Now this s**t is getting real

I now have a date for my open heart surgery.  June 27 is when I will show up at the hospital at 5 a.m., be prepped for surgery, and wheeled into the operating room.  It is a date that I both dread and look forward to with a sense of anticipation.
Dread, because in spite of the high odds this operation will be successful, this is a big, scary deal.  And anticipation, because once I get through this, I will have a brand-new heart valve, and with it, improved physical vitality and energy and the possibilities they provide.
As I waited to see my surgeon yesterday, I felt anxious.  Two days earlier, an angiogram revealed a partial blockage in one of my coronary arteries.  I was sure this discovery meant that my surgery would even riskier and my odds for success lower.
But Dr. Richard Stahl, who will operate on my heart later this month, exuded calm confidence, reassuring me that the bypass - in which a vein from another part of my body is installed as a detour around the offending blockage - is something he and the surgical team can easily handle along with the replacement of my aortic valve.
He told my wife and I that he has completed more than 1,000 heart valve replacement surgeries during his 31 years in practice, which also made me feel like I will be in good hands.
Between now and my surgery, I will continue to work to maintain a positive attitude.  I know this will get harder and harder as the date approaches.  I will visualize a successful outcome to my surgery and the recovery period that will follow.  I will also focus on the future beyond my surgery, to keep in mind the "prize" that is the reason for going through all of this in the first place.
A shout out to my good friend, Wendi, who practices Buddhism, and is channeling energy during her daily chants toward my successful surgery.  She has also taught me how to do my own chants, which I will definitely incorporate into my other meditation exercises.
One other silver lining - as soon as I got the date for my surgery, I bought a ticket for my daughter, Salome, to fly home from Berlin, where she is studying abroad during her junior year of college.  She will be with my wife and I during and immediately after the surgery, which will be a great comfort.
My thoughts go out to everyone who is either facing a similar surgery in the near future, or who has recently undergone a heart operation and is now on the mend.  Good health to all of you! We will get through this!