Please keep Mark and Sally Stevens (from Buffalo, MN) in your thoughts and prayers. Mark is in the hospital for triple bypass surgery. He will miss hunting season this year.

If you have some funny pictures to cheer him up, I'm sure that Sally can print them out for him at some point. He'll get a smile out of those.

Sally and Mark are good people.

Geez, sorry to hear this. Thanks for posting, Devi.

I send my very best wishes to Mark with hopes for a perfect outcome.

I have the official record as the most handsome man to ever shoot at Buffalo. I'm betting Mark will soon have the record of "Quickest 25 straight after bypass surgery."

:)

Get well quick, Mark!!

Don't worry, Chester will bring some in for ya 'til you can get back.

Hi Sally,

Give our best to Mark and we wish him a speedy recovery. See you both in the spring.

Dean and Dennis

My little friend says that he'll help you out this season. He's a little on the radical side, though.

Sally,

Hoping for the best for you and Mark for a speedy recovery...we will be praying for you.

Reg. Todd, (hawaiian wannabe)

I hope the jokes don't hurt the chest wound too much. Get well soon. AJ

Get well soon Mark, hope to see you this winter. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Pam and George

Thanks, Devi, for your sweet thread. It's been a shock and a big surprise for Coach but, because he's had to wait for the surgery over the weekend (in the hospital hooked up to monitors, naturally!) he's had some time to get adjusted to the idea. What he hasn't adjusted to is the idea that he won't be hunting this year. We're working on that still.

The doctors say his case is a 'slam dunk' because he's got all the right stuff to make the surgery a success. I'll just be happy when he's home.

Wait until he finds out that his hamburger days are going to be severely restricted. Whoo boy.

CSJ

We will be thinking of Mark tomorrow that everything goes well. He will be home before you know it. Our thoughts and prayers are with you both. Bob and Annie

Mark and Sally

We wish you both the best as always. We have some great medical facilities here and we're sure your in good hands. Keep your chins up and listen to the doctors. Maybe you can convert one or two into shooters and students. Let us know if there is anything we can help with.

Bob and Mary Lou

Calamity, You and Mark will be in our prayers. My wonderful wife just had her 2nd stint put in this year and both times things went great. The power of prayer is huge, and we have to keep the faith in our lord. Trapshooters.com seems to have a large base of belivers, so I am sure you will have loads of prayers.

I got this pic from Tron's Cat (Kitty's) cousin. His has just finished his training at Purrfect Shot Shooting School. Jeff Ryals

Mark here. Thank you for all your well-wishes, your visits, your kind words and your prayers. The trapshooting community is one of the finest groups I've ever been associated with and I am so proud to be part of it. I'm sure I'll pull through this just fine and Sally will keep you informed of my progress.

I'm looking forward to standing on the line again next spring and competing with you all soon. Until then you will all be in my prayers too. Thank you. Mark aka Coach

Calamity, that boy can have a hamburger now and again just don't get fat in it. looks as though you better get yourself and that pup down here so we can get both of ya hunten. We'll send coach pics.

I'll send mark a love note so as to make him feel better :-)

Surgery's in under 5 hours and Coach is a little apprehensive. Thanks for all your posts--they really help! I'll update when he's back in his room and settled in. It's amazing how routine something like open heart surgery is nowadays, and how quickly they kick you out. He should be home by Thursday!

I had an old dear friend I used to hunt pheasants and ducks with. He had a quad by pass on the Monday following opening duck season. We went hunting pheasants in Iowa four weeks later. This was 30 years ago and he was 62 at the time. Don't give up on hunting this year yet. Good luck and have a speedy recovery.

Mark Zauhar

Will power is a great healer. I'm sure you both will be back in the field before you know it. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

The Scribners Bob & Laurel

Hang in their, Sally. I know how you're feelin' right about now. Just sent prayers your way.

He just went in. The doctor said they're going to try for a quadruple bypass if they can so we'll hunker down and wait. Thanks again for all the support. Sally

Sally, our thoughts and prayers are with you and Mark. Mike & Trudy in Alberta

Quadruple bypass, vent's out, the recovery begins. He's not quite fully awake yet but has already told me he loves me. He also told the nurse, the respiratory tech,......! Long road to recovery but we're on our way. Sal

Sally,

Give Mark a hug from all of us here at the shop. We will keep Mark in our prayers and hope for a speedy recovery.

Dennis DeVault

You mean he doesn't love Martin?!!! He'll be *crushed*.

You may be pleasantly surprised at how quickly recovery can occur. Just follow the Doc's orders but don't be afraid to put a bit of reasonable exertion into the recovery program. Walking in two or three days up and down the hospital corridor is a beginning. There will also be some stretching exercises. Do them as often and as hard as directed. You will also be told to cough. You might get a pillow to hug when coughing to keep the lungs clear. Believe me, HUG THAT PILLOW TO YOUR CHEST LIKE YOU WANT TO SQUEEZE THE STUFFING OUT OF IT WHEN YOU COUGH! That passes fairly quickly but be aware it is normal that you might bring out a tear or two the first few times you cough

Given proper follow-up exercise, you just might be ready for hunting before the season ends. Just push yourself to, BUT NOT BEYOND, your limit imposed by the Doc. Your body will tell you when it is time to take a break. If you end up going deer or other larger game you will probably need someone to do the draging.

