In memory of Michael Joss

Daryl HattonPersonal

This is what I said today at the Celebration of Life of Michael Joss. My name is Daryl Hatton. I met Michael through Judy Bishop. Judy was working with my company as a strategic advisor. For a little while in 2010 she went kind of quiet. When we caught up again it was obvious from the sparkle in her eye and the spring in her step that something exciting was happening in her life. She explained she’d reconnected with Michael and this was a “good thing”. I first met Michael in person at a technology industry event he attended with …

Good riddance 2014! And yet…

Daryl HattonPersonal

There is no doubt that 2014 was a very challenging year for me and my family.  I encountered many situations that would be considered “difficult” all on their own and almost overwhelming when they occurred all at once. Here is a partial list: We lost my step-dad We lost a good friend and neighbor My step-sister had breast cancer My father had open heart surgery and a quad bypass My mother started to experience some serious health challenges I had a heart attack and complicated quad bypass surgery. My startup business was challenged by my need for time off to recover at a time when …

What balance?

Daryl HattonPersonal

I had a heart attack followed by open heart surgery recently. I handled it really well and have been recovering rapidly. This has allowed me to head back to work relatively quickly. Which is good because my business needs my help. It has survived my “incident” reasonably well but market conditions and increased competition are causing “challenges” and I need to spend as much time as I can helping out. Here’s the rub. The #1 thing I can do to improve my physical health as quickly as possible is to rest and take my time getting back to work. And the #1 thing …

Take 6: Things Learned Over Three Weeks

Daryl HattonCardiac, Health, Personal

Coming home – selfie at VGH just after discharge… Things I’ve learned over the last three weeks: We have an amazing health system in BC. Like everything it has challenges but my results were excellent – well beyond expectations. No complaints. None. When faced with a life changing decision and little information I chose well. On Friday night July 11th I was driving back to the North Shore after starting to experience some mild chest pain. My plan was to get closer to home so it was easier on my family to help me if I had to spend the …

Take 5: More Learned Overnight

Daryl HattonCardiac, Health, Personal

Here is more info we learned overnight at the Cardiac Hotel. The best laid plans for long periods of uninterrupted sleep can be easily destroyed by a tiny yellow Lasix (diuretic) pill. The more time spent preparing for comfortable long sleep (removing bandages required for walking, etc), the more urgent the situation on unexpected premature awakening. A post op man with a heavily bandaged arm trying to get out of bed in a hurry probably resembles a turtle placed on its back: lots of limb action flailing away until eventually the physics/engineering puzzle is solved and the organism finally reaches the …

Take 4: Learned Overnight

Daryl HattonCardiac, Health, Personal

Here is what was learned overnight about the breaking story at the Cardiac Hotel. A hot shower is one of the most unappreciated luxuries in our lives. My first one post op last night was an almost spiritual experience. In medicine trying to solve one problem frequently creates another. In this case the result was “thrush” which I don’t think I’ve had in 25 years. It is a strange experience to look at a damaged body part and have trouble believing it is part of you. My left hand/arm is so swollen it looks like a cheap prosthetic from a …