Well my friends time draws close. Just got back from the preanesthesia interview at the hospital. Got way more information than I wanted and refused to ask any questions. Never realized I'd be on a ventilator for a day or two and be restrained. Because of childhood abuse I'm majorly claustrophibic. The good news is I'll be soooooo stoned I won't care. I'm used to being up and around shortly after any procedures I've ever had before ain't gonna happen like that this time. Guess it's good to know these things before hand but that doesn't mean I have to like it. My two best friends are taking me. (my choice) I have to be at the hospital at 9:00am surgery is at 1:00pm. My dad and brother, (two of my abusers) will be there too. I suggested around noon. I'll be so ripped I won't know they are even there. I have already asked for no visitors. When not feeling well I'm the leave me alone kind of guy. Staff will just have to deal with my stuff. Friends don't get paid to. Now will be a good time for me to test my dpendent skills, I'm used to being the caregiver not getter. That in itself should be a hoot. I'm sure none of you has noticed I have an independant streak a mile wide. Anyhow, instead of several individual messages thought I'd cover all in one. I truly appreciate all the prayers and well wishes. You are a very unique and wonderful group of people! To the degree this wonderful thing called the internet allows one please know that I love you guys. I feel both honored and priveleged to know you and have a fellowship with you. SARAH, your email was much appreciated! While trying to tell friends about it at dinner Sunday, I cried for the first time in a very long time. Mostly happy tears! You never need to question what you have to offer the world. You offer comfort and hope and compassion with no effort at all. Just being your own sweet self and spreading that around is plenty. I'm sure you'd make a great doctor, nurse, teacher, therapist, or whatever you'd like to be. When you start out good, whatever you do will be great. Yo hear that Ashley? The same goes for you kiddo! Anyhow, thanks for letting me rant yet again and know once I have a mind back, and the ole heart is fixed, you'll all be there as well as in my prayers. Oh BTW ya never know, It's not Kris, it's Thom. I could have made it UnconventionalChristain but you know me.

You really don't want to have that surgery do you? But you have too, God will be with you. I know that any surgery can be scary I've had some, but were all praying for you and will keep checking on you. I know how family can be, my father was one cold man. I still feel the effects of that this very day. You take care and I'm asking God for angels to watch over you.

Hi Thom...AKA Kris...thanks for keeping us informed...I know a little of what you're going through..the doubts and it's really scary but know also that you are in His Holy hands and nothing can go wrong there...The ventilator sounds like a big scary machine but it really is just to allow your body time to rest and not have to make the effort to breathe...allowing the cardiac output to be decreased so the heart doesn't have to work as hard giving it the time to adjust to the re-routing or whatever is necessary during the bypass...I know that's kind of a layman's language I'm using...but hey nobody ever credited me with being anything but an ER nurse ...know that we will all be thinking about you and praying for His loving hands to guide throughout your surgery and recovery....and know that you are a very special person and I feel privileged to know you even though it's only through this medium...your compassion shines through...and you are such an encouragement to me as well as to the "younger" folks on here...we llllllluuuuuvvvvvv ya man....God Bless You and speedy recovery....being stoned isn't such a bad thing is it <grins>

Oh great, now you come out with the truth JUST when I was beginning to think that your name was genuine AND witty too!!!! Do you know HOW horrible I am with names???!!! You have set me back MONTHS my friend ... mind if I call you "hey bud" it works for everyone else I know

Know this my friend. You are a warm and loving person. I can see by your responses that you care much more than the average person when you craft your replies and you are loved more than the average person in return. All our prayers are with you and God's hand is upon you. Your Dr's are also blanketed and rest in God's more capable hands. (and not to forget your dad and bro too!)

God bless ya

I hope that I DIDNT hear that post as a goodbye, cause all you gonna be is out-of-pocket for a while, or I will be kickin your hiney !

I think you have been the best big brother I could hope for, because this site has been life saving and the only friends i have .. truly .. no lie, and you have given me advice that I have actually taken (I dont usually) so you better get better and come back so I can rant and rave and you can tell me to shut up and listen to myself.

We love you here and your Christian family will be praying for you to make a speedy recovery and shed your special light on us, as you will be sorely missed.

You'll be Kris to me for a while

I agree with all that's been said so far... you'll be in my prayers in the morning. The vent is to reduce stress on you and your new parts, you'll be off soon enough and complaining to the nurses to get out

Whenever I go for a procedure all I wanna know is if he's had lots of practice doing it, other than that, the less the better - just drug me and I'll be fine

Lookin forward to your return, I think Josh is able to find out for us.... take care

Thanks for all the well wishes and love. Just about annhour until I'm due at the meat market. For those who made mention. Right on, drugs and tight lips are the only way to go today. Jenn, nope not good-bye. Remember I said I was too mean to die just gonna nasty away little by little. Actually that's the major fear. No fear of my body dying but would hate to hang out as some kind of veg. That's why I've got paperwork that wouldn't allow that.

