Hi everyone it has been a long long time since I last checked in. My husband will need a new aortic valve at some stage and last year he was admitted to emergency ...Read more
Hi everyone it has been a long long time since I last checked in. My husband will need a new aortic valve at some stage and last year he was admitted to emergency for a racing heartbeat which usually occurs at night on about 6 occasions in the space of 6 weeks it was very distressing for me.This year he has been admitted to Emergency 3 times in 5 months. The cardiologist does not know why this is happening. Can anyone shed some light on this situation. Thanks in advance. My husbands review is not until March next year.
Shirley Turner My hubby also has medium short term memory loss which was diagnosed this march. He also had a slight ... Read more
Shirley Turner My hubby also has medium short term memory loss which was diagnosed this march. He also had a slight stroke last November I am struggling to keep it altogether and have had a relapse with my depression it is all overwhelming at times.
Corey Sines He might be a good candidate for TAVR procedures (Aortic Valve by Catheter). Make sure to talk to su ... Read more
Corey Sines He might be a good candidate for TAVR procedures (Aortic Valve by Catheter). Make sure to talk to surgeons about this option.
Shirley Turner That procedure is fairly new in Australia. I am not sure if it is available. Thank you Corey.
I am pleased to say Lou has had no symptoms for about a month now. So his mood is very good at the moment. We have had very strong winds for the past few weeks ...Read more
I am pleased to say Lou has had no symptoms for about a month now. So his mood is very good at the moment. We have had very strong winds for the past few weeks so he as been unable to go fishing. However he works hard in the mango orchard every day and that makes him very happy and content. His next appointment 28th October for a neck scan to look for any possible blockages. I have been making sure to prompt him to take his medication. But I sometimes forget ha ha.
I am pleased to say no blockages were found. I was expecting Lou to be really anxious but he did great really I never left his side. However when we got home ...Read more
I am pleased to say no blockages were found. I was expecting Lou to be really anxious but he did great really I never left his side. However when we got home from our 2 day hospital visit he is now very cranky. All because he does not like the doctors orders of not bending, or lifting, and to take it easy for a few days. That means no raking leaves and no fishing for now. He is not a happy chappy. It's to be expected I suppose. I am exhausted but glad we are over the first hurdle and we are glad to be home.
Alma Mater I am so glad that went well. I did more than I should have after the angio, and I know my husband was ... Read more
Alma Mater I am so glad that went well. I did more than I should have after the angio, and I know my husband was annoyed with me. Now I kind of feel I should apologize to him! 😃
Get some rest, Shirley. Take care of yourself, too.
Now I'm going to go thank my wonderful husband for what he puts up with!
Jean Raber Yup, being short-tempered is part of the scene for some of us. You must be a very patient and caring ... Read more
Jean Raber Yup, being short-tempered is part of the scene for some of us. You must be a very patient and caring person, Shirley.
Tammy Pilcher I'm so glad there are no blockages. One step closer to getting his heart fixed! Yay! :-) God bles ... Read more
Tammy Pilcher I'm so glad there are no blockages. One step closer to getting his heart fixed! Yay! :-) God bless!
Shirley Turner I know he does not mean it and I realized he was just letting off some steam. Yesterday I caught him ... Read more
Shirley Turner I know he does not mean it and I realized he was just letting off some steam. Yesterday I caught him out. I was trying to get his attention the way I do this is I ring a cowbell for meal times and coffee time. But yesterday it was really gusty and I thought that he might not hear it. So I approached the orchard and there he was raking the leaves one word came to mind BUSTED !!!! We had a good laugh about it. He is soooo stubborn. I jokingly said You are going to be such a pain after your surgery you can go and live with your daughter for 3 months we laughed and laughed. What more can I say. It's a good job I love him so much. Thank goodness I was able to go on a long bike ride today I feel great. I am making sure my needs are met and that's with doing things I Iove. Thank you for your comments everyone. I sure do appreciate each and everyone of you. Hugs Shirley
Alma Mater That's great! I am glad you got a laugh out of it.
Shirley Turner I have been thinking a lot about you today Alma and I read some of your blogs. Gee you sure are a sup ... Read more
Shirley Turner I have been thinking a lot about you today Alma and I read some of your blogs. Gee you sure are a superwoman !!! Love your organizational skills in the kitchen. Hugs Shirley
Alma Mater Thanks Shirley! I am no superwoman, but thank you!
Hi I am filled with gratitude to the lovely people who have sent me words of comfort and support. You really do make me feel validated. Thank you Alma, Jean, ...Read more
Hi I am filled with gratitude to the lovely people who have sent me words of comfort and support. You really do make me feel validated. Thank you Alma, Jean, Tammy and Linda. Today was a good day yes I made it to the Zumba class and tomorrow a few off us are doing a short demo at a charity event ah I love my life.
Tammy Pilcher Awww Shirley, thank you for your sweet post! You should always feel validated. You and all of our o ... Read more
Tammy Pilcher Awww Shirley, thank you for your sweet post! You should always feel validated. You and all of our other precious caregivers are such blessings. I think there will be a special place in heaven for the caregivers. God bless you!
