Willy Esteban's Blog

Heart Valve Update

Willy Esteban — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:13:00 GMT

On August 6, 2009, less than six months since Dr. Lamelas replaced my defective Aortic Valve, my cardiologist, Dr. Lopez, informed me that my heart is no longer enlarged, that it shrunk to a normal size. Dr. Lopez also stopped all the meds I've been taking since the operation except one baby aspirin a day.

Dr. Lopez, who's been my cardiologist since 1977, should feel very proud of how he's managed my health since then. The result of his wise decisions over the years, including the precise time to have my valve replaced, could not have been better. I feel truly lucky to have him as my doctor.

Cowardly Policy

Willy Esteban — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:59:00 GMT

It seems that it is a tactic, if not a policy, of the Obama administration to repeatedly remind folks that the nation's state is one the administration "inherited" (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/29/obama-still-cashing-in-on-bushs-economic-failings/print/), as if though that came as a surprise to them.

The Obama team ran one of the longest presidential campaigns in history. From the start, they articulated the problems they perceived to be hurting the nation: Iraq, Guantanamo, healthcare, economy, environment, etc. Appropriately so, during the long campaign they effectively blamed the Bush administration for those problems. They qualified themselves as the best equipped team to take ownership of the problems and promised voters big and swift solutions. Their proposal was clearly accepted.

Now, when the reality of governing has set in; when the weakness of the Executive branch relative to the power of Congress has been revealed, again; and when the people have begun rejecting some of the team's solutions; the Obama team tries to appear as the surprised victim of inheritance. That, in my opinion, is the tactic of political cowards.

There's ample opportunity for the Obama team to do great things for America, but they need to develop political cojones, quit whining, and effectively work with Congress, where the real power of the federal government resides.

Costa Rica - Second Update

Willy Esteban — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:09:50 GMT

Sorry for not posting more stuff here but I've had no time or reliable, fast internet access to do too much online. There are some new videos in YouTube and some new photos in my photo album.

We arrived in San Jose yesterday and met with Carlos Molina, my childhood best friend, and his wife Lizzi at their finca overlooking San Jose. The view at night was quite spectacular. Spending time with them at that altitude felt like being in heaven surounded by angels.

Arenal - July 11, 2009

Willy Esteban — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:38:00 GMT

We spent our first full day day in Costa Rica in the Arenal area where we explored through a couple of local sites.

We're staying in a lovely place named El Silencio del Campo, which I highly recommend. We've met the owner, Luis Diego, who, along with his friendly staff, runs a first-class operation. The rooms are spacious and clean and the grounds are beautifully landscaped.

After breakfast, we went on a two-mile hike to the Arenal Hanging Bridges. The scenery there was beautiful. Had the humidity, though, been one percentage point higher, we would have been swimming through the place. Boy, was it humid!

Carrying two children and backpacks around helped us work up an appetite so we stopped and had lunch at a roadside al-fresco steakhouse. From there we headed to the La Fortunal waterfall, where we managed to descend 500 oddly-shaped steps into the area where the, ah, water falls. The problem with descending 500 steep asymetrical steps in a humid, densly packed forest carrying children is that you have to later ASCEND. I would upload the video I took of everyone goion into the cool waters around the waterfall, but I've threatened with severe bodily harm if I show the gals in their bathing suits.

By the time we arrived back and had dinner, we were all pretty tired so we very quickly said our good nights and went to bed.

Costa Rica - Travel day

Willy Esteban — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:39:00 GMT

Today Lauren and I, along with Matt, Maha, and their two daughters, Yasmeen and Dahlia, begin our fun trip to Costa Rica. The primary purpose of the trip is to attend my elementary school reunion.

Upon arrival in San Jose, we will go to La Fortuna, home of the Arenal volcano, where we will stay for a couple of nights. Our next stop is Hermosa Beach in Jacó, where we will spend time with our friends Judith and Paolo, at the property they manage.

A few days after that, Lauren and I will go to San José, where we will meet up with my childhood best friend, Carlos Molina, and his wife, Lizzi. I'm really looking forward to seen them. On the 18th is the reunion, which will surely be a hoot!

This is our graduation picture from 1969. I'm the one circled in red.

Stay tuned to this blog for the next two weeks, and leave your comments. I'll also be posting links to these entries on facebook.

PURA VIDA!