To try and keep my friends lives as simople and uncomplicated, ( not to mention they're more 'puter illiterate than I am) I arranged for Jos to get at least some sort of update and have asked him to drop a line here. Well except once again for the love y'all thing guess that's it for now. Hopefull may be back home by the week-end ( not holding my breath) and will get with you then. Thanks for everything and truly, can't tell you how much y'all mean to me. Oh,, just a side note. After hearing about Chemical Ali and probably Saddam and son I had to really keep from going YAY! All inall I'm sure it would be OK but they are human souls and it saddened me that I could actually be glad about death for anyone. Oh well, one less thing I have to carry now. Thanks for listening!

Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to this before you left, but I have been praying for you today and know that God is Good and always in control...

I have a little secret to share Thom. I thought you were Asian... Kris Chen..get it... Chen

OMG, I sit here laughing to myself and wishing I got to say Hasta La Vista to you last night. My thoughts and prayers are with you now tho, and I'll sport some chopsticks in your honor tonight...

i'm so sorry that i didn't get to say good bye to you last night. if i would've known you would be on, i'd be here to say basically what everybody else above has said. i have been praying for you throughout today, and i'm glad to have found out that you're "resting comfortably."

thank you so much...for your words and comfort, even through all that has been going on in your life. you're truly one of a kind, Thom.

hehe...i've always "seen" you as Kris...Thom is going to take some time to get used to.

God bless you! He definitely has you in his hands.

Dont worry Embie, I did too at first, then I said it outloud to myself .. blonde moment I guess ! I am glad you are in good spirits and will be back soon !

I got this from Thom's roommate the other night. I posted it in the prayer thread, but just now found this thread...(I've been a bit behind being away).
'
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
This is Thom's roomy, Dave. Thom is in ICU resting comfortably after a 5 hour quadruple by-pass this afternoon. The surgeon said everything went well and he should be fine. If there is any change I will send another short update.
Thanks for your concerns it helps.
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Will keep everyone posted if I hear anything else. But you know him... I'm sure he continues to do just fine.

any news? how's he doing?

i pray that he is doing fine! remember to keep him in your prayers, guys!

YEA!!!!! it's great to read a post from Kris *cough* Thom on here!!!!!

I'm so happy to know that you're still live and kickin'!!

God bless you! PTL!

Missing you my friend!!!!

Holler or send word through someone!!


Praying for you!

Well, y'all it's finally me again in the flesh. I'm sorry to have been gone so long and must admit I've missed all of you. Just beginning to catch up. It's now been four weeks and two days since the surgery. Seems like forever or yesterday not sure which. I went into congestive heart failure a few days after getting home. Stayed in the hospital for six days then went back for another two. Finally am able to walk for a half hour at a time twice a day and my breathing is getting better all the time. Speaking of UKC even my body is unconventional. It was actually a triple bypass. After harvesting the veins for the procedure they opened me up. My Aorta sometime perhaps in gestation decided to extend itself. Sort of like a hose extension for a vacuum sweeper. That darn thing then decided to attach itself to my liver. So, it was bisected and used for the fourth bypass. The heart itself was in an unconventional position. Heck why be ordinary in any way eh? Bottom line is, I'm still experiencing a good deal of discomfort but the old ticker is strong and I'm on the mend. Monday I go for a stress test and hopefully will begin Cardiac Rehab the following week.

Please keep one of my roomates from the hospital in your prayers. His name is Tom and I'm sure God will know which one you'll mean. He wasn't as fortunate as me and his heart was so weak they wouldn't even do the bypass surgery on him. See, God always has his mysterious ways. If not for my connection to hospice, I wouldn't have been much help to him and his family when they got the news. I did manage to get the message accross that none of us ever knows how much time we may have left. Some of us are blessed enough to know it may not be anywhere near as long as we expectwed it to be. I gave them hospice information for later on but put the emphasis on doing a lot of living in the time left. He has a grandchild in PA, his daughter and son-in-law are building a new home there. I suggested he go there with them and spend as much quality time as possible seeing them grow and their dream come true. He's a John Wayne kind of guy but softened with the blow he was dealt. How ever long he has could be the best quality life he's lived in his 66 year history. Suddenly he knows what things matter and which don't. He seems a nice man, his family sure loves him and now maybe he'll even take the time to love himself.

Anyhow, y'all it's good to be back and although I'm NOT doing much 'puter time these days I will be checking in from time to time. My love to all of you and thanks for all the love you've sent in my direction!

Praise God for you my friend!!!


Good to see your typing again!

Thom!
Glad you are on the mend. Get well soon. <hugs>

I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *sends big hugs* i'm happy to see that you're doing better, too! oh man, this is exciting to see ya online!!!