Dole Thailand's 2nd Quarterly Board Meeting

From right to left: M.L. Usni Pramoj, Mark McKinney, Dr. Snoh Unakul, and Roy Cruz.

Gianni's Veal Chops

Nattamon and Araya host my first dinner out at "Gianni's". The specialty not on the menu is "Veal Chop" which is tasty, tender, moist and just the way I like it.

Saint Gabriel's Noodles

Pavalyn takes Grandpa to have a few bowls of St. Gabriel noodles for lunch.

First SCB Samaggi Board Meeting after Operation

Khunying Jada Wattanasiritham,new Chairman of SCB Samaggi Insurance replacing Khun Sivawongse Changkasiri who passed away and was cremated on Sunday, presents a health basket to Khun Chirawut, MD of SCB Samaggi, on the ocassion of his birthday.

Tourismo

We have a very delicious fettuccine with meat sauce and our favorite grilled liver dish at Tourismo. Our taste buds are starting to work again. We follow the meal with one more Arcoxia pill to relieve the pain in the chest.

Jim Thompson Cafe -Soi Saladaeng

We visit the doctors again today and get two more Arcoxia pills to ease the chest pains. We also are forced by Dr. Ben to get vaccinated against the 2009 flu. We miss breakfast so we end up with an early lunch of hamburger at the Jim Thompson Cafe. This dish is OK because the ketchup and mustard adds a taste of citrus which helps the taste buds, but the potato fries are totally tasteless.

The Ninth -Langsuan

To speed up the healing process we went to eat some Thai grilled beef steak with "jaew" and sticky rice at the Ninth restaurant on Langsuan Road. The taste is not quite there yet but we try to eat as much as we can.

Khun Pichai's excellent main course of Duck Breasts at Le Normandie Grill Oriental Hotel.

Le Normandie Grill-Oriental Hotel

Khun Pichai hosts lunch at Le Normandie Grill to celebrate one month after the open heart operation. I have the lobster and chicken Vol a Vent as my main course, with a glass of Campari soda which is remarkably quite refreshing.

One Month After Operation

After taking two pills of Arcoxia the chest pains abate, so we celebrate the one month post surgery by going for an Eggs Benedict and Corn Beef Hash brunch with a glass of red wine at the Minibar Royale. After the meal we took the third and last Arcoxia pill.

Free Blender

We get a free blender from KBank for using the bank's credit card to pay some of the massive bypass medical bills. The bank wants us to use the blender to make healthy food and drinks. It has 1.5 liter capacity.

Chest Pains

The chest pains I have been complaining about, which feels like I have two coat hangers, one wooden and one steel, hanging in my chest turns out to be an unusual pain of bypass victims according to my doctor. I had checked with other bypass victims and none recall the massive pain in the chest. Usually it is back pain from sitting up and playing a lot of cards to pass the time. The doctor checked that the stitching on my sternum was OK so he determined that it was inflammation of the wounds. From the left side of my chest from the insides of my left ribs an artery was removed to be the third bypass, and this adds to the pain. Now I have taken one of the two pills given by the doctor and it starts to feel much better.

Rochana finds that the donation box of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation is almost full at the hospital payment counter.

Royal and Ancient Techniques

Today the elastic band is removed from my right leg to reveal the healing scars of only five hash marks. The doctors have used the ancient secrets of sewing and stitching techniques to remove two veins from my right leg to be used in the bypass procedure without producing the normal long dark scar on the leg. This aids in fast healing and less pain in the leg.

Things I Cannot Do

1. Walk up or down one floor without taking a rest on a chair for 5 minutes.
2. Go to discotech and stand in front of a loudspeaker.
3. Swim underwater deeper than half meter.
4. Fire a .357 Magnum or 44 Magnum handgun.
5. Fire a shotgun.
6. Go fishing.
7. Be a traffic policeman.
Every time I cough I have to hold a pillow tightly against my chest so that the seam does not split from the instant high pressure created in my chest cavity. But it still causes a lot of pain.
Most of the time it feels that the doctors have left a couple of cloth hangers in my chest after the 6 hour open heart operation, and they dangle about causing pain now and then depending upon the position and how I move my chest. According to the manual it takes about 6 weeks for the sternum to heal, like any other bone.

Friday Ramblings

Still no appetite. Not that we didn't try. Sharks' fin soup, toro sushi, Matsusaka steak, Claudio's pizza from Paragon,Parma ham, roast duck, etc. etc. still doesn't taste good like they should. I guess we just continue our diet and lose weight.
Today I ordered the fried mussels for lunch. Lets' see how they taste.
Rib cage pain and pangs. At night feels like a Roman soldier who got speared from the back. Can't breathe in too deeply: when the lung expands inside the chest cavity it feels like it touches one of the staples that sew up the rib cage and immediately there is sharp pain at that spot. Difficult to find the right position to sleep so that there is least impact on the chest pain. Without the pain, there is a tingling numbness on the left chest.

Reinflating the Lungs

During the lengthy open heart operation of 6 hours the lungs are given a break by the lung machine. After all the surgery and reinstalling the lungs, it is important to get the lungs to expand to their maximum volume and to clear them of water. I am given an Inflat-O-Meter by the doctor and am instructed to suck on the machine until the yellow disk stays at the mark for three seconds. And have to do this 300 times a day. Ugh! According to the X-Rays of the lungs, they appear to be in pretty good condition, even after 50 years of cigarette smoking.

Day Room

A room on the second floor of my house is modified to be my "Day Room" for three months, since my doctors don't want me to be walking up and down three floors. I spend most my days recuperating here. Daily activities include breathing exercises, arm swinging and raising exercises so that the skeleton does not lock up. Most of the time is spent sleeping to quick heal the wounds.

Statue of Liberty Chest

As the sawed in half chest starts to heal, it feels like the Statue of Liberty with all its copper ribs. When I breathe in, my chest doesn't expand. Just feel the pain on the glued bones. Now I know why the doctors don't want us to ride in a car during the first two months after the operation. With every bump of the car, I can feel the pain in my chest as the lungs, heart, and other organs move around my abdomen. Even though I have lost weight, it is a surprise to find that I cannot button or belt my pants at the old position. Seems like the organs in my chest have moved down a little and have enlarged my waistline.

Hoarse Throat

My voice is raspy and hoarse. It is from the tubes the doctors pushed down my throat for 5-6 hours to keep me breathing during the operation. Have to take lessons to get my vocal cords back in order and to be able to speak normally again.

Taste Buds are Corrupted

Since the operation, my taste buds have changed their perception of food tastes. Most of the food we liked to eat is now tasteless or tastes awful. Therefore we are eating less and losing weight. Today I am down to 66 kilograms weight. No wonder, the doctor told me I could eat anything I wanted. He must have known that I wouldn't want to eat it anyway. After all the experimentation, I know I can eat chilled salad with oil and vinegar dressing and chilled grapes. Everything else is real bad tasting.
It is reported that it will take up to two months before my taste buds will return to normal. It is the after effects of the medicines and anesthetics during and after the operation.

Pavalyn has a mild case of tonsilitist with slight fever so her doctor quarantines her from her grandpa for 48 hours.

Open Chest Operation

A seven hour procedure.

Wellwishers Flower Bouquets Overflow into Corridor

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all my friends and relatives and all wellwishers who came to visit me at the hospital, sent flowers, fruits, health food, etc. sent emails, SMS messages, etc. for my good recovery. It is very much appreciated and helps me get better faster.

First Shave After Triple Bypass Operation