Alma Mater Yes, I agree with you, Tammy. I think this can be harder on my husband than it is on me.
Alma Mater Yes, I agree with you, Tammy. I think this can be harder on my husband than it is on me.
Shirley, I'm glad you ended up having a good day and getting to Zumba. You are such a positive person, and your husband is very blessed! Hope the demo goes well today!
We have a pre- admission appointment at the hospital, then the morning after Lou is having a Angiogram. Phew feeling a little tense today it is bringing on ...Read more
We have a pre- admission appointment at the hospital, then the morning after Lou is having a Angiogram. Phew feeling a little tense today it is bringing on another headache. But I did not let that stop me from doing what I love. I volunteer with kids and we had a very exciting morning playing minute to win it. Then after a quick bite to eat it was back to the pool for another Aqua-sise Class. I am planning on going to a Zumba class in the morning. Exercise and this wonderful page is keeping me going. Thanks Everyone.
Alma Mater So glad to hear you are able to put your worries aside and keep going with your normal activities. I ... Read more
Alma Mater So glad to hear you are able to put your worries aside and keep going with your normal activities. I am praying that the Lord lifts your tension headache, and that Lou's angiogram goes quickly and uneventfully next week!
Jean Raber Exercise really does help you keep yourself in a good frame of mind. But I really have to work at fol ... Read more
Jean Raber Exercise really does help you keep yourself in a good frame of mind. But I really have to work at following my own advice. The weather has been so heartbreakingly beautiful the past week, that I've been happy to sit in the lounge chair for hours reading the Forsyte novels and watching the birds through the binoculars. Yesterday I did take my yoga mat out there and do some stretches.
Tammy Pilcher It sounds like you're doing a great job, Shirley! Prayers for everything to go well for Lou. God bl ... Read more
Tammy Pilcher It sounds like you're doing a great job, Shirley! Prayers for everything to go well for Lou. God bless y'all!
Linda Wiebe Throughout this experience and taking care of your husband it is important for you to do self care. ... Read more
Linda Wiebe Throughout this experience and taking care of your husband it is important for you to do self care. I love sitting on the patio and listening to the birds and the breeze.... Take care. linda
After Mondays appointment with the Cardiologist we are feeling a lot more confident that the wheels are in motion now. It definitely takes some of the fear ...Read more
After Mondays appointment with the Cardiologist we are feeling a lot more confident that the wheels are in motion now. It definitely takes some of the fear away from not knowing what is going to happen. Lou is enjoying his fishing and I have just started going to a Aqua-sise class. Pure stress relief.
Mary K Glad you have the surgery behind you and that you are feeling calm. We are all here behind you. Sendi ... Read more
Mary K Glad you have the surgery behind you and that you are feeling calm. We are all here behind you. Sending hugs and prayers.
Tammy Pilcher Thankful you're feeling confident and more calm now, Shirley. Keeping y'all in my prayers. God bles ... Read more
Tammy Pilcher Thankful you're feeling confident and more calm now, Shirley. Keeping y'all in my prayers. God bless!
Gerald Schaffer I was calm and at peace right before my surgery. I hope you can be the same.
Shirley Turner Hi Mary Lou is expected to have a repeat Aortic Valve replacement soon. His first Valve was in 2010. ... Read more
Shirley Turner Hi Mary Lou is expected to have a repeat Aortic Valve replacement soon. His first Valve was in 2010.
After having such a good day yesterday I went to bed thinking I would have had a good nights sleep. After reporting 0 stress levels during the day I just got ...Read more
After having such a good day yesterday I went to bed thinking I would have had a good nights sleep. After reporting 0 stress levels during the day I just got wave after wave of worrying thoughts when I went to bed. A couple of hours passed and eventually my Husband came to bed. I was very unsettled and by this time had a headache. I asked Lou if we could talk and I was able to share my worrying thoughts with him. We discussed what kind of valve he would choose this time around and I already knew what his answer would be. Bovine tissue valve of course. His appointment is only 3 days away and I cannot wait to find out when Lou's surgery will happen. . Thanks for listening. Hugs Shirley
Alma Mater I'm so glad you were able to talk your worries over with your husband. Sharing shrinks worries.
Today I went for a long bike ride and in the afternoon conducted a Drumming circle for 30 minutes, then I taught Zumba for 30 minutes at my volunteering job ...Read more
Today I went for a long bike ride and in the afternoon conducted a Drumming circle for 30 minutes, then I taught Zumba for 30 minutes at my volunteering job with disability kids. I have had a very good day. Stress levels 0 yippee.
My husband was snappy towards me this morning. I know he does not mean it. I am coping better each day with a the use of a little meditation cd that lasts 40 ...Read more
My husband was snappy towards me this morning. I know he does not mean it. I am coping better each day with a the use of a little meditation cd that lasts 40 minutes ( I am a beginner ) and getting out in the fresh air for an hours bike ride. I must say having all you guys in the same boat is buffering me. Thank you so much once again.
