Wednesday, November 2, 2011

WALKING IT OFF!!!

Okay where were we before I was so rudely interrupted by a few blood clots. Oh that's right. I had just explained how well the ablation procedure had turned out !!!!!!!!! If you have not read that post you might before going forward. It's at http://jpweddingphotograpy.blogspot.com/2011/10/photographer-living-and-working-with.html

I had the procedure, stayed one night in the hospital and then came home on October 12th. Everything was fine and I was waiting out the six week time period to see if the procedure was successful. I was not worried about anything because I was told that only 1% of the people having the procedure died and no one had developed blood clots ever since they had changed the type catheter they used to perform the procedure. It was almost two weeks later and I was alive so everything was good. 

On the night of October 23rd, I was having a breathing problem but I've had asthma since I was a child, nothing real bad and had never limited my activities at all. At around midnight the breathing problems became a large problem. I could barely get air into my lungs, just barely! I told Phyllis I needed to go to the hospital. 

We left the house and Phyllis drove me to the hospital. I was given a blood test and when I asked if they were doing the enzyme test for a heart attack, the nurse told me yes but would also check for markers that would point towards a blood clot!! I had a chest X-ray and then they came for me. I was going for a cat scan of my lungs. 

After the scan I was brought back to the emergency room and after about twenty minutes I saw the doctor walking toward me. By the look on her face I knew this was not going to be pleasant news. She informed me that I had a blood clot in both sides of my lungs. As you can imagine that was not great to hear. I was admitted and put on a heparin drip plus started on coumadin, a blood thinner.  

Six days later I was able to come home and I am feeling really good. My body will dissolve the clots on its own and the coumadin will prevent more clots from forming. I was told that the three clots, two in my lungs and one in my right leg, did not come from the procedure!!! It was a coincidence! Because the clots were in my lungs and leg it was not possible for them to have started in my heart. 

I've had a theory for most of my life that coincidences are just excuses for reality. I understand intellectually that the clots could not come from the procedure but I am more of the mind, 'if it talks like a duck and walks like a duck and @@@ like a duck, then it's a damn duck!!" Not that it matters much where they started!! 

So now I am home, doing good and trying to mentally deal with all of this. I have decided to follow one of my football coaches advice. Coach's fall back advice for all injuries was to walk it off, even if you could only walk it off on one leg!!! " Come on Brandano! Suck it up and walk it off, you don't need two arms to block!" 

Actually, it's not bad advice. Dwelling on it really does no good!!! You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and move on with your life!! So now I start walking it off!!!

I want to thank all my family and friends for all their kind thoughts  and well wishes. You people really helped me start to walk it off!!! 
I have not photographed much in the last month but will be getting back to it. While I did not feel up to posting during this time I did check in. Even in the hospital, I read posts on my Iphone. I am still waiting for Ipad3!!! 

I saw that Jim over on Magnificent Monday had a 'favorites' theme on one of the Mondays. I thought this might be a good way for me to start my comeback lol, to just show some of my favorite images from the past. So here they are and once again I want to thank all of you for your support and well wishes.  They really helped start me on my walking it off phase. 

































25 comments:

Roy Durham said...

just keep walking and clicking. i know what it like for me it was stent six of them in 2008. am i am walking. miss your post but am glad your back thank you for walking god bless

Alfandi said...

hey..good to see that you're back on your feet again..grab the camera bag..start snapping..you'll be walking back to health again anyway..

Corinne Rodrigues said...

Wishing you back to wellness soon, Jim. Thanks for the update and sharing those beautiful pictures...Will keep praying for you...

Kati said...

Feel better soon Jim. You're in my prayers.

Anonymous said...

Hope you feel better soon Jim... Not sure if your saw your Popeye quote on Sparkle Me Zen... but it is there..
Take care of your self

GeetS said...

awesome clicks liked dem :)

Bongo said...

Hope you feel better soon...as always your photos are beautiful.....As always...XOXOXOXO

Martha Jane Orlando said...

