I think "better than excellent" really sums it up. That was uplifting.
I'm glad I asked.
Chuck Norcutt
On 12/13/2013 11:13 AM, Bob Whitmire wrote:
> Better than excellent, actually. Since his valve replacement surgery
> and subsequent harrowing 34 days in cardio-thorascic ICU, he has
> continued to progress to a point of development surpassing anything
> we dared hope for back in the day.
>
> His health is excellent, and, as importantly, his outlook is
> excellent. Anxiety levels are way down, which leads us to suspect
> that all along, even when the cardiologists were telling us he was
> essentially okay, he wasn't. I know from my own experience that heart
> issues can cause acute anxiety, not because of your awareness of the
> issues and attendant fear, but rather because the physical symptoms
> themselves promote anxious feelings. It is possible that now, with a
> well-functioning artificial aortic valve, Ben is no longer
> experiencing the anxiety levels that were normal for him through much
> of his life.
>
> His attention span and cognitive level seems to have improved as
> well. Things don't distress him the way they used to. He pays more
> attention to what he's doing, and it's now possible to take a
> conversation with him down to close to 10 back and forth exchanges,
> something we never thought would be possible. His limit before
> surgery hovered around four exchanges, if that many. Sometimes one
> statement or question would send him off.
>
> And he can be a charming little fellow now--correction, a charming
> 28-year-old. His latest hobby is introducing himself to attractive
> women in book stores, supermarkets or anywhere else he happens to be.
> (An excellent way to entertain himself, I think. <g>) The vast
> majority of them smile and are very nice to him in return. Every now
> and then one of his targets will freak, but the majority of those
> contain their fear or whatever it is and remain pleasant, though I
> can see them struggling.
>
> We are all in a good space. Thanks for asking.
>
> --Bob Whitmire Certified Neanderthal
>
> On Dec 12, 2013, at 5:47 PM, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
>
>> How is Ben?
>
--
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