Valerie Allen Interesting. I have an aortic aneurysm and the heart cath dr. declared my arteries
“beautiful!â€
Daneen Douglas My arteries were great as well. I do have a minor blockage in one peripheral artery that was not con ... Read more
Daneen Douglas My arteries were great as well. I do have a minor blockage in one peripheral artery that was not concerning. I do have high cholesterol in my family but am not on meds as of yet. Interesting article!
Rose Madura I also had great arteries when I had my cath. All five of my brothers are on cholesterol medicine and ... Read more
Rose Madura I also had great arteries when I had my cath. All five of my brothers are on cholesterol medicine and I'm not! Interesting.
Sue Maize I have never been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, but my arteries are clear and never any history ... Read more
Sue Maize I have never been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, but my arteries are clear and never any history of high cholesterol…maybe I should ask them to check while they’re in there! 😅 Thanks for posting this Marie!
Rose Madura Sue, they will undoubtedly do a heart catheterization before your surgery is scheduled so they will c ... Read more
Rose Madura Sue, they will undoubtedly do a heart catheterization before your surgery is scheduled so they will check prior to your surgery.
Ana Brusso I had mine repaired in 2022. Thank you for the information Marie. You are truly an Angel ðŸ™â¤ï¸ðŸ ... Read more
Ana Brusso I had mine repaired in 2022. Thank you for the information Marie. You are truly an Angel ðŸ™â¤ï¸ðŸ¤—
Sue Maize I just had it a couple of days ago Rose, and they never mentioned any aneurysms, so thanks!
Grace Mason Wow! That is aneurysm news that I am happy to hear 😊. I was all clear on my heart cath pre surgery ... Read more
Grace Mason Wow! That is aneurysm news that I am happy to hear 😊. I was all clear on my heart cath pre surgery tooðŸ‘🼠"like a teenager's" arteries, I'm liking this description in the article ðŸ˜
I have a question for all those on a baby aspirin post tissue valve. I am going to have some unpleasant-sounding and $expensive$ dental surgery (extraction, ...Read more
I have a question for all those on a baby aspirin post tissue valve. I am going to have some unpleasant-sounding and $expensive$ dental surgery (extraction, bone graft and implants) in March. Ideally, the periodontist wants me off the baby aspirin. I am awaiting my cardiologist’s advice on this, but was wondering if any heart warriors have been through a similar situation. Did anyone stop baby aspirin for any procedure, and if so, for how long? Thanks !!
Danielle Elizabeth This sounds stressful. Please make sure you take the appropriate antibiotics recommended by your card ... Read more
Danielle Elizabeth This sounds stressful. Please make sure you take the appropriate antibiotics recommended by your cardiologist. Also, I would recommend getting many other opinions about the surgery and if there are less invasive options. If this is the best option I’d ask the cardiologist if they’d recommend an echo a week or so after this procedure. This isn’t medical advice at all but just pointing out that I’d weigh more heavily on what my cardiologist recommends than periodontist since the heart is vital.
Marie Myers Thanks Danielle. I am fairly stressed about this, and am already on 1 course of amoxicillin. Will tak ... Read more
Marie Myers Thanks Danielle. I am fairly stressed about this, and am already on 1 course of amoxicillin. Will take more at the time of the procedure. I will ask the cardiologist about the echo, but I do have one already scheduled for May. Will see how that pans out.
