Sent: November 26, 2015

To: Dr. David H. Adams and Dr. Amit Pawale

Dear Dr. Adams:

Today is Thanksgiving Day, 2015, and I am getting ready to go to my daughter's home for a Thanksgiving celebration with my entire family. The mood is festive and joyful, a sharp contrast to Thanksgiving Day one year ago, when I celebrated Thanksgiving on the seventh floor of Mt. Sinai Hospital, with a seriously compromised mitral valve, and apparently a tricuspid valve issue and pfo, both of which were unknown at the time.

My cardiologist told me that I needed someone very special to handle my mitral valve issue. That someone was you. I met part of your team before I saw you, and I was not sure that I would get to see you at all, as I had been told that you were extremely booked up with surgeries. I met Dr. Amit Pawale first, and I was struck by his calm yet caring demeanor. He became my guardian angel; a face I saw many times including my emergency return to Mt. Sinai after I experienced a sick sinus node syndrome.

I then met Dr. Ahmed El-Eshmawi. He was extremely interested in my condition, and was sure I was in the right place. However, the theme from everyone was doubt that you could handle my situation any time soon because of your incredibly crowded schedule. In fact there was talk of me being treated with Lasix while at home waiting for a surgery date with you. This was indeed a frightening prospect, but one I had to accept if I wanted you to perform my operation.

Then you strolled into my room with your team. I must say you had an almost ethereal presence about you. You took much time listening to my story, my developing symptoms, my diminishing capacity to do things like climb stairs, walk up even the slightest inclines, climbing out of sand traps on the golf course. You made it clear that my condition was dangerous to be sure, and yet you were presented with a dilemma - how could I jump ahead of others who were in need of your talents and who had been waiting for their turn to be operated on by you? After spending time with me you said that you would get back to me as to what would be done.

I am not sure why I had no concerns about undergoing open heart surgery, but I looked forward to it like I am looking forward to today's Thanksgiving celebration. The experience was something that I could not imagine, and I want to say that your entire team, doctors, nurse practitioners and pa's, were outstanding. They were supportive, knowledgeable and caring, and I had no doubt that things would continue to go well.

The nursing staff at the hospital, particularly the immediate post-op staff, was incredible. And the nurses, aides, and other personnel on the recovery floor were fantastic. One cannot imagine how important something as simple as bathing at the bathroom sink can be for a patient's feeling of well-being.

When I left Mt. Sinai, I was so thankful for having been sent to you, not only by my doctors in New Jersey, but I believe by forces I do not understand or even know about- call it the spiritual guidance from my parents who looked down on me.

But, I had more to go through. The return emergency trip to Valley Hospital in New Jersey as a result of my sick sinus node syndrome opened yet another chapter in my medical saga. The doctors in New Jersey felt that I should be returned to you for an evaluation of where things stood in terms of the valve surgery and the need for a pace maker. You willingly took me back, and knew exactly what the situation was and what needed to be done. Here again my guardian angel, Dr. Pawale, came to me and said that I had a perfect valve repair, but that I would need a pace maker to address the issue which arises in a small percentage of post-op patients. This was a relief, since I had given pause for thought that I might need another full operation to address this new condition. Dr. Mark Miller saw me, explained what he would do, and proceeded to put in a pace maker - I have had it for close to one year and all is well with it.

Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for what happened. My brush with a serious medical outcome turned out to be my life being given back to me - that is the life I had before the mitral valve condition drained me of so much that I could physically do. Nor does a day go by that I do not think of you, Dr. Adams, your demeanor, your interest in me, your humanity. I am choked up writing this letter, but it is a great feeling to write it. I am thankful beyond words that I found my way into your hands - hands I have come to learn which belong to a most incredible heart surgeon with a huge and well-deserved reputation. Your name comes up invariably when the subject turns to heart surgery for mitral valve issues. Who did your surgery, I am asked - David Adams I respond - oh yes, I heard he is the one is the response I usually hear back.

By this time you are probably growing weary of this recapitulation of my experiences. But I wanted, indeed I needed, to express my feelings to you and to thank you from the bottom of my (repaired) heart for giving my life back to me. I go forward each day confident in the knowledge that I have a heart which will serve me well for the rest of my journey. I will be celebrating Thanksgiving today with my wonderful family who stood by me and supported me at every turn of my ordeal, and I will be giving thanks to you and your team, including special mention of Drs. Pawale and El-Eshmawi of course, for the gift of life restored. I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, and you have my permission to take the Saturday afterward off.

Sincerely,

Ken P.