In my case, a fiver on November election day, out deer hunting (with a handgun) Monday after Thanksgiving. I did have someone on call for dragging duty but I didn't need it. No Deer came to me but I was only one or two hundred yards into the woods. The following week I did a bit more woods walking on the days the weather wasn't to wicked.

One other thing to keep in mind, you might be amazed at how boring it is to look at the walls and floor of your house after the first few days. Find some sheltered place where you can walk BUT NOT WITH MANY PEOPLE AROUND (FLU CONCERNS) to help break the boredom. Keeping a positive attitude is important.

Good Luck, Good Shooting and Good Hunting.

Sal. All of us are on his side right now

Hi Mark and Sally

We wish you well Mark in your recovery and hope all goes well. I'm sure Sally will keep a close eye on you and make sure you do as you are told.

Here's to a speedy recovery. The critters will be waiting for you! Put your health first and foremost!

Take care....we're thinking of you both!

Tom and Cindy

Mark & Sally, I have you both in my thoughts. It is good to hear that Mark is in love with everybody again:-) I will hold your invitations to come hunt Kansas until you are both ready, unless you can't wait for him! Hope that he recovers fast. I know big hearts heal fast and he is one of those for sure. Patience to you as he will be feeling better very soon. Jim

Sending hugs and prayers your way. As someone who's been in your shoes Sally, I know how much it means when they first open their eyes! Tell him to work on getting well and that he can have turkey burgers that can be just as good, if not better, than beef. (Quackshot has a fabulous recipe!)

Luvn

An update: Mark's resting now but it's a rare occurrence--the hospital is truly not a restful place. Blood pressure's finally under control, lines and tubes are being pulled, and rehab has started. For those of you who have already been through this, I know you can understand when I say that a good nurse is golden. He loves hearing your comments so thanks again for everything.

I just got back home from visiting Mark and Sally at the hospital. After a rough day yesterday, Mark is feeling much better today. The staff took him out for a walk while I was there this morning. Sally has been by his side for the past two days and send their thanks to those concerned about Mark. Sally is going home later today to get a change of clothes for Mark, just in case he gets discharged tomorrow.

Ron

Good Deal! Thanks for the updates.

Yes, thanks for the updates. No news for 2 days was a little troubling, but I know how draining that whole hospital experience can be. So glad he's doing better. He'll do even better yet when he get's home.

Thanks again for the update.

Bob

Mark & Sally,

That is great news and will pray for more of them.

Reg. Todd, BC

Sounds like a speedy recovery. What hospital did you use? Get well quick. Glenn

Update: Coach is resting semi-comfortably right now in his room. He's been doing his therapy, just got finished a walk around the unit, and everything is progressing the way it should. The doctor who performed his surgery was the same doctor who performed the same on Mark's dad nearly 20 years ago! Things have changed so much that the doctor didn't even stop Mark's heart during the operation or put him on the bypass machine. He was able to complete all four bypasses with the heart still beating, and did it all in about 2 hours.

Mark's surgery was done at Mercy Hospital's Heart Center in Coon Rapids, MN. It is a fantastic facility, in the top 10 in the nation for heart procedures, and the nurses have become family. I can't say enough positive about it, but I hope I never have to use their services again. This experience was, literally, heart wrenching. We just celebrated our 1st anniversary a week before he unexpectedly went into the hospital so anything other than full recovery for another 50 years was not an option. We may be home as early as tomorrow lunchtime!

Good to hear everything is going great. 50 more years is definately an option. And trust me, a hamburger every once in a while is still OK.

We're home. It's been a lot of ups and downs in one week and coming home is sweet for us both, but also a little scary away from the comfort of the hospital. I still have three teens at home who have taken care of themselves this whole time, and the house was clean, warm and wash was done. A miracle!

The doctor told us that it was a miracle Mark hadn't had a massive heart attack before they got to him. Sort of puts everything in perspective in life, doesn't it? He's resting uncomfortably (!) in bed; he said that the hardest part is over and there's only upwards and onwards from here on in. I hope he's right. I'm most worried about doing something that will hurt him (I earned Calamity honestly, trust me) and making life altering changes to our diet that make food unpalatable.

Anyone here experienced a bypass before? Can you offer any more insight on the recovery process? Or good healthy recipes that red meat-eating men will love? I've read everything out there but there's nothing like personal experiences from people you can trust to help.

Thanks again to all. Trapshooters are certainly the best people in the world.

There are a number of cookbooks and recipes that make good, and in fact almost TOO good, tasting meals. Chicken, Fish, Turkey and so forth. Limit the aggs, bacon, hamburg (except for ground turkey burg). Explore some different spices to all flavor in place of salt. On your shopping trip check out a good bookstore for heart healthy cooking.

Lightly cleaning the incisions, both chest and leg, with a 50/50 solution of saline and normal strength hydrogen peroxide, as suggested by the Doc, seemed to speed the healing process. Just dab it on with a piece of gauze and another piece to dry did the job.