Brady Busch Since November of 2021,I have been taking blood thinners,including low dose aspirin,because of post surgery AF.About four months ago,it was changed from Warfarin to Eliquis. A couple months ago,I talked to my PCP about my concerns,that aspirin can cause brain bleeding.She said it was okay to discontinue.So after the bottle was empty,another wasn't bought. Then during a visit with some cardiologists,2-3 weeks later,we discussed my decision.During that time,one of them made a call to my regular cardiologist and he still wanted me to keep taking it.So,some more was picked up. I'm not sure,if it's the doctor's belief that it does more good than harm and that there is statistical evidence,backing it up.I never asked him,but he's the expert. By the way,nothing out of the ordinary happened,not taking the aspirin,for awhile. ... Read more
Brady Busch Since November of 2021,I have been taking blood thinners,including low dose aspirin,because of post surgery AF.About four months ago,it was changed from Warfarin to Eliquis. A couple months ago,I talked to my PCP about my concerns,that aspirin can cause brain bleeding.She said it was okay to discontinue.So after the bottle was empty,another wasn't bought. Then during a visit with some cardiologists,2-3 weeks later,we discussed my decision.During that time,one of them made a call to my regular cardiologist and he still wanted me to keep taking it.So,some more was picked up. I'm not sure,if it's the doctor's belief that it does more good than harm and that there is statistical evidence,backing it up.I never asked him,but he's the expert. By the way,nothing out of the ordinary happened,not taking the aspirin,for awhile.
Civita Fahey Yes, Marie when I had my arm surgery after smashing it, I went off the aspirin for 2-3 days and then ... Read more
Civita Fahey Yes, Marie when I had my arm surgery after smashing it, I went off the aspirin for 2-3 days and then went on the day after surgery. All was ok.. Good luck..
Richard Munson Seems to me like bleeding could be an issue marie, hence stopping the aspirin which thins your blood. ... Read more
Richard Munson Seems to me like bleeding could be an issue marie, hence stopping the aspirin which thins your blood. I’m shocked, i just gave marie some advice.
Ana Brusso Marie, I have stopped for two weeks in the past. Also recently for five days but this time my right e ... Read more
Ana Brusso Marie, I have stopped for two weeks in the past. Also recently for five days but this time my right eye blocked out for a few seconds, so I started to take it after five days I was supposed to be off for seven. It didn’t do that before. I had to get clearance from surgeon by the way. Yes it has to do with bleeding.
Grace Mason Wishing you well pre and post your dental procedure
Deepak Khanka Stopped for few days. Also was on antibiotics for a week during the process
Greg Lewis I have never been told to stop the baby aspirin, for dental work. Only have to take the premed antibi ... Read more
Greg Lewis I have never been told to stop the baby aspirin, for dental work. Only have to take the premed antibiotics. Not sure why you would.
Ana Brusso Praying for all of the people in Nicole’s path. Be safe Marie, my niece and her family are also pre ... Read more
Ana Brusso Praying for all of the people in Nicole’s path. Be safe Marie, my niece and her family are also prepared for it. God bless you and keep you safe ðŸ™ðŸ™
Adam Pick Hi Marie, Thanks for letting me know. Sorry about that. I'll look into it pronto! To do that... Can y ... Read more
Adam Pick Hi Marie, Thanks for letting me know. Sorry about that. I'll look into it pronto! To do that... Can you please tell me what device you used to post to Reggie? Desktop? Tablet? PC? And, which model? And which browser did you use? Thanks! Adam
Marie Myers I posted using my iPad, about 5 yrs old. Have no idea about what browser, since I am quite technologi ... Read more
Marie Myers I posted using my iPad, about 5 yrs old. Have no idea about what browser, since I am quite technologically challenged. I posted a note for the patient feed, and it didn’t show up, so I put a note in his guestbook. Neither one showed, but Reggie messaged me saying he got the note. So at least 1 made it to him. Hope that helps with diagnosis.
Reggie Hampton Marie, I had surgery Tuesday 16th, had CT scan just before surgery, mu surgery seen a aortic ascendin ... Read more
Reggie Hampton Marie, I had surgery Tuesday 16th, had CT scan just before surgery, mu surgery seen a aortic ascending aneurism, large bulge, didn't see that coming, so he repaired that with a Dupont Dacron material, and cut out badly calcified bicuspid valve , 4 -hour surgery, was in icu less half a day , went to regular room nests day around noon, and got discharged Saturday the 20th, IM very pleased
Yeah Marie! I can’t wait to get mine, but at the rate we are going here in California who knows whe ... Read more
Yeah Marie! I can’t wait to get mine, but at the rate we are going here in California who knows when that will be. But I remain hopeful and careful until it happens. Stay safe
Susan Lynn Glad you received the vaccine without any side effects. You continue to inspire us, Marie!