What an ordeal you've been through! So glad you are on the mend and determined to walk the walk!
And, thanks for sharing these fantastic photos!
Blessings, Jim!

Alpana Jaiswal said...

Get well soon Jim...as I told u,its not the same without you...take care of yourself,and God bless u always.....loved the pictures as usual.

The Poet said...

Hello Jim.
You haven't lost your touch though...these are dynamite!

Wishing you back to wellness!

Thanks for sharing, my friend.

Thoughts Of Beauty In The Stillness Of Dawn

Ravenmyth said...

Welcome back...what better way to get better than doing what you have always done...walked thousands of miles snapping photo's...sounds like business as usual to me...thank you for keeping us posted...love all your fav's...you will never run out of things to post....Always...

Unknown said...

A second home coming my friend. All the more to party!
Take care and walk, walk, walk and the rest.

A

Unknown said...

Where did my N go? Then not the.

A again

Bec Owen said...

So glad you are doing well Jim...thank you for sharing your story and your beautiful pictures.

Blessings to you and your family :)

Rimly said...

Brilliant Photos Jim. Welcome and thank god you are well. Missed you!

Leah Griffith said...

Jim, I'm so sorry you went through such a scary experience and I'm thankful and thrilled that you are on the mend!!
Your photographs are gorgeous and such a wide variety of subjects. You rock Mr.J.!!!

Nelieta (Hostel Tinktinkie) said...

Jim,I am so sorry to hear all about this! I have been so busy the last month and didn´t even realize that you were going through such turmoil! Hope you feel better soon and what a comeback with all these amazing photos!

Look after yourself and make a full recovery! God bless!

Anonymous said...

Jim, I'm sorry that you had a set back. Sounds like you are recovering well and I love the attitude. No dwelling on could be's. Take it easy, can wait for our next trip. Peace...

photos by jan said...

Beautiful photos as always Jim. I am glad to hear you are recovering, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Anonymous said...

I know I am late in getting to posting, especially since I've been able to keep tabs on you through FB, but please know you haven't been far from my thoughts.

Honestly blood clots scare the utter crap out of me. I'm glad, though, that you have a plan of attack. Especially since part of that plan of attack includes walking it off. Exercise will also help with dissolving them.

Don't over-do it though. Not that I imagine that Phyllis would allow for you to go that far. I'm fairly sure that she's kind of fond of you! =)

Love to you both!

Mari Sterling Wilbur said...

Really very scary stuff!!!!! Glad you have the attitude you have, that will take you far. It's important to stay well emotionally and mentally and not get depressed - sounds like you are on the right track. We've all missed you! The images you've posted here are my faves!! I esp. love the bridge - I remember when you first posted that one. xxoo to you and Phyllis.

Anonymous said...

So glad to have you back Jim. And even happier that they caught the clots in time. I am speechless, seriously I'm just so relieved you're ok.

Melissa Tandoc said...

While reading your post and looking at all the images you've posted, I suddenly felt nostalgia~ over the things I've been missing. I'm missing out all the fun. And somehow, even if the images were not mine nor about me, they elicited real emotions that you captured throughout all the years that you were a photographer and that means your entire life!

I've always looked up to you...in your philosophies in life~ ABS, 'Go out!' and now 'Walk It Off'. And geez, I'm not even wearing crutches.

Geez Jim... I was asking God why you had experienced pulmonary emboli and another on your leg...

And you're here...walking it off. I should learn a lot from that.

Am looking at those images again. I fasted for a month :P now I'm feasting my eyes on beauty ;)

JIM said...

Melissa..Your comment really touched me. I do not know how to tell you how much they meant to me at least not with words. Instead I 'll just keep doing what I love to do and hopefully give you some tasty images to feast on. Thank you so much for your very kind and very moving words. Your a good friend!!!

Melissa Tandoc said...

I guess this is where true art lies Jim ~ the connection you make with your audience. I remember the earlier posts you had and you seem to evolve a better person, an effective writer and best of all, a very creative photographer. You continue to surprise me and that's the best gift you could ever give a fan. You give more than you could ~ I love every image you make because it's a reflection of you :)