Once my husband was found to have heart disease, there was this thirst on my part to know more about coronary bypass surgery, especially when it was a necessity for my husband to have it.

We didn’t pay much attention when my husband’s casual friend was diagnosed with heart problem. Though my husband went to see him before and after his operation, my husband didn’t know much except that it was his friend’s heart that needed surgery urgently. We were shocked that my husband’s seemingly healthy friend was walking around with a weak heart, so to speak.

Even when my husband was told to have a coronary bypass surgery, he didn’t bother to find out the details about it. He didn’t want to know about the procedures of this kind of surgery. Maybe he took comfort in the belief that ignorance is bliss. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Hence, he appeared to be very calm right until the day of the operation. At least, he didn’t worry himself silly.

I, on the other hand, took trouble to check out some facts in the medical books.
Of course, I was reading the abridged versions just to get a rough idea. When I met the wife of my husband’s friend, I asked her about the surgery that her husband underwent.

It was a good thing that I asked. It turned out her husband had heart valve disorders. His valvular disease existed for some years without causing symptoms. When he had breathlessness, fatigue and dizzy spells, he went to seek treatment was told that he had to replace his damaged valve. I read in the medical book that when a synthetic valve is implanted, the patient must take anti-coagulant drugs to prevent blood clogs.

Many months later, it came as a surprise when we heard of his sudden demise. He collapsed after climbing up a flight of stairs. The few times I saw him, he seemed so normal. Even after his operation and during his recuperation he didn’t lose that much of weight.

Clearly, my husband lost weight and his gaunt face was a good indication of how much weight he’d lost. When he went back to work he was a slimmer version of his old self. I wouldn’t believe that I’d have preferred the medium-built man he once was.

But slowly and steadily my husband regained his strength and weight. In those days, I had trouble getting him to stick to a low-fat diet that is high in fiber. I was his food policewoman. When we dined out, he was annoyed when I stopped him from eating too much oily food. He said I stopped his fun of eating. Yeah, the kind of fun that led him to a coronary bypass surgery. It’s so true that people tend to have a short memory. Nowadays, he does have his straying moments from eating healthily.