Term Limits

Willy Esteban — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:00:00 GMT

In a conversation about the recent tea parties, a friend expressed his disdain for career elected officials and his desire for term limits. The comment, oddly enough, did not result in a lengthy political conversation, but it did cause me to think more deeply about the issue; particularly, about the reason why anyone would favor limiting the number of terms an individual may serve in our government.
Folks that know my political thoughts know, or can probably guess, I'm against term limits.

A quick search of a few Internet sites (salon.com, huffingtonpost.com, politico.com) yielded some insight into the arguments for and against term limits. The ones most frequently expressed on those sites were related to Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress, although term limits are more often used for local and state officials. The most common reason cited in their favor is the disdain for the power amassed by individuals like Senators Kennedy, Byrd and Specter, who, according to one article, have collectively spent over 90 man-years as legislators. Some believe that limiting the terms of elected officials will eliminate, or at least, substantially reduce their influence and power.

Another common argument I've heard over the years for term limits is that our founding fathers never intended elected positions to be careers. Elected government officials were supposed to serve and then return home to continue their career or profession.

Common arguments against term limits are generally related to the First Amendment (i.e., freedom of speech) and voter or state rights to elect those that can best represent their interests and in a manner and frequency of their own choosing.

The argument that the founding fathers never intended elected office to be a career is, in my opinion, moot. The assertion is a myth. Had the majority of the participants of the Constitutional Convention thought then that term limits where necessary, they would have certainly put it in the Constitution. But, as originally written, there were no such limits included in it. They didn't even limit the number of terms the President could serve; that came over 160 years later in the XXII Amendment, which was ratified in 1951. From what I've read of our country's formative period, the sentiment then was to let each state determine their own election rules.

Disdain for the amassment of power is legitimate and perhaps shared by the vast majority of voters. The question is: What is the most appropriate way to quash it? I reject the use of term limits because I think they cater to and further encourage voter apathy. With term limits in place, voters wouldn't have to do anything to remove an elected official; it would be automatic and the path of least resistance.

The average turnout for a presidential election is just over 50%; for mid-term congressional elections it's around 35%; and way lower than that for local elections. Given these numbers, we don't want to do anything to encourage voters to stay home during elections.

Governments based on democratic principles, such as ours, work best when voters are actively engaged. Anything that discourages voter participation, like I think term limits do, diminishes our government's effectiveness. Furthermore, our most precious and sacred treasure is freedom; particularly, the freedom to choose who among us will govern us. To allow government to dictate when the term of our elected representatives ends is, in essence, surrendering a big part of our freedom of self-determination. Surrendering any part of our freedom should not be done lightly, and certainly not for convenience. Doing so would weaken our foundation and increases our risk of falling prey to the danger feared most by our founding fathers: tyranny.

Given the path we're on toward a more socialist economy and the willingness of the majority of our citizens to give government more control over us, I fear that voters will soon give away our freedom for self-determination. I urge every voter to think hard about the consequence of

Ft. Lauderdale Tea Party - April 15, 2009

Willy Esteban — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:23:00 GMT

Today Lauren and I went to our local Tea Party with our friends Mark and Kim. There were about 1000 people at the event and more were arriving by the time we left. There were many clever signs. This was, I thought, the best:

I hope the effort of the folks that went out today to protest the exorbitant government spending, bailouts and the forthcoming tax increases are being noticed by Congress.

You can see a few pictures of the event here, Mark Buttler's FaceBook photo album.

Univision Reportage about Dr. Joseph Lamelas

Willy Esteban — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:49:00 GMT

Here is another reportage about Dr. Joseph Lamelas and his minimally invasive procedure. This segement aired on Monday, April 6, 2009. Of course, I'm the patient being interviewed.

This is the link to the video.

Telemundo Reportage about Dr. Joseph Lamelas

Willy Esteban — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:25:00 GMT

This is a reportage broadcast on our local Telemundo station about Dr. Lamelas' minimally invasive procedure. The surgery footage is not my own or the same procedure I had. The similarity, though, is that Dr. Lamelas reaches the area of the heart he needs to repair through a small incision, just like mine.

If you've been following this blog, you'll know that the small incision means less pain and more rapid recovery.

Change Came Rapidly

Willy Esteban — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:15:00 GMT

By May 2008 I had predicted Obama would win the presidential election. The basis for my prediction then was my own sense that our socialist-minded population, which I believe to be around 40%, coupled with the haters of the previous administration and the disillusioned with the McCain campaign, who stayed home and didn't vote, would be sufficient to catapult Obama into office.

