To recap: I lost my ten year battle to avoid a CABG ( pronounced cabbage – meaning coronary arterial bypass graft) and on July 8th 2013 I had an ‘elective’ surgery.
Some medical terminology really gets my goat, I did not elect to do this I had no real choice – options:
1. have a massive heart attack, die or be disabled
2. Have this ‘routine’ operation to give you 15 – 20 years of a normal life.

The comment that annoyed me ‘it is routine’ a CABG is not ‘routine’, an eye test is routine, cleaning your teeth, a five hour operation that saws open your ribs, stops your heart and lungs is NOT routine.

This operation took place almost three months before the expected date, to say I was not prepared is the understatement of the year. My home was undergoing a major construction project in readiness for my operation, and was a life threatening hole for a healthy person neveR mind me. So I needed to move out.

I was still busy with putting head in sand syndrome. I was rescued by a friend Ana, who cleaned, organised, prepared and fitted out the flat into a home. Later in this blog I will give a guide to help other people prepare for this non- routine operation. There was so many things I needed through the seven months that I have taken so far to recovery, that I would never have thought to have them ready. What had organised itself was that I had friends and relatives coming to staying look after me for 12 weeks, they came from India, USA, London and next door. That was a blessing, that I did not orchestrate and was totally thankful for.

On the day of the operation Ana was with me, this again is important as she kept everyone updated and it’s great to wake up to someone who loves you. On the way to the Theatre I had origami flowers from my niece and the sound of Queen:” I want to break free” playing on my ipad to dance to as I went in.

I do not remember much else until I woke up to see my husband & Ana. As you come out of that deep anaesthesia in a strange body, these people become the reason to wake up, their hopes and fears are written on their faces.

So could I have avoided this? Or was this just delayed for over ten years ago. On Monday 21st June 2003 i went for an angiogram and my LAD Left Anterior Descending Artery was not visible on the screen, completely blocked. I remember Dr Rodney Foale, saying you need a bypass, but he used his skills to give me stents, I had four over the next nine years. In a future blog I will look at recovery from stents and a by pass. We are a family with heart disease and we are living experiments:

My brother had a heart attack in April 2003 of the same year, he was 50 and was diagnosed as needing a triple by pass and he chose a different path to reverse his heart disease. You can find out how he did it on :
Vin | Club 150s
http://www.club150s.com/author/vluthra/
I have added yet another seed to my list of ingredients that I blend in my smoothie every morning. List is now flaxseed, sunflower, sesame and hemp. Why hemp …

Green Smoothie

So my recipe is based on his life enhancing green smoothie that he has every morning:

5 fruits of your choice, he uses tinned too I don’t. I do recommend frozen berries for convenience. Make your fruit choices seasonal. You can chop and freeze daily portions to make smoothie making quicker.

Banana, apple, kiwi, blueberries, pear as they keep and are always available
150g a couple of good handfuls of greens, spinach is best but kale, frisée, salad greens have all been added.

Then the supplementary ingredients of your choice:
Ginger half inch piece (1.5 cm) chopped
Cocoa powder a heaped teaspoon
Turmeric a half teaspoon powder or fresh root if available
Lemon juice and rind

Flaxseed, sesame, sunflowers and coconut mixture
Walnuts or almonds

Sometimes I add them all other times none at all. It’s my mood.

The top up with water and juice. Mix well drink. I find I cannot drink I one go so I put Ina bottle and put in fridge or I have made ice lollies and ice cubes.

Again your Smoothie your choice.