A fluke!
I decided to go see a Delaware cardiologist group in December 2023. Dr. Rajinder Prasad took me in for an EKG. It was abnormal. So with more tests to be done, I said to him, “I’m going to Florida for three months.” He said back to me, “Oh no, we’re gonna do the test today.” I went to Florida after the tests, then he said, “When you get back, I want to do one more test,” which was a CT scan of my heart. That test showed I needed a heart catheterization.
It started with a normal procedure of heart catheterization at the surgery center at Beebe. As I went in for the procedure, friends and people that had had it done told me it was a small procedure and that I’d probably be in a twilight state while they installed stents in my heart.
I woke up in a recovery unit after being totally under anesthesia. Around me was all the testing equipment you could put in one room and a gentleman looking at me. My wife Darlene said the blockages were 99% and I had to have double bypass open heart surgery. The gentleman was Brian McCarthy, a surgeon assistant with the Beebe cardiac group. He recommended a surgeon named Dr. Steven Marra. I was still under anesthesia. Thank God for Darlene being there to explain to me what was going on. My son, John Jr., Darlene and I met with the surgeon two days later. We decided to have him do the surgery.
It was important to me to be in Beebe hospital. My mother was a nurse who was a surgeon assistant with Dr. James Beebe, and my grandfather, Dr. George Vincent Wood, was a doctor at the hospital. I also grew up right behind the hospital and would eat lunches and dinners in the cafeteria with my mother and grandfather. Also, as someone who grew up in Lewes with all my loving family and friends, I believe this was a great healing process after surgery. Believe me, it worked!
On the day of the surgery, Darlene, John and I went to the surgery center at 5 a.m. It was a very emotional moment in my life. Would I wake up? Was the surgeon good enough to do the procedure? I was a total wreck. After meeting with the surgeon and anesthesiologist, I became calm knowing that I was in good hands.
I remember voices coming from somewhere as I was coming out of the anesthesia. It was my son John and Darlene. Wow, what angels could I ask for? I made it!
Here are the angels of the ICU: supervisor Deb Pilcher, Jenn Choma, Nancy Courchain, Karly Gamaitoni, Alyssa Parnell, Alexa Hendrickson, Amanda Wilkins, Emily Martin, Abby Foxx and Candy Pollander.
Here are the angels of the OR: thoracic surgeon Dr. Marra, chief; surgeon assistants Eugene Isaac PA, Brian McCarthy PA, Lu Dixon, Bob Capers and Mora Quinn.
Also, a shout out to the office staff for their loving attention to detail.
All who were in the operating room and doing my procedure were super professional. With all my heart, I wish the best and thank you for the experience.
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