Had an appointment with my Cardiologist in Atlanta this past Wednesday that went great! I am doing very good, could stand to drop a few pounds (when you are in heart failure, they are always wanting you to drop a few pounds, but this time I agree with them) and all is well in my world.

Back in 1988, my Cardiologist recommended that I have a heart operation known as the Fontan Procedure. I was in the operating room actually being opened up when old scar tissue tore and I almost bled out. They had to stop the operation to save my sorry butt.

Time passes….

Today, that same cardiologist recommends the Fontan only as a last resort. He does his best to manage your health through medication and lifestyle changes before resorting to the Fontan, because the Fontan puts a lot of pressure on the liver. A good number of people who have had the Fontan and needed a heart transplant later can’t get on the list, because the operation has wrecked their liver function. :(

The Fontan is often the last operation you have. You almost “paint yourself in a corner” when you have it, because it is so difficult to “take down and do anything else.

But they still use it because quite often, there is no other choice. You have to learn to manage your lifestyle and live with it. Thankfully, I got away without and I’m doing good - but in 1988, we were all disappointed that it *didn’t* work.