I finally got to meet, sit down and talk to my mystery doctor after 15 days--the man who came into my hospital room May 20th and said I would have to have open heart surgery--he was not a figment of my imagination! Frank P. Catinella, M.D., is a Thoracic surgeon.

When he came into the room and asked me how I was doing I laid out the whole experience of the last two weeks and how bungled it all was. He let me get it all out, surprised at some of the things that did and didn't happen. Though he didn't point the finger at anyone he did agree that I was treated wrong and he apologized for his part in it. He did say he didn't understand why the procedure I went through in the hospital wasn't explained to me.

In any case I felt a lot better after I got it all out and we got down to business. It seems I have Aorta Stenosis. He explained why I would be better off getting the operation done sooner than later including the few symptoms I have like having a hard time catching my breath for a few seconds even when asleep as, over time, the symptoms will get worse, I will get older, etc,

He explained the difference between the choice of valves I have--one mechanical the other made from a pig--trying for a little humor I told him I was Jewish so I didn't know about the pig and he retaliated with he would find a kosher pig--what does a doctor named Catinella know about kosher.



Due to the fact that I take coumindin he felt the mechanical valve could give me problems with deposits and eventually small blood clots.

We spoke for an hour--which when I realized how long we talked really blew my mind as I don't recall ANY doctor taking that much time to discuss my problem and answer my questions.

Then we got down to the nitty gritty--continued in part 2 of part 8