Just a few weeks after cardiac bypass surgery, John Dobbs relaxes at home in Fargo, sitting on the couch next to his wife, Anita. Married almost 48 years, they still make each other laugh. "Well, here's what happened," says John, a retired insurance professional, who winks as he recounts his recent medical experience. "I went into MeritCare to get my hangnail fixed and next thing I knew…heart surgery."
John first noticed chest pain on the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 8, during intense exercise. "I'd done my upper- and lower-body work and was well into the cardiovascular exercises. I got on the recumbent bike, cranked it up higher than usual just to see how far I could push myself, and that's when I felt the chest pain," he recalls. "Even though it came and went quickly, I went home thinking about it. The next morning, I exercised again, this time without eating just in case it was heartburn. Low and behold there it was – the chest pain." John knew the symptom needed to be checked.
The next day, he went to see his primary care doctor at MeritCare Island Park. Dr. Ron Wiisanen, board certified in family medicine, listened as he described what happened, examined him and administered an electrocardiogram. The test showed no heart attack and no heart problem when John was at rest, but Dr. Wiisanen knew further investigation was needed. John's heart history included an angioplasty 15 years ago to treat a partially blocked coronary artery. "When Dr. Wiisanen lined up an angiogram for the next day, I knew we were on track for getting this resolved," says John. The test would take place in the cardiac catheterization lab at MeritCare Heart Center.
The angiogram on Thursday revealed three blockages. Initially, bypass surgery was scheduled for the following week, but while at MeritCare for the angiogram, John began to experience chest pain at rest, prompting the need for next-day surgery. During hospitalization that night, John's medical team carefully monitored his condition, providing the right balance of medications to keep him as comfortable as possible and prepare him for surgery.
On Friday afternoon, Dr. Roxanne Newman, board-certified cardiovascular surgeon at MeritCare, and her team performed the successful three-hour surgery. John recovered rapidly. By 10:30 that night, the breathing tube was removed and he was breathing on his own. When his family returned for a late-evening visit, they found John telling jokes to the nurses. On Saturday, he was up and walking, and by Sunday night, his only pain medication was Tylenol.
"I think I astounded everyone, even my nurses," he says. "The truth is I felt good after surgery. Part of it might be that for being almost 70 years old, I'm not in bad shape, plus I have a lot to live for." He gets tearful when he talks about spending time with family, including his four grown children and their grandchildren, and singing in the choir at Holy Spirit Catholic Church where he's sung tenor for more than 20 years.
"It was amazing to be able to go home 69 hours after being rolled into surgery, and to walk out on my own – no wheelchair," John says. "I slept quite a bit those first few days of being home and have discovered naps are good healers." The following Monday he began exercising three times a week at the MeritCare Cardiac Rehab Program. On Super Bowl Sunday, he and Anita invited friends over to watch the game. "I was worn out by that night, but really enjoyed myself," he says. "People are the important part of my life."
His love for people is obvious in his many activities – playing trumpet in the Shrine German band, singing in the Shrine chorus, working part-time at Boulger's Funeral Home, serving in leadership roles in Lions, playing golf in the summer and taking trips with Anita. He looks forward to returning to all of them, but for now focuses intently on his continued recovery. He closely follows recommendations he's been given for medication, check-ups, appropriate exercise, a heart-healthy diet and rest.
"Out of respect for what has been done for me in this recent heart surgery, I plan to continue to do my best in caring for myself," says John. "If I could get one message across it would be this: Get to know your body and respond when it talks to you. If you have a symptom, get it checked out promptly. I truly feel we're all responsible for our own health care."