Letter to the Editor: Italy or Life

I love to travel with my wife of 33 years. Since, we are both x-Delta airline employees, (the Best Airline in the world), the cost for air travel is reduced significantly. Obviously, there are still hotel, meals and ground transportation costs. Never the less, we are still among the privileged few that can see the world without breaking the bank. 

Italy is one of our favorite destinations. Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, Bari (where my father was born) , Lake Como and my favorite …The Amalfi Coast. 

But, Thank God, we were not traveling this past week, because I have little doubt that I’d be around on this earth to share this story. I don’t care if we were in one of the largest of cities in Italy or even in the USA for that matter. NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas…It’s doesn’t matter. The Doctors and Nurses who kept me alive in the small town of Fayetteville Ga. at Piedmont Hospital are the reason for my being able to share my experience. 

At the time, I was feeling OK with just a little uncomfortable feeling in my gut. Since I had experienced the effects of a bleeding ulcer on three separate occasions in the past 20 years, I knew that the bleed had started again. “Jules, we have to go”.

My wife, Jules, rushed me to the hospital to the Emergency Room. I almost fainted in the Hospital Parking lot; she had to rush in to get a wheelchair for me. Once inside, anyone could see that every square foot of the area was packed to the brim with sick people. We found out later that day that there was up to a fifteen hour wait in the ER. Totally ridiculous and unacceptable. I’m sure, the flu and high health costs were the main culprits.

I guess the combination of me being drooped over in the wheelchair looking like I was about to take my last breath and my wife yelling loudly “help, please ,someone help” led to my immediate assistance. Fortunately, In a matter of a few minutes I had gotten through two levels of necessary blockades before being serious evaluated in the next room.  Smelling salts were used to keep me upright in the chair so that arteries could be accessed and blood taken … I’m sure my blood all over the floor wasn’t the best specimen to use … (sorry, not cool). 

In less than 15 minutes I was placed in an Emergency room with a lovely nurse (Katland) and had a CT scan of the bleeding Duodenal Ulcer. 

Next, a plan was devised with Dr Gryboski for next steps. Dr Gryboski is a fantastic Gastroenterologist in the Fayette and Newnan areas who I had the pleasure of knowing for years.  It was first determined that he would quickly perform a Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Plan A) . In plain English…knock me out and go through my throat and put a clamp of the bleeding artery. It took two clamps to stop the bleeding. 

Later that day, My wife and I met with the Nurses and Doctors of Plan B and Plan C. This was coined as a “Just in Case Meeting” to go over the very small possibility that that an Emergency Plan B situation was needed. Plan B was essentially, going up through my Groin ,and placing coils to stop the bleed. It was called a Angiographic Embolization. But they made it abundantly clear that they would only go this route if it was a real, true, immediate emergency because it was a very serious procedure and had life treating risks associated with it because of the poor shape my arteries were in. And, Plan C was full blown Surgery and was caste aside as not being realistic at this point in time.

Well, Thank God I wasn’t traveling. Because unfortunately after about 20 hours or so, we found out that the clamps weren’t holding and I started to bleed again. Actually, I started bleeding a real lot. I needed to be given two units of O+ blood immediately.  Looks like Plan B was going to be a real, true, immediate emergency regardless of the risks that were (not so long ago) detailed in a crystal-clear manner. At this point in time …The only other person in the hospital that looked worse than me …was Jules!  

I believe it was Doctor Kies that performed the Embolization which I was told took about an hour and a half. Essentially, they inserted 7 coils through my groin to the area where the clamps Dr G placed failed to hold. This would definitely stop the bleed. 

According to my wife, my color was beginning to return. The doctors were even talking about the possibility of my having grits and scrambled eggs for breakfast. It seemed like 7 coils did the trick. 

Not so fast… about 3am all hell broke loose. I was on a bedside potty when blood start shooting all over the place. I mean, the floor, walls, furniture, etc. I heard Jules screaming for help and The Rapid Response Team was being summonsed over the hospital loud speakers. They were being called into Room 246 …My room (damn). 

After 4 more units of O+ blood, the idea was to now proceed with Plan C …Surgery. But the Surgical Team was very concerned about the risks. Apparently, the bleeding ulcer was tucked away in a really bad location. It is so close to Vital Organs that damage to my Liver, Pancreas and Gallbladder could be at risk. 

Four doctors consulted on what needed to be done next. It was determined that they would go back to Plan B and try again. They felt that the 7 coils did work, but after stopping that bleed, another Artery had more pressure on it and sprung a leak. So back down stairs where Doctor (sorry, I forgot his name) performed the second Embolization. A couple of hours later, 11 additional coils were inserted into a couple of arteries.

Apparently, this procedure was able to stop all bleeding. It was at this point in time, My sister Marge coined my new name “Slinky Man” (with 18 coils in me).

I’m home now, waiting for my next surgery. What surgery…you ask! Well, when I first got into the ER ( a week or so ago) and they did a CT Scan, they found that my AAA had grown to a size where surgery was needed for immediate correction. AAA is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. However, because AAA surgery would require using Blood thinners…. And blood thinners did not make sense when they were trying to stop a bleed; they would have to wait their turn. You can be certain; this new procedure will be performed at Piedmont Fayette Hospital. 

Man, as much as we love to travel, I’m so blessed that we were in Fayetteville Ga. when all this went down. We were In the hands of Fantastic Nurses and Doctors at Piedmont Fayette Hospital. I truly wish I remembered the names of all the professionals that took special care of me. Thank you all for watching over me and Thank You Lord for your Love.

Dan Cupertino

Williamson, GA

Formerly of both Peachtree City and Fayetteville