My friend Mark and I like to go horseback riding together. Both of us live in Mississippi, but we ended up 1,000 miles away at Cleveland Clinic to have heart surgery on the same day: March 15, 2021. It was the buddy system. 

Mark had an aortic valve replacement with Dr. Johnston.1 I had a mitral valve replacement with Dr. Gillinov.2 They gave Mark a cow valve and they gave me a pig valve.3 The joke was that he got a bull and I got a boar. I wouldn’t say we had fun, but we did have some laughs. 

My wife, Melody, and Mark’s wife, Alice, came to Cleveland with us. It was great because they got to be there for each other, too. The night before our surgeries, we went out to dinner. When we got back to the hotel, I put my arm around Mark and said, “Partner, I’ll see you on the other side.” 

Afterward, we spent three days together in the ICU and three days together in a step-down unit. There were days when Mark was moving around better than I was, and it made me want to get out of bed. And there were days when Mark was hurting, and I’d pick up my step when I walked into his room, to try to get him going. We encouraged each other. 

I really believe it helped with our recovery. We went home on the same day, earlier than expected. We’re so grateful for the Cleveland Clinic caregivers who gave us our lives back. And Mark and I are still here for each other. We’ll pick up the phone and say, “Hey, brother, how are you doing?” 

 

Steve Golding and Mark Nicholas plan to go horseback riding together again any day now. 

Steve Golding, right, and Mark Nicholas holding red plush hearts, which a blue sky behind them

Steve Golding, right, and Mark Nicholas. | Photo: Courtesy of Steve Golding

Notes

  1. Douglas Johnston, MD, is Vice Chair of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Surgical Director of the Aortic Valve Center.
  2. Marc Gillinov, MD, is Chair of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
  3. Heart replacement valves are commonly made from cow tissue or pig tissue.