Civita Fahey Wonderful. I’m scheduled for end of month at work !
Hi Marie, so nice to see your face. You are one of my angels and have been so helpful to me in so man ... Read more
Hi Marie, so nice to see your face. You are one of my angels and have been so helpful to me in so many ways, I just wanted to say thank you and God bless you.
Adam- I have been unable to post notes under individual posts a few times lately. Don’t know if there is something amiss. I tried to post a note under Kate ...Read more
Adam- I have been unable to post notes under individual posts a few times lately. Don’t know if there is something amiss. I tried to post a note under Kate Heller’s last entry, but was unable. However, I was able to post under her guestbook. Maybe you could check on what is up... Thanks!
Adam Pick Hi Marie, Thanks for letting me know. I am looking into this right now.
Susan Lynn I've been having the same intermittent problem.
Adam Pick Hi Marie and Susan, We have been looking into this. However, we are not seeing the issue when we test ... Read more
Adam Pick Hi Marie and Susan, We have been looking into this. However, we are not seeing the issue when we test the system. Can you please tell me exactly what you are experiencing? Thanks so much!!!
Kate Heller Hi Adam, I too had issues posting at the top of this patient newsfeed page. No issues when I went to ... Read more
Kate Heller Hi Adam, I too had issues posting at the top of this patient newsfeed page. No issues when I went to post directly to my journal, however.
Kate Heller (Also just had issues posting a comment while logged in from my desktop, but was able to post from my ... Read more
Kate Heller (Also just had issues posting a comment while logged in from my desktop, but was able to post from my iPhone).
Rose Madura I had trouble commenting on someone's post and when I hit the post button, nothing happened. I refr ... Read more
Rose Madura I had trouble commenting on someone's post and when I hit the post button, nothing happened. I refreshed my phone and then it worked.
Marie Myers I had the same problem as Rose. I wrote a note, hit post, and nothing happened. This happened on 2-3 ... Read more
Marie Myers I had the same problem as Rose. I wrote a note, hit post, and nothing happened. This happened on 2-3 different threads. When I went to the person’s guestbook, the post button worked. I think it is Aliens👽
For all those of you with mechanical valves... A friend of mine just had his 40th anniversary of his mechanical valve! It is still ticking along well; my friend ...Read more
For all those of you with mechanical valves... A friend of mine just had his 40th anniversary of his mechanical valve! It is still ticking along well; my friend turned 75 this year..
Deepak Khanka This provides reassurance . Thanks Marie
LINDA ROBERTS That is such wonderful news. We need to hear that in this time of uncertainty with the pandemic.
Mike Czaplewski WOW!!!!! I heard that you constantly hear that "ticking" of the valve though....and you have to stay ... Read more
Mike Czaplewski WOW!!!!! I heard that you constantly hear that "ticking" of the valve though....and you have to stay on blood thinners forever?
Marie Myers Yes, Mike. With a mechanical valve, you would hear the ticking of the valve, and mechanical valves do ... Read more
Marie Myers Yes, Mike. With a mechanical valve, you would hear the ticking of the valve, and mechanical valves do require lifelong Coumadin. The newer Ony-X valve requires a lower level of anticoagulants, though.
Mike Roskowinski That is so awesome to hear. I am heading to year 1 of this ticker so love hearing of people that hav ... Read more
Mike Roskowinski That is so awesome to hear. I am heading to year 1 of this ticker so love hearing of people that have had it for such a long time. The ticking doesn't bother me anymore just glad that I can still hear it. And the medicine routine is just a habit that you get used to. It also helps make sure that I am taking all my other supplements and vitamins also.
