Danielle's Guestbook

Klara Čičić  Oh dear Matthew I am so so sorry you are going through this. Must be so frustrating. I hope things will turn around for you very soon. I am thinking of you and praying for you. I hope Danielle will be of a better help, she had her share of struggles and I am sure will be happy to help. Take care and don't give in to pessimism, you are a warrior and will endure this!

Rose Madura  Matthew, I'm sorry you are having to deal with this.  I'm sure it's very frustrating. You are much younger than I but want to reach out and tell you that I had so many complications and setbacks.  But perseverance will pay off.  As Susan Lynn always says, slow and steady wins this race.  Stay positive and count little victories as big ones.  You are strong and your beautiful family will stand with you. It's a journey and it's your journey.  God bless you. I will pray for you.  

Matthew Malooly  Thank you Klara and Rose.  I appreciate you both.  It's been so important to me to be able to communicate with people like you who understand.  And to have your prayers too?  Thank you so much.   Recovery definitely looks a lot different than I expected.  Far simpler and easier than I expected in some ways, and challenging and discouraging in ways I could have never prepared for.  It's especially hard in those moments and weeks when it feels like recovery is going backward.  I'm not the kind of person who easily sees the upside in a difficult situation so your words are priceless to me.  And it's something I've been having lots of opportunities to work on!

Ana Brusso  Dear Mathew, I’m keeping you in my prayers for your recovery to get better. I know you will get better soon. Keep up the faith. God bless you 🙏❤️

Leona Resch  Ruth - so insightful and well said! This experience really changes your perspective in so many ways- and for the better! One of the silver linings of an otherwise frightening and tough experience! And then to get to know everyone in this group! That is like the ultimate blessing ! 

Danielle Elizabeth  These responses are all so beautiful and relatable, thank you Ruth Joy and Leona ❤️ I love seeing all of the silver linings and everyday it’s a reminder for me not to sweat the small stuff - definitely I am more focused on what matters 

Ana Brusso  Ruth, what an inspirational post. It's right on. So true, we do feel close to everyone on this site as if we've known each other in person.

Danielle Elizabeth  Hey Patsy and Klara. Yes everything is coming around! My echo came back as stable and unchanged from the last 6 months! I have a VO2 stress test tomorrow 

Danielle Elizabeth  Hey, thank you for this, I got a very detailed response back my surgeons PA detailing the recovery fans how the pectoral muscles are also sewn back together (some of the pain I am experiencing). I am working on being more gracious with my recovery too. Have you ran any marathons post surgery?   

Ana Brusso  Stephen, your post to Danielle was right on point. Glad that she got the message and will be more gracious with her recovery. We all want to recover fast, but our bodies decide when. In the meantime being grateful we are alive and survived a major, complicated surgery, by the Grace of God, is what we should focus on. Continued good health to both of you 🙏❤️

Rose Madura  Great post Stephen and Ana.  I'd say it was a year before I felt I could quit worrying about everything. Sometimes the right time is not our time...but it will come. Be patient with yourself. Your body has been to "hades and back".

Greg Lewis  Yes, Ana, exactly! Try to move from an expectation driven focus, to one of acceptance, and things go much smoother, and you can be more patient.

Rita Savelis  Thank you for your honest post. Surgery is often much more difficult for those in great shape because their frustration is greater. It's easy to feel like your body has let you down. Even if you are in great shape, your body needs time to recover. This is not a race. Every body is different. I thought I would be back in dance class in September after an April surgery. But did not go back until the following September. This did not mean that I was not walking, climbing stairs, taking the subway, working, traveling. Everything in its time. Do not compare yourself to others. Your body and your healing is singular. Take care.

Greg Lewis  You bet! It can take a long time. I think i can finally see the goal line, after 16 mos. Maybe a few more months. Every surgery is different, as is every recovery. Just deal with what you get given! Its all a miracle!

Stephen Berry  Hi Daniel,

Thought I would give you an update in the hope it may encourage you.  I am now 2 years out from mitral valve repair.  I still am not even close to the high level of physical activity that I could do before surgery, but I am much better.  May never be able to do a marathon again, but so what!  I now don't even think of my breathing or heart rate when I go up a flight of stairs because it just feels normal to do this activity.  I can run 2 to 3 miles very slowly.  Everyday activities are no problem.  Just finished working out at the gym for an hour with my wife.

I very much hope that you have continued to improve over the last year.  We just have to be patient and stay at it.
Best wishes,
Stephen

Danielle Elizabeth  Thank you Ruth! If everything comes back as normal then maybe I just need a vacation. I appreciate your motivating words and encouragement ❤️

Klara Čičić  I completely agree, Ruth. I haven't changed my diet and don't plan to, it is not recommended. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies and if needed adjust my warfarin accordingly, not the other way around. Consistency is the most important.

Richard Munson  Klara, just curious why you are on warfarin and i am on eliquis. We had pretty much the same surgery. No blood monitoring with eliquis. Just askin. 

Klara Čičić  Hi Rich (may I call you that?), in a younger person with no comorbidities world recommendation says warfarin for three months after mitral valve repair because of the annuloplasty ring (it acts as a foreign body, it is prone to thrombosis just as a mechanical valve....and you know warfarin has shown it's superiority in preventing thrombosis in foreign objects, that's why people with mechanical valves must use warfarin instead of novel anticoagulants such as Eliquis, sadly). Luckly for me, that's only for 3 months until the ring fully attaches itself to my heart, ingrows inside, (don't know the right word) . After that, baby aspirin for life. Although that aspirin part is still part of the debate, but scientific papers are little more in favour of aspirin for life right now than no aspirin. That is current scientific reccommendation for my particular case. There is also option that you take Aspirin for the first 3 months instead of warfarin, and then again, continue Aspirin for life. Some surgeons/cardiologists have this practice because there is some proof that it is equally efficient. (there is no wrong anwser). But I went with warfarin. Until the annuloplasty ring attaches itself fully and risk of  postoperative Afib  lowers to minimum, that's after 3 months. Hope I cleared it up.  You know medicine, 2+2 rarely equals 4...it's a lot more  complex. Regarding Eliquis, I assume you are taking it because you have some other comorbidities+ your older age...your CHA2DS2 score (and HASBLED score...) is in favour of Eliquis...the benefit of Eliquis for you (preventing stroke from embolus being the first and foremost) probably outweighs the risks. I don't know your full history and other medications and clinical features, but I believe it is there for a reason :)

Richard Munson  An old expression. Call me anything you want just call me. I hope at some point to get off eliquis and metropolol for that matter or reduce the dosage somewhat. Its why i am wearing the implanted a fib monitor. After a year goes by and i show no signs i plan to start asking some questions about drug reduction.

Klara Čičić  I completely understand your wish and it makes perfectly sense....if no Afib for such a long time (don't know if they specified exact time duration without Afib which is considered as minimal risk) and no other risk factors for thomboembolic events... it might be possible to take you off Eliquis... I can't wait to stop ringing and stop warfarin and also reduce bisoprolol if I get green light from cardiologist I think most people have the urge to take as little or no medication at all but we must be careful and weight the risks and benefits...

Richard Munson  No more scar pictures please or i’ll be faced with taking a scar selfie and posting it here. 80 year old bodies are not the most photogenic. 

Richard P  Danielle, could you share with us how it was determined you had pleural effusion?
In April I had aortic valve replacement, aorta aneurysm repair, and a bypass. Just in the last 3 weeks I have started having some back pain that just does not seem like normal muscle ache.

Thanks for your posts.