By September 2008, as the policies of an Obama presidency began to crystallize, I realized that the change the Obama campaign was promising was going to move us away from capitalism and closer to socialism (see this entry). What I could not imagine then was the speed at which the change would take place.

Having read the new administration's agenda, executive orders, and the legislation signed so far by the President, I am willing to predict now that by the end of this administration's first term, 60% of the population will be either completely or largely dependent on government for sustenance. The big one, of course, will be universal health care. The other will be that the government through its national banks (i.e., banks the government owns, like Citi and Bank of America) will hold a large portion of the population's assets (cash and properties).

With such a large percentage of folks getting more from government than ever, this administration's second term will be almost assured. Voters will be afraid to bite the hand that feeds them. What will happen then is difficult for me to imagine; but, I am almost sure that major constitutional changes will be proposed and passed. The first one will be the abolishment of the electoral college and the implementation of new rules for presidential elections. Those will include elections by popular vote and also longer and/or unlimited terms. We will see severe limitations or perhaps a complete ban on firearms. There may also be attempts to control speech.

These and others are the changes, I think, you can count on. The question is: Are they changes we need? I don't think so.

Finally, I hope I fail as a political prognosticator.

Active and Getting Stronger

Willy Esteban — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:16:00 GMT

OK, so it's been a little over two weeks since my open-heart surgery and I'm feeling better and stronger every day. Today I decided that instead of the daily walking I've been doing, I would try walking with my lawnmower in front of me. It worked very well! I mowed about half my yard then stopped cause I didn't want to overdo it.

(For those that don't get the video in you email, click here to see it)

I was never short of breath or felt any pain of discomfort. I was careful, paced myself, and took a couple of little breaks. Tomorrow I'll finish the other half.

My most sincere thanks to my cardiologist, Dr. Leo Lopez; Dr. Joseph Lamelas, his team, and his minimally invasive procedure; and all involved in my care at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, for the phenomenally successful replacement of my aortic valve.

Meet My New Valve (Graphic - Viewer Discretion Advised)

Willy Esteban — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:17:00 GMT

I just received these from Dr. Lamelas and wanted to post them ASAP; consequently, I've refrained from verbosely commenting about them. Perhaps Dr. Lamelas can chime in and clarify each photo for us.

Photo 1 - Meet My New Valve

Photo 2 - My Old Valve

1 - Part of my old aortic valve before Dr. Lamelas removed it. My guess is it's one of the two infirmed flaps.
2 - My aorta, which Dr. Lamelas cut open to gain access to my aortic valve.
3 - Dr. Lamelas' iPod.

Photo 3 - My New Valve

1 - The three flaps of the new valve, which is already in place.
2 - Dr. Lamelas' digital camera.

Photo 4 - New Valve, Wider Angle

1 - Rib retractor. As I recall, from Dr. Lamelas' video of a previous surgery, he created or worked closely with an instrument company in the design of this retractor specially for this type of procedure.

2 - View of my new valve through the incised aorta.

3 - Dr. Lamelas' electric shaver.

Photo 5 - Closing Up

1 - Pair of wires that stuck out a hole just beneath the incision (out of view to the right), the same hole through which the drainage tube came out. The wires were initially hooked up to a machine a little bigger than a paperback book. I assume the machine serves as some kind of external pacemaker. The day after surgery the nurse removed the wires from the machine, rolled them up and taped them to my chest. The doctor thar removed my drainage tube, gave the two little wires a tug and yanked them out. When he did that, I felt my heart flutter a little.

The plastic-bag-looking material around the wound seems to be a tape that helps keep the wound open during surgery. That, I guess, prevents having a bunch of fingers in there pulling the skin. Did you also notice in the other photos how sutures are used to hold fleshy flaps and stuff out of the way? Cool!

Photo 6 - All Done!

1 - 5 centimeter incision. That's it! I've had razor cuts bigger than that.
2 - Dr. Lamelas' hand, feeling around, making sure he didn't leave his iPod in there. I noticed he didn't have dirt under his fingernails.
3 - The surgical area was one of the coldest places I've been on this earth.

Days 1 and 2 - Post Surgery (REPOSTED)

Willy Esteban — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:33:00 GMT

(For those that get this via email, sometimes videos don't come through. To see the embedded video, click here)

I arrived home around 10PM on Sunday. Amazing! I took a mini shower, shaved and walked around the house in disbelief. I never imagined I'd be home so quickly.

