At 74 years old I was admitted to a hospital for the first time in my life.
6 days ago after a whirlwind of medical tests, it was determined my heart was in trouble and if something wasn’t done quickly, I may not be here for another Christmas. Having never been in a hospital before, I was told by friends who have had similar operations to listen to the doctors and nurses and simply “go with the flow.”
That ‘flow’ started at my local hospital Monday night and has seen me being transferred to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, one of the best cardiac care hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic region.
It was determined I needed two major operations, one for a carotid artery stent and the other for an open heart bypass.
So far everything has gone well with my following the ‘flow’ with the first operation a complete success.
The scariest part for me begins tomorrow at 10:00 AM when the second operation takes place.
I’m not at all worried about the outcome as my life is literally in God’s hands and the surgeons and nurses He has brought together for me.
Nor is it the possibility of not seeing my family again. The love of my wife, two grown children and our grandchildren will be in my heart as I enter tomorrow’s operation and we’ve had a wonderful life.
The scariest part, or should I say the second scariest part, is not being able to jump out of this bed and begin writing articles for all the new publications that are planned to launch soon.
Our industry is on the verge of finally becoming a major powerhouse in construction and I’ve been writing about its rise for over a decade. I’ve met thousands of industry folks during that time and the thought of not seeing what these men and women will accomplish over the next 10 years is very scary to me,
I’ve been to many IBS conventions, reported on the events of both the Building Systems Council and the Modular Home Builders Association and toured many modular factories over the past decade.
The worst thing that could happen is not seeing my family until after the operation tomorrow. Right behind that are not seeing the people that have supported my efforts over the years and not being able to attend any more industry events and host my builder breakfasts, Industry Roundtables and Modular Boot Camps.
Plan on seeing a lot more of my events coming up soon.
I expect to make a full recovery and continue on my journey and can’t wait to resume my duties of Editor-in-Chief of all of iMedia Group’s publications, modular home source blog, Offsite Builder website and the soon-to-be-launched Offsite Builder magazine.
I want to give a shoutout to some people that have become true friends that I know I can call for anything.
Ken Semler, owner of Impresa Modular and my partner in iMedia Group, LLC. We are about to launch a new website and a print magazine for the Offsite Construction Industry. Ken has been my rock.
A couple of others are Andy Giannino, owner of The Home Store, Bill Murray, modular industry consultant, Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of the MHBA and Rob Ebbets, iMedia Group’s Dir of Marketing. They have always been just a phone call away.
And I can’t forget the team at iMedia, Charlie, Kelly, Micah, Rob, and Lydia who are simply the best.
I’ve met thousands of men and women during my journey of writing the blog and I want all of you to know I couldn’t have done it without your support and encouragement.
This is my last article until I can begin sitting up and writing again and that might be another week. I really hope to be around another 10 years giving you my personal views, industry news and interviews.
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow and I am sure it will help me get back at my desk quickly.
Gary Fleisher is Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and the soon-to-be-launched Offsite Builder. Email at [email protected]
