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Health

Calabasas Man….Surviving Three Consecutive Open Heart Surgeries (One Day after Running 5 Miles)
By Randy Goldring

I am a tennis player and a trail runner. At least I was, and will be again. What happened in the interim? My whole world was sent upside down by a visit to the doctor's office.

After returning home from a vacation to England I tried to see my doctor. I had developed a persistent cough and figured I needed some antibiotics. My physician, who praised my health after giving me a full physical just a year prior, was overbooked and couldn't see me for six weeks. Ugh! Luckily my wonderful wife Lyn gave me a referral to another doctor and off I went.

My new doctor asked me if anyone had ever told me I had a heart murmur. I replied no. He left the room and came back with the address of a cardiologist. He told me to hurry over there as they were expecting me in less than thirty minutes.

After undergoing quite a few tests the cardiologist told me to wait in one of the rooms. I'll never forget sitting there, smiling, propped up on one of those doctor tables with that daffy paper laid across it…as the cardiologist came in. He sat in a chair, looked at me stricken, and told me I'd need emergency open heart surgery within the next 72 hours. A rupture prior to surgery would be fatal. He knew far better than I what lay ahead. I felt myself go wobbly.

After even more tests conducted over the next couple days I learned I had an elephantine size thoracic aortic aneurism. My aorta, which is the largest artery in a person's body, had inexplicably grown to over three times its proper size. It literally had mushroomed to almost the entire size of my interior cavity.

After receiving a fantastic recommendation, Dr. Taro Yokoyama agreed to be my surgeon. Fortunately for me, the operation would take place at St Vincent Medical Center. In retrospect, had I not had world class care and a surgeon whose expertise had even been acknowledged via knighthood by the Pope himself, there is no way I would have survived to tell my story.

Having your chest cracked open once is traumatic. Having it done twice is a rare nightmare. In my case, due to "weeping, poor clotting and because my aneurism was larger than anyone had ever seen, I required three separate 8-9 hour operations. In fifty years of doing heart operations, even Dr. Yokoyama had never had a patient needing three consecutive open heart surgeries. Each of my surgeries was performed only an hour or two after the previous one. No wonder I gained the nicknamed "the miracle".

I'm so grateful to the wonderful nurses and staff at St Vincent's whose professionalism and compassion helped me survive my ordeal. What can I say about a surgeon, 75 years of age, who can calmly persist in a high risk and virtually non-stop chaotic open heart surgery environment for tens of hours on end?

Today, it is six weeks later and I'm driving and about to go back to work. I've been taking two miles walks, and am not long from again running the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains with my buddies. Within a month I expect to be hitting fuzzy yellow balls back and forth across the net.

Prior to my surgeries, when people asked me how I was doing, I'd often reply "life is good". Looking at my wife, my three kids and a fantastic community of friends, when asked that question in the future, my reply will be "life is great."

310-680-8884

DrYokoyama@taroyokoyama.com

Keeping your Skin in Shape
By Janet Little CN - Henry's Farmers Market Nutritionist

During exercise your core body temperature increases beyond its normal range. Your blood vessel near the surface of your skin releases the heat by producing sweat. It's essential to keep your body's temperature in balance by drinking proper amounts of liquids and by allowing your body to properly release the production of sweat.

Structure of the skin

There are two primary layers of the skin called epidermis and dermis. The epidermis is your outermost layer of your skin and the dermis is deeper and thicker and composed largely of connective tissue. The pores that you see within the epidermis are the outlets for your sweat glands. You also have two varieties of sweat glands that are the sudoriferous glands and the microscopic sebaceous glands.

Working up a sweat

Since your sweat (sudoriferous) glands are quite small, it's easy for them to get clogged. When your pores are clogged, you may notice little bumps on your skin that I call sweat bumps. These little bumps are caused by prolong sweating and by wearing tight or damp clothing.

Getting rid of the bumps:

Shower immediately after exercising and use seaweed soap. Seaweed is a great detoxifier and firmer for your skin. Then every other day try use an exfoliating hydro glove on your skin. You should notice the bumps disappearing within a week or two. If the bumps look like a heat rash and they don't disappear, consult your doctor.

More tips to keep your skin looking fresh

• Wear sweat-wicking clothing during workouts. These materials are designed to absorb the sweat away from your skin.
• Apply organic creams and lotions to your skin. Looks for creams that contain antioxidants such as vitamin C, E, green tea, or shea butter.
• Always wear sunscreen when exercising outdoors. Use at least a 30 spf and look for sunblocks that are sweat resistant. All Terrain™ makes a great no slip, dry grip, sweat resistant lotion.
• Eat right for your skin. Consume foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Each day try to eat every color in the rainbow. Flaxseed, walnuts, and salmon are great sources of nutrients for your skin.
• Be sure to drink lots of water to help keep you skin hydrated and detoxified. Water helps flush out all the waste products that your body produces.
• Mild skin conditions that won't go away - consult a doctor. Don't wait until you develop a serious condition before you call your doctor.

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