Health Update

"Souvenirs" from my operation

 It's almost a month now since my sudden admission to emergency ward and operation. It was unexpected as the operation was due for July. A casual visit to my insurance clinic to obtain a payment agreement for my interview with the heart surgeon in Hadassah suddenly became an emergency issue. My insurance doc checked me and said I was having a heart attack any moment. I was rushed to the emergency ward in Hadassah hospital where I was kept for 24 hours. Ten I was moved to the cardiology department for 3 days for monitoring - no operations were possible because it was the Jewish feast day. Then I was moved to the 12th floor cardiothoracic surgery department to prepare for the operation.

The preparation for the operation for open heart triple bypass was quick but very frightening. After 5 and a half hours of surgery I was sent to ICU. I only awoke 12 hours later. Within 2 days of my operation the war with Iran began and missiles were flying overhead. Nurses and docs moved us to a safe corridor from 2am till 6am. Then as more medical teams arrived, we were evacuated to the 3rd floor. Many who were deemed non-emergency were released to go home. This was to free up beds for war casualties. Only a handful of us remained in the ward. It was harrowing as missiles continued to explode around us every night. Almost every hour we had to go to the safe zone as alarms and sirens blared. As the war progressed, I was also released after a week to go home so another bed might be freed to war casualties. In all I spent 2 weeks in Hadassah.

I was moved to our monastery infirmary but within 2 days I was rushed back to Hadassah emergency because my blood level fell below the limit. I was very weak to the point of delirium. Hadassah gave me a unit of blood, though I needed two. Rationing for war casualties. So now my blood level is 8.2. Not optimal but that's as much as I can have. Now I focus on creating my own blood by eating more meat and liver. I'm still very weak and not able to walk far (also due to the scars where they took the veins for the bypass). Unable to focus and weak, I spend most of the time sleeping.