Bradley Dunn Awesome sauce - only big downside so far is I can't sneak up on my kids.. "dad, I hear you......"
Rob Sparling Bradley and Mike, I am looking forward to hearing about how you each lose at “hide and seek†with ... Read more
Rob Sparling Bradley and Mike, I am looking forward to hearing about how you each lose at “hide and seek†with your kids! (But keep playing anyway.). Good to hear the ticking! Thanks for the inspiring update. Even us non-mechanical folks appreciate it!
Leslie Houseal Wow... 40 years! That is truly encouraging. Thank you for posting this. It's still making a diffe ... Read more
Leslie Houseal Wow... 40 years! That is truly encouraging. Thank you for posting this. It's still making a difference almost two years later!
Wow, time does fly...Just realized yesterday was my 3 year heart surgery anniversary . Wish I could have gone out to celebrate, but we are staying home to avoid ...Read more
Wow, time does fly...Just realized yesterday was my 3 year heart surgery anniversary . Wish I could have gone out to celebrate, but we are staying home to avoid the virus.
Stay well, everyone!
Catie B Wow, how time passes. Heartfelt congratulations, Marie! Yes, home it is--stay safe!
Marie Myers Catie- How are you doing? Been thinking about you . Any valve news?
Rose Madura Congratulations Marie on 3 years! I'm right behind you and as you know, I followed you all the way! ... Read more
Rose Madura Congratulations Marie on 3 years! I'm right behind you and as you know, I followed you all the way! You've been a great help to me and others! Best wishes for continued good heart health.
Phyllis Petersen Congratulations! You'll just have to celebrate double when we can all get back to normal life. Stay s ... Read more
Phyllis Petersen Congratulations! You'll just have to celebrate double when we can all get back to normal life. Stay safe!
Susan Lynn Happy 3rd Anniversary, Marie! You've been a tremendous resource to me and others on this site. Glad ... Read more
Susan Lynn Happy 3rd Anniversary, Marie! You've been a tremendous resource to me and others on this site. Glad you're staying safe! Wishing you many, many decades of celebrations!
Civita Fahey Congratulations, Marie. You me and Rose are all in a row! Praying we all get through this pandemic w ... Read more
Civita Fahey Congratulations, Marie. You me and Rose are all in a row! Praying we all get through this pandemic with flying colors. Hopefully if you visit Mass this summer we can get together for lunch.. when things are back to normal!
Yeah My sweet angel Marie. Congratulations and yes stay inside. There will be a time to go out and ce ... Read more
Yeah My sweet angel Marie. Congratulations and yes stay inside. There will be a time to go out and celebrate. Thank you for your constant inspiration, information and care for others, just like Rose, Catie and Susan and Adam and Frank G. God bless you all! Stay inside and take all the precautions you can think of to keep this virus away from you. Let’s also pray that God gives the people in-charged the tools to wipe it out and find treatments for the ones infected.
Deepak Khanka Marie happy 3rd Anniversary . Thanks for always being there
Kathy Blank So awesome to see my fellow heart sisters and brothers still on this site! I recently met @Jared on a ... Read more
Kathy Blank So awesome to see my fellow heart sisters and brothers still on this site! I recently met @Jared on a FB group and encouraged him to check out this site! How are you @Marie @Civita @catie B @Phyllis and @Susan?
It was 2 years ago today that I got a new ascending aorta, aortic root, and new aortic valve. A helluva choice for my first hospitalization...
Can't thank ...Read more
It was 2 years ago today that I got a new ascending aorta, aortic root, and new aortic valve. A helluva choice for my first hospitalization...
Can't thank everyone enough for all the support and reassurance I got from this site!
Wishing that all those waiting will have as smooth a surgery as I did!
