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<\/p>\nA Carson City man who underwent double-bypass heart surgery 30 years ago spent the decades that followed wanting to express his thanks to the surgeon who operated on him.<\/p>\n
Royce \u201cRoy\u201d Robinson got that day to convey his gratitude to Dr. Todd Chapman, 30 years to the date of the double bypass heart surgery that likely saved his life.<\/p>\n
In a meeting between the two men organized by Carson Tahoe Hospital and Physician Assistant Carmella Downing, Robinson praised Chapman\u2019s expertise that has helped give him longevity and a healthy life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something I wanted to do for years, to come in and talk and say thank you from my heart. Thank you,\u201d said the 90-year-old Robinson standing next his wife Marcia at Carson Tahoe Hospital during the fall reunion.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chapman, a distinguished and preeminent Carson Tahoe Hospital heart surgeon, has performed thousands of surgeries since 1985, including Robinson\u2019s, which was done at what was then Washoe Medical Center.<\/p>\n
Chapman shook Robinson\u2019s hand and said \u201cyou\u2019re quite welcome,\u201d later joking \u201cold guys like us have to stick together.\u201d<\/p>\n
And this where the story unfolds of how these two men crossed paths briefly 30 years ago, under dire circumstances upon learning that Robinson would need the double bypass surgery to avoid a deadly heart attack.<\/p>\n
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DIAGNOSIS: \u2018NO, POSITIVE IS NOT GREAT\u2019<\/p>\n
Robinson, who was 60 at the time and had recently retired as a State of Nevada data processor, recalled how he went in for a routine check up. The doctor hold him to lose weight and go on a diet. Robinson said he would. He then said he wanted to do a treadmill test. This led to other tests. At the time, Robinson didn\u2019t think they were urgent in nature. What followed wasn\u2019t what he thought it would be.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey came back and said the test was positive. I said \u2018great.\u2019 They said, \u2018no, positive is not great.\u2019 They said they discovered a blockage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said they did an angiogram to find out where the blockage was. \u201cI was then told I need to have double bypass right away,\u201d said Robinson.<\/p>\n
When the doctor told him he needed the surgery, Robinson said his first reaction was \u201cterror.\u201d Listening to Robinson tell it, Dr. Chapman said this is likely the case with most people when they\u2019re told this kind of news.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tell people, when you\u2019re not afraid, you\u2019re not paying attention. There\u2019s always risk,\u201d said Dr. Chapman.<\/p>\n
The options were on the table for Robinson.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you weigh it. There\u2019s that you do surgery or the possibility of dropping over dead. That\u2019s not much of a choice,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n
What then followed turned from terror to apprehension, Robinson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did the consultation. I remember telling people I didn\u2019t have anything to do that weekend, so I decided to have a bypass,\u201d said Robinson.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chapman explained how surgery was recommended in his case \u201cbecause when you wait, you can have a heart attack. So we acted promptly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robinson said on surgery day, he went in with his wife Marcia, told her he loved her, before being situated on a gurney. He said he doesn\u2019t remember much that followed after the surgery except being in recovery.<\/p>\n
Robinson spent eight days in the hospital, which was the norm for those kinds of open heart procedures 30 years ago. His wife Marcia recalls those moments in surgery as being \u201cvery worrying,\u201d from the time of operation to the lull when he was post-surgery and under anesthesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen visiting hours were over and we were still in recovery, I said something about leaving and they said, \u2018no you don\u2019t have to leave. You can stay as long as you have to.\u2019 The nurses were very nice,\u201d said Marcia.<\/p>\n
One thing Robinson does remember about his post-operation hospital stay was that he experienced an oxygen issue and a hose was inserted in his throat for breathing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember I had a gag reflex. Someone gave me something to knock me out \u2026 I wasn\u2019t too happy with the hose,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chapman routinely talks with his patients following surgery and a few weeks later, before patients generally go back to their cardiologist for the long term.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m kind of the short-term doc. Once you\u2019re over the surgery, I\u2019m off to the next one,\u201d said Dr. Chapman.<\/p>\n
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Marcia Robinson tells Dr. Chapman about Roy\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n
RECOVERY AND MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH<\/p>\n
