Jennifer's Guestbook

Hello Jennifer, So glad that you are doing so well. In answer to your questions: my incision is under my right breast. It has pretty much healed. I do sometimes have some tingling in the right breast, a bit of numbness. This is due to all the nerve endings getting upset! I really do not have any pain in that area. I am a childcare provider/preschool teacher and sometimes My body lets me know when I have lifted to much weight.(like a fifty pound child). I still have some tingling and numbness in the groin area (where the heart and lung machine was).This seems to be getting better. I wish you continued healing and happiness. My email is kidsjunction@gmail.com. Feel free to write anytime. This heart family is the best. Duane will be having his surgery in June and look forward to being support for him. I met him in person and we discussed so much about surgery,recovery,etc. Enjoy your day. Your heart sister Mary from Michigan

Welcome Jennifer! Hope your recovery is going well, and you are doing well! It is a process isn't it? Great support in this site regardless of the phase you are in! Wishing you well, Nancy

Jennifer. No offense taken whatsoever. I'm just a very purposeful and blunt guy. I do my homework, make my decisions and I don't look back. Dr. Sakwa is the Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Beaumont. He was very clear that "in my case" he believes that the thoracotomy will undoubtedly be light years better and easier to recover from than a sternotomy. When I asked him "how much easier: his response was "ALOT" All studies that I have read indicate that, "on average", the difference in time on the heart lung machine is a matter of minutes. Dr. Sakwa didn't blink an eye when he explained the procedure. In the end, we all "gotta do what we gotta do". I trust my guy. I have to chuckle because I see a lot of references on this site to "the best doctor in the world" and "my doctor said...". In the process I have come to the undeniable conclusion that "the best doctor in the world" is the one that pulls you through this adventure and sends you home in an upright position. I'm actually looking for someone that has had this procedure, but nobody is popping up. I'm not surprised, because Sakwa told me there are only four doctors right now that are doing the procedure that he knows of personally. He said I fit the criterion. He is actually teaching the procedure to others because of it's level of success. I'm good with this decision. But I'll let you know my final opinion when I pop out the other side !!! I'm a tough guy.

Hello Jennifer- Just wanted to drop a line and tell you what a nice photo of your Family is and how handsome your two "Men" of the family are. Sweet Photo. I just saw that you are from Fortuna. I haven't been there before but my best friend lives in Eureka whom I have known for over 41 years and my husband tells me that Fortuna isn't far from there. Two of my friends from Redding used to own the Hallmark store in Fortuna and left there to run their Redding Hallmark. If you ever get over this way feel free to drop by. You are one of the few people I have met from our community within reaching distance! Hope you are doing well in your recovery and Happy Spring to you all!