Susan Lynn Congratulations on your second anniversary! â¤â¤ Wishing you many, many decades of good health a ... Read more
Susan Lynn Congratulations on your second anniversary! â¤â¤ Wishing you many, many decades of good health and happiness!
Diane Maher Congratulations and many thanks for your continued and very informative posts to othersâ£ï¸
Catie B Marie, you're a warrior--and so helpful to others here! Hearty congrats!
Sommer Russell You have been a great support for all of us!!!
Sandy Laine Congratulations, Marie! And THANK YOU for all you share on here. I am eternally grateful for the ad ... Read more
Sandy Laine Congratulations, Marie! And THANK YOU for all you share on here. I am eternally grateful for the advice you gave me. (I know I've said that before, know that I probably will again! THANK YOU!)
Barbara Wood All the best Marie! Thanks for the support you've given me & so many others!
LINDA ROBERTS Congratulations and thanks for your support to me and countless others on this site.
Rob Sparling Marie, congrats and THANKS A LOT for all your support and contributions here. You’ve helped me on m ... Read more
Rob Sparling Marie, congrats and THANKS A LOT for all your support and contributions here. You’ve helped me on my journey!
Shannon Gray Congrats! So very thankful of your support and encouragement to those on this site.
Civita Fahey Congrats Marie.. Glad all is well.. let me know if you are in Mass this summer. We can have lunch!
Michele Ripley Marie: Like others who are posting on your journal. Thank you for sharing your positive and encourag ... Read more
Michele Ripley Marie: Like others who are posting on your journal. Thank you for sharing your positive and encouraging comments. Your posts have helped many to say the least. We appreciate your commitment to the community.
Diane Maher The list is showing up a bit different....picture/name and date. So my page shows Judy S., Rex Ander ... Read more
Diane Maher The list is showing up a bit different....picture/name and date. So my page shows Judy S., Rex Anderson, JoAnn Lenhart, Norma Adkins and Sandy Bauer Schnaus.
Adam Pick That's right Diane. We also now include the valve issue if it is provided by the patient. As for th ... Read more
Adam Pick That's right Diane. We also now include the valve issue if it is provided by the patient. As for the display, we needed to adjust when the "upcoming surgeries" menu is shown dependent on the Internet device and the browser size. There's only so much room on those smaller devices. So, you will see the list on laptops and desktops but we could no longer get it to fit in smartphones and tablets. I hope that helps!
Hi everybody! We are getting some wonderful and positive feedback from our patient community about the website relaunch on the new HeartValveSurgery.com 5.0
Gina Fiorentino Thanks Marie. Nice to see you. You gave me a lot of comforting words as I was going into surgery and ... Read more
Gina Fiorentino Thanks Marie. Nice to see you. You gave me a lot of comforting words as I was going into surgery and I really appreciated that!
It is one year ago today I had my AVR, aortic root and ascending aneurysm resected. I am doing well, and keeping up with my cardiac rehab on my own. It is ...Read more
It is one year ago today I had my AVR, aortic root and ascending aneurysm resected. I am doing well, and keeping up with my cardiac rehab on my own. It is like the surgery happened in another lifetime. To all those of you waiting for surgery, I say try not to worry yourself into a twist! It really is doable, and you can feel normal again! Wish I had spent less time worrying, that is for sure...
Bonnie Stone-Hope Happy anniversary! So wonderful you are feeling so well.
Lilly Black Great advice, Marie! and Congratulations! so glad you are doing well. 1 yr has flown by so quickly. K ... Read more
Lilly Black Great advice, Marie! and Congratulations! so glad you are doing well. 1 yr has flown by so quickly. Keep up the cardiac rehab. All the best!
Gina Fiorentino Marie, thank you for your post. I always notice your helpful, kind and compassionate posts to others ... Read more
Gina Fiorentino Marie, thank you for your post. I always notice your helpful, kind and compassionate posts to others on this site and wanted to send you a sweet HAPPY ANNIVERSARY message too!