Monday I got up at 5:30 AM and took another mini shower. I had to be careful to keep the hole from where the garden hose I had in my chest had been yanked, dry. I made myself breakfast and by 6:45 I was walking around my block. Some neighbors where came out to greet me and were amazed I was home already. By the end of the day I had walked around my block three times.

Today I got up at 5:00 AM again and took a proper shower, made myself breakfast and was doing my first walk by 7:00 AM. Right around lunchtime, my mom and I drove to a golf course that's near my house and we walked for about 15-20 minutes through the wildlife preserve in it. See the above video. Right after our walk, we went to the supermarket to get all the goodies my mom needed to make "Carne con Papas" which a Cuban-style beef and potato stew.

During the last two days I've been monitoring my blood pressure and pulse. It has been hovering around 115 / 75 and pulse of 75. The highest my pulse has been in 90 beats per minute.

Tonight we have a movie to watch and tonight.

I cannot believe how well I am doing. Every step I take is like receiving a precious gift from Heaven.

By the end of this week I plan to have an essay about my experience posted here.

I'M GOING HOME!

Willy Esteban — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:39:00 GMT

Dr. Lameles, based on my condition, has discharged me!

There are no words to describe how thankful I am to Dr. Lamelas for his formidable skill; I feel very lucky to have met him. My recovery could not have been so fast without the assistance of my wife, Lauren, my mother and my sister - they were superb. My return to health couldn't have happened without the prayers and well-wishes from all of you.

I'll blog tomorrow from home!

Quick Photo Update

Willy Esteban — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:47:00 GMT

Today has been a busy, busy day. With my mom's and Lauren's help I've walked miles! The nurses on the floor keep asking me if I'm training for a marathon. Anyway, thought I'd upload some quick photos for you to see.

Dr. Lamelas told me today that he took some photos of the operation and also a film, which I'll get later. As soon as I have them I'll post them.

I feel absolutely fine! I have virtually no pain. The biggest pain is a drainage tube I still have in my chest. It's coming out tomorrow.

5:00 AM with my mom, Lauren and my sister in the waiting room.

Getting dressed for surgery. High, high fashion.

After surgery. I was actually sticking my tongue out at Lauren, my mom and my sister,
which I could see.

Another one in the recovery room.

In my room with Michelle, one of my very, very competent nurses. This is the day after surgery.

This is the incision! This is why I had Dr. Lamelas do the surgery. The guy is just amazing!!!!!
Can you imagine? He took out my aortic valve, from the middle of my heart through that tiny hole.

This is a at 7:00 PM today, two days after the surgery. Look at me! I'm dancing!!!!

Wow!

By the way. I would not be in this condition had it not been for Dr. Lamelas; but, most importantly, because of your prayers and well-wishes. You cannot how important and the tremendous amount of strength I derived from you, my family and friends. Thank you, very much.

OK. Gotta go walk some more so that I can go home by Monday.

Success! So Far...

Willy Esteban — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:26:00 GMT

Sitting here in my regular room, out of ICU. You've all read the informative entries made by Vicar. Thanks, Vicar.

This will be a short update. Tomorrow, when I get the a USB cable, I'll post a more detailed entry with pictures.

I'm sitting up and walking.

Willy is up...

Willy Esteban — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:02:30 GMT

The ventilator was removed

He is good spirits

Was allowed to make a phone call

Says his pain is about a 5 out of 10

Tomorrow he should be moved to the lower level ward.

Pinched a nurse in the rear!!!!

Vicar

Willy is in recovery...

Willy Esteban — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:56:40 GMT

He is in recovery and doing well

Still connected to pumps and ventilator

Ventilator should be removed within the next 2 hours

Incision is about 5 inches long

Lauren, his mother and sister saw him

He stuck his tongue out to acknowledge them

He should be moved to another section later today

Lauren wants to remind every one that he wants no visitors...

Vicar

GREAT NEWS!

Willy Esteban — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:23:43 GMT

Out of Surgery.

Big valve was installed (appropriate for his heart!).

Ready to move to ICU.

Lauren should be able to see him in about 1 hour.

Dr was very pleased with the operation.

Vicar

Finally some news...

Willy Esteban — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:35:56 GMT

Just spoke to Lauren and she said the valve is in, he should be in the= OR another 45 mins. He is still in the by-pass machine. So far so good!

More news as I get them. Vicar