Annie's Guestbook

Hi Annie, I know your surgery's coming up this week and I wanted to reach out in hopes to offer some comfort. I had my OHS 4 days ago, and I'm feeling stronger every day. Of course, it is very early in my recovery. Yes, Im sore and a bit uncomfortable, and I did feel like my whole body had the flu for the first 2 days, but overall I am amazed at how resilient the body is. If I didn't know it, I never would have guessed I had heart valve surgery. So far, even the pain control has been managed well by the heart staff. If you read my story you will see how scared I was too. My husband offered me a bit of wisdom a few weeks ago by saying it is possible to be both scared and strong, and that has helped me reframe my situation. From the statistics to excellent hospitals to skilled surgeons-- you have every reason to be hopeful for a very good outcome. I wish you (and anyone else reading this post who is preparing for surgery) a sense of calm and peace going into your surgery!

Your story sounds a lot like mine! I'm now in my 7th week post op and can't believe how great I feel compared to before surgery. I didn't have much time to process mentally that I was going to need to have my valve replaced. I think the worst part for me post op is that I don't remember a lot of the day before and the day I had surgery. I had purchased an incision shield before surgery and didn't end up needing it. Surprisingly I didn't have any pain after surgery, email my wife with your address if you think you could use it. Don't like having it hanging out on my desk not being used! Here is my wife's email amandazernell (at sign) gmail (dot com) No charge, just paying it forward!

I had my bi-cuspid aortic valve replaced on May 22, 2017. Your mind makes it much worse than it is. Positive attitude is very important and when you wake up, do everything the nurses and Drs tell you to do and you’ll be home recovering in 3-4 days. I went back to work full time August 1,2017.

Good luck to you Annie. My aortic valve surgery is Friday March 16th at CMMC in Lewiston, Maine with Dr Paul Weldner. I have nervous days and calm days, back & forth. Hang in there...

Annie I had a bovine valve put in Feb.2010 at 67 and now at 75 I work out with weights 6 days a week. Annie you are young and you will do just fine what kind of valve did your Dr.tell you to get.

Hi Annie, I live in Tucson and my sister is a cardiac cath nurse at UMC. Although I had mitral valve repair at Cleveland Clinic, I have a lot of confidence in the doctors at UMC. If you'd like to talk or grab a cup of coffee/tea before or after your surgery, feel free to email me at fabphyllis@gmail.com. (I live very close to the UofA.) Sometimes people who haven't been through this get tired of hearing about it ;)

Hi Annie, I can relate to your most recent post. I bet you'll find some good support here on this site. I wish I could help by answering some of your questions, but I'm also probably having valve surgery in early March. I've have had the good fortune to have a few lengthy conversations with folks who have been down this path. If it would be helpful to hear some of the suggestions I have received, feel free to email me and I will share my phone number: gjfiorentino@gmail.com. I wish you well.

Hi Annie, I feel the same way. Everyone around me is telling me I'll be ok, but they are not the ones having an OHS. I am lucky enough that I will be meeting with someone I met here on this forum who is also seeing my surgeon and is having an OHS. It will be so nice to talk about our anxiety and understand why we are feeling the way we do. I sometimes get a feeling that people are sick and tired of me whining, but again, it is not easy. Good luck with everything. I am planning on posting my recovery day by day, so I can help those who have helped me overcome some of the difficulties facing me. I love this forum and I love the support I am getting here. I feel so fortunate that I stumbled,by coincidence, on this forum.