Civita Fahey Congrats Marie..so glad you are doing well! Cant believe year has gone by , I followed your posts as ... Read more
Civita Fahey Congrats Marie..so glad you are doing well! Cant believe year has gone by , I followed your posts as I anxiously awaited my surgery !
Rose Madura I'm so glad you are doing well Marie. Congratulations on your anniversary! I've always followed your ... Read more
Rose Madura I'm so glad you are doing well Marie. Congratulations on your anniversary! I've always followed your story since you were just a few months ahead of me. You've always posted encouraging things to me and for that, I'm most appreciative. May you have an uneventful rest of your life-heart wise...
Carmel Power Great advice Marie. Always good to hear how people are going down the track! Stay well.
Anna Jones Happy anniversary. Best wishes for much happiness and health ahead.
Helen Daw Happy Anniversary!! Great advice and I wish I had followed it. I feel I wasted my energy on worrying ... Read more
Helen Daw Happy Anniversary!! Great advice and I wish I had followed it. I feel I wasted my energy on worrying where there was no need for it.
Marie Myers Helen- I hear you. I wish I was one of those people who said "Can't wait to get it done" or "I am loo ... Read more
Marie Myers Helen- I hear you. I wish I was one of those people who said "Can't wait to get it done" or "I am looking forward to getting through my surgery". It is all a huge life lesson! Got to look on the positive side and not dwell on the negative...
Norma Adkins Glad you are doing well. Thanks for posting!
Gina Fiorentino Happy anniversary. It is hard to believe that things could ever feel normal again after such an expe ... Read more
Gina Fiorentino Happy anniversary. It is hard to believe that things could ever feel normal again after such an experience. But, I'm with you-- I wish I had been able to comfort myself a little more during the preparation process. We are lucky that we had time to plan a little- and now to be able share with others who are waiting for surgery too.
Just had my first post op echo last week. Yes, I know I had surgery 10 months ago. (Guess I was doing well enough to let it go till now.)Had a visit with the ...Read more
Just had my first post op echo last week. Yes, I know I had surgery 10 months ago. (Guess I was doing well enough to let it go till now.)Had a visit with the cardiologist yesterday, and he said everything looks and sounds great! I am happy and relieved ... Is it unusual that I did not have an echo till now? Just curious how soon other patients had a post op echo...To those of you still waiting , I send my best wishes to you all for an easy post op course!
Bill H That’s great that everything looked good! My first post op echo was technically 3 days after my su ... Read more
Bill H That’s great that everything looked good! My first post op echo was technically 3 days after my surgery while I was still in the hospital. Then I had one 1 month post op, and I am scheduled to have one 3.5 months post op and then 1 year post op. Is this normal?
Marie Myers I bet repairs get more aggressive screeining than replacements.. Just my guess.
Bill H True. Sorry I didn’t read your story until after I commented. Take care.
judith monti I had an echo about 1 wk post op but it was bc I was admitted to the hospital through ER with chest ... Read more
judith monti I had an echo about 1 wk post op but it was bc I was admitted to the hospital through ER with chest pains. Saw my cardiologist today who will be my primary cardiologist and he did not mention any echo's in the next three months. Not sure what the criteria is.
Take care all!
Rose Madura Great news Marie! With all my complications I had several echo at the hospital and afterwards. But ... Read more
Rose Madura Great news Marie! With all my complications I had several echo at the hospital and afterwards. But I go see my cardiologist for followup next month and I wouldn't be surprised if he orders another. I'm 7 months out. I'll let you know.
Bob Fessler Great results for you! I had an baseline echo about 1 month post op. They use this to make sure eve ... Read more
Bob Fessler Great results for you! I had an baseline echo about 1 month post op. They use this to make sure everything is functioning well and to tell if my heart function is improving or getting worse the next time I have an echo. I'm hoping for another echo at the one year point next July when I was told to revisit the cardiologist.