Invest in a blood pressure meter. Check for normal BP. I noticed a little light headedness about three days home and strongly suspected low BP. We went to buy a cuff but they were all out. That evening I got up from a chair and got quite dizzy and hit the floor. Quick trip to the ER and a two night stay in the hospital only to have them tell me my BP was low and they reduced the BP meds. While in the hospital I ended up putting about two miles a day just walking up and down the corridor. A BP cuff could have kept the problem from needing the ER trip.

The following is my post to another bypass patient on Trapshooters.com a few years ago. The info is still valid.

I had a fiver (or at least that was what the Doc told since I decided to take a nap and let him do all the work ;-) on Election Day 2002. By the way that is a GREAT DAY to have surgery since you are asleep during all the BS pumping done by the tv and radio stations.

I missed the November league shoot two weeks later but made it deer hunting, although in a somewhat less strenuous than my normal manner, just about four weeks later. I did restrict myself to a handgun (.44 Mag) with the admonition that my daughters would have to drag out any deer I got. I gave them a break and didn't get one (only by good luck for my daughters and the deer and bad luck for me). I stayed with the handgun because I thought that the .300 Win Mag rifle might just be pushing it a bit.

About two weeks after that I shot the December League shoot. I started with those featherlite loads a few days before just to see what it would be like but they were just to lite for me. I went to a 1 oz. standard and there were no problems. I don't recall shooting a great score but I did break more than half of them (about what I normally shoot).

He will probably have a sore spot in the upper part of his rib cage under his left shoulder for a couple of weeks after the surgery. In my case, that seems to be a bruise left by a rib spreader. It made getting up from bed a bit "more interesting" but it did not affect shooting. It does goes away in a couple of weeks.

Also in the hospital they will most likely give him a pillow to hug TIGHTLY when he coughs. He will be STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to cough to help keep the lungs clear to prevent pneumonia. When he coughs, he will know why he should hug the pillow TIGHTLY. The way it feels when you do it the first few times, well, let's just say that if hugging reduces the pain, I sure as hell would not want to cough without the pillow!!! There is still more than enough with the pillow to bring tears to your eyes the first few times.

Do the stretching exercises they will start on right in the hospital and START WALKING. My Doc told me to get maybe a mile in a day, not necessarily all at one time. This was maybe three weeks after surgery. After that visit I measured just what I had been walking. It turned out to be about two miles. I kept my normal route and told him about the distance. His comment was if you don't get any pain, shortness of breath or lightheadness from it, keep it up. Your body will tell you what you can and cannot do. Six weeks after surgery the Doc removed all restrictions.

The main thing is keep moving. It helps the blood to get around and not pool. Staying in bed, literally, can kill you if there are no other factors that would require a more sedentary style.

His Doc will probably order cardiac rehab around six weeks after surgery. DO IT!!! It not only gets your body back in shape but, and maybe more importantly, it can help convince your mind that you are more than capable of doing things you might have thought could not be done.

All this is based on only a CABG (coranary artery bypass graft) (pronounced "cabbage"). I do not have any experience about a caratiod cleaning so that may, or may not change what he has to do.

Tell him to keep busy and keep moving and hurry up and get back on the line.

***

Then a follow-up message

Welcome Back! Glad to hear you are on the road to another season of shooting.

One thing not mentioned in my earlier posting is to keep the wife at bay. My wife was more afraid of my recovery period and what I was doing (walking, resting with legs elevated, pressure stockings, bp checks etc.) than I was. I did what I was told and she tried to do everything and kept bugging me "Are you sure you feel okeay?" and "Do you want me to do that for you?" type of questions.

I finally had to let her know that I was doing fine and her continued offers of help were appreciated but were definitely not in my best interests. I would let her know when I needed help, for instance putting the pressure stockings on and off. She just about panicked when I said I would accompany her to Wal-Mart maybe a week after getting home. By that time the Doc had cleared me to walk, in a controlled environment temperature-wise. I am in northwestern PA and November gets kind of cold sometimes. Wal-Mart proved to be okay since I could use the cart as a support (not really needed but nice to have) and a number of benches to sit if needed were available. I did look a bit funny carrying my heart shaped pillow with me and when the check out clerk tried to see what the price was I told her about $50,000 and she looked at me kind of strange. Then I explained a bit! Incidentally, the Wal-Mart trip worked well since there were no flu or colds prevalent in the area and it gave me a chance to get out of the house and keep from wearing out the carpet from the constant walking I was doing while home. [You may have to adjust this time because of the current flu situation!]

One thing to keep in mind is that your medications may require adjustment as to dosage levels and frequency during the first few weeks of recovery. The Doc cut back on the BP lowering meds and the Beta blocker since following the surgery my BP was lowered (probably due to the weight loss I also had that was a part of the entire process) and a bit of lightheadness and one dizzy spell that put me one the floor when I got up from a chair two or three days home from the hosptial. If you get any thing that you are not sure of, contact the Doc to find out if it is something that may or may not require intervention.

Good luck and follow the Doc's orders but also do not be afraid to push yourself a bit within the limits that the Doc sets. They have done their job a heck of a lot more times than you have done your recovery job.