How Did The Ball Fall?

First day back in my real life. POD 17. Living in the hospital for 2 weeks was a shit show. Zero rest. The food was ridiculous. Way too many carbs in the diet, it’s no wonder everyone is diabetic. I went into the OR at 200 lbs and came out post op at 242 so pretty bad third spacing but 242 was 222 to day so that will resolve also. I’m pretty weak and my albumin dropped to 2.1, but 3.5 today. I did get some renal exacerbation creatinine to 1.8

Here was my best scenario. I wound up with long length of stay, some renal dysfunction but the rest all worked out. No stroke, no infection and my Echo is perfectly normal. A few decisions bounced left but mostly the balls bounced right in favor of a good outcome.

I don’t recommend the experience but the analysis kind of shows properly applied statistics is a rational way to move the needle on the outcome.

9 Replies to “How Did The Ball Fall?”

  1. Wow. Did not know you were in the hospital but looks like it was quite an ordeal.

    Hopefully your recovery continues in the right direction and be uneventful

    1. Tnx Xray. The recovery is up to me and I’m typically a 2.5 SD performer. I had to build a bedroom (temp) downstairs where I can sleep and got 7 hours of safe quiet warm uninterrupted sleep HHC Nursing will come today and then PT to get me stronger and more stable on my feet. I have regained control of my diet. The hospital diet is a nightmare.

      Throughout this all of the portfolio contingencies I had planned for kicked in perfectly. I had my adviser available to watch the P’s and Q’s, which was a comfort to my wife and therefore a comfort to me. I moved 20K from long term storage into immediately available the day before surgery, nothing like a pile of money to bring peaceful order to chaos and ready funding to a bed room build.. All of that is my Galton ball bouncing rightward. If I was blog or some side hustle dependent my income would have taken a hit. Instead my net worth grew on it’s own despite the surgeon sawing me open.

      All of this points out the nature of true vs potential, FI.

  2. I am sooo glad to see you post!!!!

    I was just about to email you and see how you were doing.

    I look forward to your wisdom for many years to come.

    1. All time travel is forward. You’re dealt a hand, and you play it best you can. Proper betting strategy and risk management and adequate funding are the keys to the kingdom.

      Tnx for your regard MB

  3. Welcome back! Glad you made it out okay. Man, 2 weeks of zero rest… I probably would have had ICU psychosis. You’re a tough dude.

    Hospital food definitely needs to improve. I wouldn’t go so far as to blame all carbs as the enemy though. Carbs from whole foods with fiber is fine. It’s the processed refined carbs laden with processed fat and chemicals that should be to blame.

    1. It was like running a marathon. My Albumin tanked so they gave lasix and albumin IV, and no foley since I had some kind of bladder injury they were worried might hemorrhage. So I’m weak weak weak, 40lbs over weight from volume and up to pee every 40 minutes. I could have done a half life elimination curve on lasix. In the mean time sternal precautions and the need to walk cough and deep breathe. The food was not edible, all carbs, which is exactly the wrong way to go. I’m completely keto adapted relying on acetyl to power my mitochondria not glucose or fructose. Healing is made out of protein then fat, carbs are not relevant and only exacerbate fluid retention and inflammation. Then there is the Q1 hour necessary nursing hassle. My BP stabilized at 130/60 pulse about 69 once they gave me some afib conversion with amiodarone, but they had to document that Q2 hours x 15 days or 180 measurements. I’ve just completed 6 hours of uninterupted sleep Lost 10lbs edema just in 1 day with rest and being on the correct non inflammatory diet for healing. I was amazed at how quickly I lost fitness. The day before the operation I did 45 minutes on my treadmill I’m now good for 5 minutes at most before wearing out, even though my EF is 55% and my wall motion is normal on echo. I’ll get back, but did anyone get the number of that truck? Recovery is remarkably non trivial but I am blessed to be able to recover in my home where I have a shot at optimizing my outcome rather than a rehab facility

      As far as whole grains and all that I have no beef with that except its a first world concern. I worked a burn unit and the only people who got out of there were people who could turn their nitrogen balance positive PERIOD. Everybody else died sooner or later. That’s how important protein is to recovery. Burn injury is the first tier Mac Daddy metabolic insult and extreme but what I have is not far behind in terms of severity. Once the albumin dips below 2 you’re riding a train to a pine box

  4. Relieved you are home, as that is where the healing happens once the critical care is done.

    The wrecked sleep sounds miserable.

    My toughest challenges are persuading folks who have bounced in and out of the hospital frequently to stay, because the vital checks are such a pain. What happened to patient centered care? Why do we never wake a sleeping baby but never let sleeping adults lie undisturbed?

    Glad you are back on track with both nutrition and fluid elimination. Being a patient must be one of the toughest challenges for a control freak (my fear, your apparent experience).

    We missed you,

    CD

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