I had one at one day, day 3 and 1 month. But, my pressures were very high. They had come down nicel ... Read more
I had one at one day, day 3 and 1 month. But, my pressures were very high. They had come down nicely by 1 month, then yearly.
Barbara Wood I had mine 5-6 months after mitral repair, but I had a TEE 2 weeks or so after surgery. Glad all is w ... Read more
Barbara Wood I had mine 5-6 months after mitral repair, but I had a TEE 2 weeks or so after surgery. Glad all is well Marie!
Rita Savelis You're doing great Marie! Who needs an echo?!?
Congrats on 10 months!
Rita Savelis You're doing great Marie! Who needs an echo?!?
Congrats on 10 months!
I can't even count how many I had in hospital and - maybe 10 or15?.... and then every 3 months for a year, then every 6 months.... Now once a year....
Phew.
Perhaps I had so many because doctors here (in Europe) don't worry about insurance companies not okaying the cost...
Civita Fahey I had my post op echo at 5 months. I dont really know what the standard time is.. I guess it depends ... Read more
Civita Fahey I had my post op echo at 5 months. I dont really know what the standard time is.. I guess it depends on the physician.. Glad to hear all is well Marie.. !
John Dodson I have an echo scheduled 6 months post op with cardiologist and a CT scan scheduled 12 months post-op ... Read more
John Dodson I have an echo scheduled 6 months post op with cardiologist and a CT scan scheduled 12 months post-op with surgeon.
Jill Krajnovich Glad to hear you are doing well, Marie! I had an echo about 1 mo after the surgery.
Soggy Rodent I've had one echo a few days post-op. My previous echos hurt bcz the techs would use too much pressur ... Read more
Soggy Rodent I've had one echo a few days post-op. My previous echos hurt bcz the techs would use too much pressure with the transducer. I told the tech that I wouldn't b able to tolerate that. She was very sweet and gentle. She said that inexperienced techs often make the mistake of using too much pressure. I share this story so that folks know that echos shouldn't b painful...
I was told that I should get yearly echos...
Chris Calhoun I had an echo 60 days post op and found my ejection fraction was 34% down from pre surgery of a near ... Read more
Chris Calhoun I had an echo 60 days post op and found my ejection fraction was 34% down from pre surgery of a near perfect 59% - now I am getting different blood pressure med Coreg and Entresto? can I get my ejection fraction back and get off this med?
Just realized this is my 6 month surgery anniversary . In some ways, it seems like a very long time ago that it all happened... I can honestly say the whole ...Read more
Just realized this is my 6 month surgery anniversary . In some ways, it seems like a very long time ago that it all happened... I can honestly say the whole experience was not as bad as my mind had me thinking! For those of you in the waiting room, try not to worry yourself into a tizzy. You really can do this!!
Leslie Bakos So Marie when did you turn the corner...I am curious about recovery time. And are you on any meds?
Barbara Wood Congrats Marie!! Seems like only yesterday...glad that you are doing well, & I concur- ohs is not nea ... Read more
Barbara Wood Congrats Marie!! Seems like only yesterday...glad that you are doing well, & I concur- ohs is not nearly as bad as I expected- the first couple weeks can be trying but it is absolutely amazing how quickly one can spring back!
Rose Madura Great news Marie! I'm so glad you are doing well. You've been so encouraging and helpful to me durin ... Read more
Rose Madura Great news Marie! I'm so glad you are doing well. You've been so encouraging and helpful to me during my ordeal and I really appreciated it. All the best for continued good health.
Sandy Laine Congratulations on six months, Marie - and thank you so much for continuing to post on here and offer ... Read more
Sandy Laine Congratulations on six months, Marie - and thank you so much for continuing to post on here and offering guidance and feedback.
