Wally,
Hope all goes well, I am sure us SDers will be here not only for prayers and general good vibes, but to brighten your day a bit while you are in recovery!
Keep us updated and I will say a little prayer for you 
Well, hell & damnation.
Here I was all set to tell Wally to be sure & smuggle a magnifying glass into the OR so the surgeon can find his heart, when he has to go & call me his favourite cyber doc. Geez. {{{{{{{{{Wally}}}}}}}}}}}
Wally, the decision to do surgery vs. less invasive procedures like angioplasty, stent placement, & roto-rooting is a) outside my area of expertise, and b) way outside the advice from an online friend category. If you have concerns, questions to ask your docs are:
- Will this surgery help me live longer?
- Will this surgery help me live better (reduced chest pain episodes, increased activity level)? Then, if activity level is the major benefit, ask yourself if you plan to take advantage of it.
- What risks factors got me here? Are there nontraditional risk factors that might apply to me? Low HDL levels, high insulin levels, low B12/folate levels with high methyl-malonic acid levels, chronic inflammation/occult infection are all candidates for this role.
- If you smoke, QUIT NOW!!! Get whatever help you need (patch, Zyban - talk to your cardiologist about the patch since nicotine could trigger angina, though it is no less harmful than the nicotine in smokes), but quit now. Even 1 week off cigarettes substantially improves lung function & lessens your chances of having to stay on a ventilator for a long time or getting pneumonia. Just do it.
Oh, and once you’re in the hospital, be a jerk. 
If you think something was supposed to happen & it didn’t, ask about it. Ask what the pills are & what they do. Trust, but verify, is a good philosophy in health care. Sometimes meaning well isn’t enough.
Take care of yourself. This fellow loose-can(n)on Catholic is sending radical prayers your way.
Sue from El Paso
Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.
Best wishes to you Wally. I am glad they found it before something more serious happened.
I really try to be good but it just isn’t in my nature!
Wally, ask your surgeons these two questions:
- Where did you graduate in your class.
- Will I ever play the violin again.
Educate yourself on the procedure and recovery and talk to others that have been there/done that. Have your family do the same. You certianly don’t need them spazing out on you.Tell them you’ve revised your will and are leaving everything to the Flat Earth Society and your pals at SDMB. That will take their mind off your heart and wonder about your marbles.
Take it easy and before you go into the hospital, eat the last fried food meal, fast food crapfest you can. And promise yourself to eat cleaner and move more once you are up and about. Not many people get second changes like the gift you are being given, young man!
Best of everything to you and prayers for a speedy recovery!
Wally, ask your surgeons these two questions:
- Where did you graduate in your class.
- Will I ever play the violin again.
Educate yourself on the procedure and recovery and talk to others that have been there/done that. Have your family do the same. You certianly don’t need them spazing out on you.Tell them you’ve revised your will and are leaving everything to the Flat Earth Society and your pals at SDMB. That will take their mind off your heart and wonder about your marbles.
Take it easy and before you go into the hospital, eat the last fried food meal, fast food crapfest you can. And promise yourself to eat cleaner and move more once you are up and about. Not many people get second changes like the gift you are being given, young man!
Best of everything to you and prayers for a speedy recovery!
Wow, two posts in one minute from me…I’m a nympho poster…
Wally,
I have a few words for you,
1- Do what the doctor tell you, not what the voice in your head says. 
2- I will be praying for you too.
3- You had better lets know how things are going.
4- Sneak into the admins. offices at night and post! Or take a laptop with you!
Ayesha
Sorry to hear that, my best wishes as well, and while I have no first hand experience with this, I do have a humble suggestion for you. I think you ought to begin a course of visualisation. It’s not hard. Picture one small mighty mouse of a creature ( you must attach a physical appearance to this magiacal creature, let your imagination run amok ), flexing, flexing, pumping, getting ready for battle. Picture this little mouse as a general, imagine his army multiply until his number is legion. The general works the army into a lather, and then on a signal the army invades! This army washes over your entire body, slowly from head and toe to meet in your chest. If you can imagine this like a cartoon you run in your head, and use it as a meditation 2-3 times a day. Remember it is all about empowering your army of defence, it’s all positive. By the time your surgery comes you should be proficient at it. Once in the hospital, do it often and you will startle the doctors at your rate of recovery. In the meantime it will help to keep you from being overcome from the stress of the waiting. It’s just a humble opinion, take it for what it’s worth, but it is what I would do.
Best wishes to you for a swift recovery. Everybody has hit the best advice, but I’ll chime in anyway.
One thing to think about, I’ve heard there’s a fairly new procedure (3 yrs?) where they do the operation orthoscopically between the ribs. This means no broken ribs or sternum, meaning less pain, faster recovery, fewer side effects. Discuss this with your doctor.
Also from a guy who’s been in the hospital, two things:
First, when they tell you to move around afterwards, do so, even if you feel weak. It is important. It keeps clots from forming and helps prevent pneumonia, I think.
Second, if you have discomfort, or pain, or anything doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to tell someone - like a nurse, or the doctor. I suffered through an unbearable night of fluctuating up and down with chills and sweats - thought it was going to kill me. Probably had a fever from the loss of blood - I was borderline needing a transfusion but we wanted to play safe and avoid getting blood if we could. Anyway, they could have given me something to help. Also known people to suffer through itching like crazy and trying to identify the cause - probably the pain medication, not the sheets.
Keep a positive attitude, smile in your heart. And tell your family you love them, just because.
I went through a quintuple bypass last May at UNC Chapel Hill. The above advice is correct in every account. You will feel better than you have in years. (after you recover from the operation.)Always do what the Docs ask or suggest. Please feel free to E-mail me with any questions. Also, the suggestion about the huggy-pillow is right on!
Jack
Damn, Wally, that sucks. But thank God they found out about your problem before you had a major heart attack.
Make sure you let us know when the surgery is scheduled. I’m not a religious person, so I wouldn’t feel right about saying a prayer for you. But I will gather all of my cats together and institute a major purr session, and send all of the happiness and love generated directly to you.
Just think, you’ll have twenty happy pussies purring just for you! How many times in your life will you be able to say that?
Sacred cows make the best hamburgers. - Mark Twain