Update On Doug Harkness

Trot Insider has received an update on the status of Atlantic Post Calls editor Doug Harkness, who, after being hospitalized for weeks, underwent extensive surgery on Tuesday, December 1

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Harkness, who turned 71 this past Saturday, had been hospitalized since November 9 due to pneumonia. He went under the knife yesterday at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, NS.

"Doug underwent a 10-hour surgery under the care of Dr. Greg Hirsh, head of the Cardiac Department at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre," said Donna-Jo Harkness.

Looking to approach the surgery with a relaxed frame of mind, Donna-Jo stated that "before he went into surgery, he questioned why he had to be on lasix, because he was not a horse and he didn't feel like racing."

Donna-Jo reports that Doug is recovering in the Intensive Care Unit with a successful bi-valve replacement and triple bypass surgery and that all is well.

"Dr. Hirsh, in his words, got a little more ambitious in surgery than he expected and replaced two heart valves instead of one," Donna-Jo stated. "[Dr. Hirsh] said that he would rather take care of him now than have him have to come back in again in the year."

She went on to state that Dr. Hirsh indicated that Doug's lungs look good and he expects that he will pull through without any complications.

Donna-Jo, on behalf of herself, Doug, Heather and Todd, stated that the family will be keeping everyone posted on Doug's road to recovery, and that hopefully the next words everyone will hear will be from Doug himself.

If you wish to leave a message for Doug, you can do so in the field which appears below this story.

Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing Doug Harkness the best of luck and progress in his recovery from the surgery.

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