Marie Myers Leslie- It was about week 6 when I felt like I would eventually feel "normal" again. By week 8, I fel ... Read more
Marie Myers Leslie- It was about week 6 when I felt like I would eventually feel "normal" again. By week 8, I felt well enough to go back to work 2 days a week. Not that I didn't need a nap now and them... I was in pretty good shape when I had my surgery. I had been playing tennis in the Florida summer heat for years, and I think that helped me tremendously. Yoga and meditation were also part of my arsenal. I have been on baby aspirin and 12.5 metoprolol twice a day. Contrary to other's experience, I did not have any problems being on beta blockers. I have been very lucky, blessed, and thankful!!
Thanks to all those who encouraged me, calmed my fears, and answered my questions early in the game. I am glad to help others any way I can !
Leslie Bakos Marie...About the stomach area...I have a huge umbilical hernia....and I think I am extremely nervous ... Read more
Leslie Bakos Marie...About the stomach area...I have a huge umbilical hernia....and I think I am extremely nervous with and agitated with this beta blocker....Do you think my core would be affected?
Civita Fahey Congratulations Marie.. I'm right behind you by a month. I agree, it wasn't as bas as our imagination ... Read more
Civita Fahey Congratulations Marie.. I'm right behind you by a month. I agree, it wasn't as bas as our imagination. Continued good health.
Has anyone with a bicuspid valve been screened for cerebral aneurysm? I understand there is a higher rate of them in people with bicuspid valves...
Laura Jacobs I have not, but I just read that a couple of weeks ago. I think it came out of a British study if I r ... Read more
Laura Jacobs I have not, but I just read that a couple of weeks ago. I think it came out of a British study if I remember correctly. I am not sure if I could find it again. The paper was discussing BAV as a complex disease that goes well beyond a faulty valve or weak aorta. I will try to find it.
I lost my closest friend to a cerebral aneurysm a few months ago. I spent a great deal of time at th ... Read more
I lost my closest friend to a cerebral aneurysm a few months ago. I spent a great deal of time at the hospital with her. Her neurosurgeon told us 30% of the population have them, most never rupture. It's a much larger number than the percentage of the population with BAV, I think is 2%. He also said 50% of his patients come to him straight from the toilet, as she did. A way to relieve pressure on the brain is to blow on your thumb when straining.
Civita Fahey Wow.. I never heard that.. Laura if you could find that article I would love to see it.. I guess I sh ... Read more
Civita Fahey Wow.. I never heard that.. Laura if you could find that article I would love to see it.. I guess I should ask my cardiologist. how did you find this Marie?
Marie Myers Being in the medical business, I came across an article in a medical info email. If you type in cere ... Read more
Marie Myers Being in the medical business, I came across an article in a medical info email. If you type in cerebral aneurysm and bicuspid aortic valve, several articles will pop up.
Lilly Black I have never been screened for cerebral aneurysm, but I knew 2 women that have had brain aneurysm and ... Read more
Lilly Black I have never been screened for cerebral aneurysm, but I knew 2 women that have had brain aneurysm and BAV. I was screened only for aortic aneurysm and abdominal aneurysm. My dad has an abdominal aneurysm right now, and my aunt (his sister) died of a stroke due to brain aneurysm. Here's one link with reported on 2017 Jun 8. It says more often diagnosed for people with Coarctation of aorta.
Prevalence and predictors of intracranial aneurysms in patients with bicuspid aortic valve.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28596303
Heart. 2017 Jun 8. pii: heartjnl-2016-311076. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2016-311076. [Epub ahead of print]
Paul Wells Yes , we have a higher rate of vascular callogen defect.
So yes more trends toward strokes, Aortic a ... Read more
Paul Wells Yes , we have a higher rate of vascular callogen defect.
So yes more trends toward strokes, Aortic aneurysm and other aneurysms. Also one reason not to go with the Ross procedure, because the auto transplant valve could carry the defective callogen.
Laura Jacobs Hi Civita...still have not been able to find that article...ugh
Laura Jacobs Mary, I am so sorry that you lost your friend. That is so sad. My sincerest condolences.