Gary,
Sorry I haven't been following this post but it just caught my eye this morning. Can I give you a heads up on something to watch out for since you have had this operation. My soon to be "X" had this same operation 7 years or more ago. Everything was fine as long as you are not consuming alcohol to the excess. About 5 years ago when the wife and i were broke up she got to getting drunk several nights a week. She ended up in the hospital for several days with a very low blood count. We again split the sheets back in October and I haden't seen anyone else since then till I went out with a lady on new years eve night that I used to date back 24 years ago, who by the way has had the same operation. Well, things went well that night and we started to staying in contact even though she lives 115 miles away. I had to go see her in the hospital a few weeks ago because of low blood count. They gave her several transfusions, got her blood count back up and sent her home. She was not a heavy drinker but liked her glass of wine or two at night. About two weeks ago she called me as I was getting off work and left a message on my phone. Well, I was on the backroads and thought I would call her when I got to where I could get better reception. I got another message from her before I did. As soon as I got to where I could get better reception I pulled over to call her and my phone rang. It was her, she sounded so much better than the other times I had talked to her in the past week. We talked about 10 or 15 minutes and said our good bye's and I love you's. That was at 4:30pm. At 8:30 pm I got another call from her phone. I answered but it wasn't her, but it was one of her good friends. She asked if I had talked to her this afternoon and I told her I had and that she sounded so much better, and that I had made plans to go there to see her Friday. Then this friend of hers said "Don, she's dead." I thought dang girl, what kinda sick joke are you trying to play here. But it was true, her mother said that as soon as she got off the phone she laid the phone on her chest and just died. Well, I still went to see her Friday, but it was for her viewing, and burial Saturday.
I know that this has been long and drawn out but I really wanted to give you two good examples of what I am saying. I'm not sure that is exactly what she died of, I haven't had the guts yet to ask. But please be warned of the dangers of heavy drinking after having this surgery.
don3778