Ruth Reshad I use the guided imagery to calm down too. I know I snap at my husband sometimes since I'm looking at ... Read more
Ruth Reshad I use the guided imagery to calm down too. I know I snap at my husband sometimes since I'm looking at my surgery in Oct. I feel bad for him and my family having to go through this stress again because this is my 2nd open heart. What is the best way I can nurture him?
Terry Shermeister Hi Shirley: One of my favorite sounds was listening to CD's of the ocean. It was very relaxing and ... Read more
Terry Shermeister Hi Shirley: One of my favorite sounds was listening to CD's of the ocean. It was very relaxing and helped in so many ways. Great walks, yoga, and friends are so important too. Take care, T
Mary K People respond to stress in so many ways. He may be scared to death and not even know it. Do you have ... Read more
Mary K People respond to stress in so many ways. He may be scared to death and not even know it. Do you have some friends or family that you can talk to for you, or have over for him to feel a sense of normalcy?
Shirley Turner I confide with my close friend most days and she is a good listener and given me some good advice. I ... Read more
Shirley Turner I confide with my close friend most days and she is a good listener and given me some good advice. I now encourage Lou to go out fishing which he loves, that in itself sent me insane with worry over the past few weeks because he walks for miles and is out for hours. He goes to the beach and walks about 2 kilometers or more in hot weather, and cannot get a phone signal until he returns back to his car. I worry that if anything happens symptom wise he will be alone. But I have had to come to terms with his needs first and that is for him to carry on has normal. He has always been an outside person all of his life. I cannot feta him to the house. He would go bonkers. So my position at the moment is that of acceptance. His trail of thought is if anything is going to happen it will happen. Which is true. I am just glad his last three emergency visits to hospital happened in the early hours of the morning 5.am 3.am when I was asleep next to him in bed. During the day I want my man to be close to me has much as possible so I can be there for him but that will make him more aggravated. I know for a fact he is scared and feeling very vulnerable about a second open heart surgery . It's no walk in the park. I am just taking every day has it comes and making sure I socialize, exercise, and be kind to myself. I am doing my best and that is good enough. I am blessed to have found such a supportive bunch of people I can connect with on a daily basis. Thanks again everyone.
Hugs
Shirley
I am feeling much calmer today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wonderful people who sent me beautiful messages of support. It is very much appreciated. ...Read more
I am feeling much calmer today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wonderful people who sent me beautiful messages of support. It is very much appreciated. It certainly helps to know I can talk to people with similar worries and experiences.
Tammy Pilcher Praying for y'all, Shirley. God bless you both!
Feeling so overwhelmed today. I know now that I can come to this page for the support I need. Blessings to you all.
Clare Auten Hi Shirley. I just read your story. I hope things have settled down and your husband is feeling bett ... Read more
Clare Auten Hi Shirley. I just read your story. I hope things have settled down and your husband is feeling better. There are other people here who have had a second surgery. I know how scared you both must be. Keep us posted. We are praying for you both.
Rita Savelis I feel for you Shirley. It must be so hard to experience your partner going through all this.
Meredith Bray Much love to you, Shirley. I don't know why we keep our symptoms to ourselves. I'm sure it's partly d ... Read more
Meredith Bray Much love to you, Shirley. I don't know why we keep our symptoms to ourselves. I'm sure it's partly denial - we've already been through it once, and maybe if we ignore it, they'll go away. Or it's probably not as serious as everyone makes it out to be. I'm always dumbfounded when I go to a consultation with my husband and learn something new about him, and we've been together 16 years. He'll never be "useless" to me, and I try to remind him of that. My father is your husband's age, and of the same mindset. As far as I know, he's healthy. But looking at him, I know he's not. And he won't tell me anything. :( The point is, you're not alone.
Hi I have just joined your wonderful community. It is my husband that will be having a second aortic valve replacement soon. So my question is ... is it okay ...Read more
Hi I have just joined your wonderful community. It is my husband that will be having a second aortic valve replacement soon. So my question is ... is it okay for me to be here on your page.
Jean Raber Yes, one of the people here is on here whose son is recovering from OHS. Hope you get lots of good in ... Read more
Jean Raber Yes, one of the people here is on here whose son is recovering from OHS. Hope you get lots of good info. I'm up for mitral valve repair at some point. Went through AVR with my mom a couple of years ago, and wish I'd known about this site then.
Steven A Husted welcome you will find a lot of information here and friends to talk to who will help and encourage yo ... Read more
Steven A Husted welcome you will find a lot of information here and friends to talk to who will help and encourage you thru surgery and recovery
Robert Osmachenko Welcome Shirley. Hope you find solace and comfort in this supportive community. What is his "story" ... Read more
Robert Osmachenko Welcome Shirley. Hope you find solace and comfort in this supportive community. What is his "story"? How long did he go for on his first valve?