mojo going your way!

[shortcakeness.livejournal.com]

That is wicked cool... I'm glad you're fix-ed:)

[balamuthia.livejournal.com]

I love the subject line of this entry. I am in chronic pain, have been for a decade now- and it's so hard not to allow that pain to ink it's way into other areas of my life. We'll have insurance in November for the first time ever, so I'm looking forward to doctor visits- as strange as that sounds.

I have three scars I'm very "proud" of- I agree that it's a physical symbol of pain and healing that few people can identify with.

[stelladieve.livejournal.com]

you know, it's not the heart that i have trouble looking at in those images, it's the stretched skin at the top of both pictures...intense.

and i'm very glad to hear that you're amking a full recovery, and very much surpassing how you felt before the surgery. keep on keepin' on, good sir. :)

[ohsochewy.livejournal.com]

Hot damn!

I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling and doing better. The giant scar across my left elbow salutes you and your chest :)

[blackdreams.livejournal.com]

I had to show Jonah that. He's always been interested in Anatomy since I had to study it, he'd always be asking me questions. When I explained what he was looking at he said, "His heart was broken? And then that one they fixed it?" I said, "Yep, now he's all better. See?" it was cute.
Glad you're starting to feel better!

[blissfulvanilla.livejournal.com]

Y'know- it's funny, that's not really what I thought a heart would look like. With the veins and musculature- it actually looks a bit more like a brain. Which is interesting.

It's amazing what us big monkeys can do with some sharp things, some smarts and lots of training.

And because of that- I'm so glad you're healing and feeling better!

:)

[holographia.livejournal.com]

wow dude- that's hardcore!!

[stealmyhorses.livejournal.com]

Nice to hear that it went well. My second heart surgery was similar to yours (except my leg vein was too small to use).

Your "massive" scar is actually kinda small compared to mine though!

[echoardi.livejournal.com]

awesome! thanks for posting that.

i like scars too :>

[scarbaby.livejournal.com]

Awesome!
Thanks for sharing your pictures with us!

Although I am ashamed of my own scars (on my legs, mostly), I like seeing other people's scars.

[kiwikat.livejournal.com]

Already seen it, yaaaaawn. Don't you have anything NEW to show us?

[bedlover.livejournal.com]

That is most awesome-ness.

That is so cool!

[mustangsally78.livejournal.com]

How neat is it to see your innards. Do you feel like they're yours or is it abstract? I got to see a CT scan of my brain and it didn't feel like mine, but I feel connected to my dental x-rays. Go figure.

So glad that you're doing well and still with us.

Also, that scar has serious sexy potential!

Namaste!

Sally

[3starsinmyeyes.livejournal.com]

wow

its a little weird, but i'm completely jealous that you have pictures of your heart and i don't. however, i hope nothing ever happens to me to put me in a position to get said pictures.

*hugs* for what its worth, i'm proud of you. from the sound of it, you have been handling this whole thing very well!

[lipsoflove.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're doing well.

It's always so overwhelming to see someone's heart.
It's the thing that keeps us living and breathing.
It's also our metaphysical core.
No wonder there is so much emphasis on it in every realm possible.
Even though we can see it, dissect it, and feel it, there is still so much mystery behind this fascinating organ.

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

I'm finally catching up on LJ. I'm glad your surgery went well! Continued best wishes.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

Thank you :D

[sweetpea86.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's a helluva scar, hon!

Glad you're up and about and I can't wait to get my icon! (I forgot all about it until you mentioned it in that other post!)

xoxo
Sweetpea