Robinson underwent physical therapy following surgery and upon returning home. He jokingly recalled how he nicknamed one PT nurse \u201cWicked Witch of the North\u201d because she would make him get out of bed and walk, something that for nearly all post-op heart patients, is difficult but must be done.<\/p>\n
Going home couldn\u2019t have come sooner. He was given the clearance to leave, instructions on how to maneuver and the famous heart pillow, which is a compression pillow used to help alleviate pain in the chest area experienced following open heart surgery. It\u2019s used when movements of the chest such as sneezes, coughs or getting in and out of bed, can be extremely painful.<\/p>\n
Robinson recalled how one day at home in recovery, the heart pillow was in the bedroom. He was in the living room and began to cough.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like a mule kicking me, so from then on I made sure the pillow was with me at all times,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Three weeks into his recovery, Robinson thought he could go back to work where he had taken up a post-retirement data processing teaching job at Western Nevada College.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told Marcia I can do that and thought I\u2019d be fine. So about halfway through the class I ran out of gas. I called Marcia and said come and get me. But all in all though, it wasn\u2019t that difficult. I had my rock right here,\u201d he said, pointing to Marcia.<\/p>\n
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REGULAR CHECK-UPS ARE ESSENTIAL TO PREVENTION<\/p>\n
Even before surgery, Robinson acknowledged he did not exercise regularly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I did afterward. At the time I was up to 200 pounds, which isn\u2019t terribly heavy, but I did lose weight and started exercising after surgery. I learned that every pound puts stress on your heart and whole system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robinson said that though he was prone to routine checkups as he grew older, getting the news that led to the surgery had never entered his mind. Now at age 90, where everyone he knows says he looks fantastic for his age, Robinson said he\u2019s unsure what to feel other than he\u2019s maintained good health and is happy to be alive.<\/p>\n
Robinson\u2019s good health and mental acuity is sharp and there\u2019s a reason. Exercise and diet matter as does keeping your mind occupied. Acknowledging that with age comes some forgetfulness, Robinson said the love for his wife as well as \u201ckeeping on top of things\u201d has made all the difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how I\u2019m supposed to feel at 90. I equate it to what it was when I was younger, when there wasn\u2019t too many people who were 90 years old. Older people then were 70,\u201d he said. \u201cEven with memory, while we (all) lose some of it, I remember when I was 16 and didn\u2019t have a very good memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without a beat, Dr. Chapman jokingly chimed in, \u201cwell, girls will do that to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
As with anyone, getting regular checkups is important, Dr. Chapman said, adding that Robinson\u2019s story is a good reminder for people to regularly see their family doctor, who are really good at screening, whether it\u2019s a treadmill test or CT Scan or Coronary Artery Calcium score.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll those things you hear about. Know your blood pressure. Get checkups. You don\u2019t know if your blood pressure is high if you don\u2019t have someone taking your blood pressure. You don\u2019t know if your cholesterol is bad if you don\u2019t get your cholesterol checked,\u201d said Chapman. \u201cChecking in with family doctors is good for that. If you have a family history, tell them and they will be a little more focused on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carson Tahoe Health\u2019s Dr. David Baker, who was also present at the gathering, spoke of the hospital\u2019s wellness program and clinic held multiple times a year where people can get a series of tests, overseen by physicians, to find diseases that may have yet been detected.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chapman said it doesn\u2019t matter what age people are, all should be aware of their heart health.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I\u2019ll operate on people in their 50s or 60s and the family will be there and so I\u2019ll ask about family history. I\u2019ll say \u2018you\u2019re 25 years old and have a family history. Maybe you should get checked.\u2019 That way in their 40s there\u2019s already a baseline established, so when they\u2019re in their 40s, (family doctors) will be able to see the change,\u201d said Dr. Chapman.<\/p>\n
For Robinson, his advice is that it is never too early to get checked for heart health.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have some serious medical problems at 18 or 60, you never know. Get checked out. It can\u2019t hurt,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
February is American Heart Health Month and is being celebrated at Carson Tahoe Health. For more information about Carson Tahoe Health\u2019s upcoming heart screenings in February, email\u00a0community@carsontahoe.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n