19 Weeks after Open Heart Bypass - 18 Holes of Golf

This is another big day!  First round of golf after bypass surgery!  There were many ways that I prepared for open heart surgery 19 weeks ago.  Of course one was prayer, another was understanding the medical procedure by reading materials, and another was focusing on the positive results after surgery.

The night before and the day of surgery was a new experience!  To be mentally prepared for the operation and the initial recovery took a HUGE amount of focus.  When I talked to some people, they were scared to death!  Of course I was a little nervous, but my main focus was God's hands guiding my surgeons hands during the operation.

But another focus was playing 18 holes of golf as I was prepared for the day of the surgery.  After I removed my clothes and was shaved from head to foot, I laid on the hospital bed waiting for all the needles, tubes & wires to be connected.  I focused on the first hole at Fairview Golf course in my home town of Lebanon, PA!  As the wires were connected and anesthesia was administered I teed off on hole number one, a short par four dog leg left.  I focused on teeing up the ball on an early summer morning.  The wind was calm and the sun had already risen above the tree line on the left.  I played the fisrt four holes and the next thing you know I was waking up after surgery!

Well, today, 19 weeks after surgery, I teed up the ball for real!  And the first drive was in the fairway, the second shot came up a few feet short of the green.  I chipped up and two putted for a bogey 5!  But, that was my best bogey I ever had!  The sound of the ball falling in the cup was music to my ears!  A new heart, my first round of golf with my new heart, a round of 87, and a great four hours with three great friends!  To my buddies from the class of '71 from Cedar Crest High School, Bill, Dave and Bob!  Thanks for an awesome day!