Edvy IM'd me in FB this afternoon & told me he's having open heart surgery on Tuesday. He's keeping it on the downlow and not posting anything until it's over.

Here's what he posted -
HeLLo❗️-- I've got a GREAT BIG FAT SERIOUS medical event coming up. I'm not going to advertise it on Facebook (privacy and security reasons), but i am sending this out to a handful of friends who may want to know, or who I think should know. Sugar coating it would not help my situation, so I am going to be in-yo-face blunt.

In 2006 I nearly died from a freak case of sepsis as a result from a very minor knee injury. The Sepsis, in turn, infected my heart -- I was consequently diagnosed with endocarditis of my tricuspid valve. It left very little damage to valve, and only slightly effected my heart function.

Now fast forward 14 years and I've come to learn that the tricuspid valve has greatly deteriorated, from the endocarditis and some years of careless fast living. The valve comes nowhere near closing, and has a 55% regurgitation (backflow) rate which falls in severe range. Left untreated, my days would be numbered.

On Tuesaday, May 31st I will be having open-heart surgery to either possibly repair or, most likely, replace my tricuspid valve with that of a cow 🐄 or a pig 🐖 ( my apologies to Vegans).

So on the surface, that is all palatable, even to me. Years ago I was a purchasing agent at the same hospital I will be at, and actually ordered heart valves for patients who were in a similar situation as I am today. But now that I am the patient = totally different ballgame. The surgery itself will be CRAZY.

By crazy, I mean the surgeon will saw my sternum open. By crazy, I mean the surgical heart team will stop my heart and put me on a heart-lung machine to keep me alive while the surgeon repairs my heart valve. By crazy, I mean I get a bonus procedure as the surgeon will also tie off my left aortic appendage ( to reduce my stroke risk ) "while he's in there." By crazy, I mean after surgery I will wake up in ICU on a ventilator with my arms strapped down, to keep me from pulling out my tubes and ventilator in a panic as I come back into reality. By crazy, I mean the possible complications of my having a low platelet count.

The surgery will be performed at Bryan Medical Center East by Dr Robert Oakes of Bryan Heart Institute. Dr Oakes is an amazing person and one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons around. Everybody tells me we are very fortunate to have him here.

Now I am at the point of " let's get this MF'n thing DONE! " 💥🤘

Hell, I beat sepsis, I beat cancer, I survived a bout of hematochezia. 🤷 Aint nothin but a thing. I plan on making the score:

Edvard : 4
Mortality: 0

So THERE! 😜

I thought you should know, in case he hasn't told you yet. He's been part of our lives off and on for years.