Hello! Laura - That’s so nice of you to have mentioned my name to Dr. Pelletier! There were lots of sad people when he left Saint John and newspaper articles ...Read more
Hello! Laura - That’s so nice of you to have mentioned my name to Dr. Pelletier! There were lots of sad people when he left Saint John and newspaper articles referred to him as “top doctor.” When you’re that good, people are bound to come and get you.
I was born in New Brunswick and spent 34 years in four major Canadian cities before returning to my roots in 1995 (I presently live in the town I was born and grew up in). I’ve been to St. John’s, Newfoundland…sucb a beautiful place and such friendly people. I’ve also been to Nova Scotia on a few occasions and am planning a trip over there this summer. What parts of these provinces is your family from? When was the last time you visited?
Glad to hear you are ahead of the curve and wishing you continued success in your recovery! Take care. Jeannette
Laura Jacobs Hi Jeannette, My grandmother's family on my mother's side hailed from Gaskiers, Newfoundland and Irel ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Jeannette, My grandmother's family on my mother's side hailed from Gaskiers, Newfoundland and Ireland before that. My grandfather was from Ketch Harbour Nova Scotia and was Scottish in descent.
My grandparents moved to Toronto after they married. Both my parents were born in Toronto, as was I. I have visited Halifax once. I vacationed in New Brunswick once when I was about 7 years old. I remember nothing except the beautiful farm where we stayed with family friends. I have never been to Newfoundland. My husband and I planned to visit the maritime provinces this summer until the surgery popped up and changed everything. Perhaps we will get there next year. I have wanted to go for years.
All the best to you,
Laurie (I also have a dog named Max, and another named Daisy.)
Jeannette McLaughlin Hello! Laura - Thanks for filling me in on parts of your family tree! I've been to St. John's, Nfld. ... Read more
Jeannette McLaughlin Hello! Laura - Thanks for filling me in on parts of your family tree! I've been to St. John's, Nfld. - such friendly people and beautiful scenery. Hope you make it to the Maritimes one day, where you'll find hospitality like no other place! Max and Daisy must be all over you (dogs know when we need extra TLC). Wishing you all the best! Jeannette
Laura! I am sending you good thoughts for you to speed through the ICU. Hopefully you are already in the step down unit!
Laura Jacobs Hi Alethea, I stayed in ICU for about 24 hours, and then went to the step down unit. I came home Sund ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Alethea, I stayed in ICU for about 24 hours, and then went to the step down unit. I came home Sunday afternoon. How is your Dad doing? Is he feeling more comfortable getting in and out of bed? Are his spirits high? I hope he is doing well and things are less stressful for you.
Alethea Scally He's doing well, thank you Laura. Hope you are healing well at home!
Dear Laura: I just saw your post and you are probably in SICU right now, having had a successful surgery! You are so blessed to have had Dr. Marc Pelletier ...Read more
Dear Laura: I just saw your post and you are probably in SICU right now, having had a successful surgery! You are so blessed to have had Dr. Marc Pelletier as your surgeon. For nine years, he was Head of Cardiac Surgery at the New Brunswick Heart Centre (NBHC) in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where I had my surgery on Sept. 28, 2016. When my cardiologist sent my file to the NBHC in Feb. of last year, he told me that there was a very slight chance of having Dr. Pelletier since he was about to start his new duties in Boston. Nonetheless, I kept visualizing that I would have him as my surgeon. I even had his photo on the fridge (with part of his impressive biography)! Oh! well, it wasn’t meant to be as Dr. Pelletier started his new duties at Harvard Medical School as well as the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in April of last year. As it turned out, I had a great surgeon (in fact, I was hoping to have Dr. Hassan should Dr. Pelletier not be available!)
Wishing you all the best now and during your recovery.
Laura Jacobs Hello Jeannette!! Yes I feel extremely lucky to have had Dr. Pelletier as my surgeon. You only have t ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hello Jeannette!! Yes I feel extremely lucky to have had Dr. Pelletier as my surgeon. You only have to meet him to feel his quiet confidence and compassion. I told him about you and he had a big smile and hoped that you were doing well. I am very glad that you found a good surgeon and you are doing so well. Are you still in Canada? All my family is there. My mom's side are from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. I arrived home yesterday afternoon. I am doing well..they tell me ahead of the curve so I feel lucky too.
Thinking of you. My Surgery was exactly one year ago to the day of yours. Mine was June 21, 2016. All is good now. Had the same surgery as yours too. Replaced ...Read more
Thinking of you. My Surgery was exactly one year ago to the day of yours. Mine was June 21, 2016. All is good now. Had the same surgery as yours too. Replaced my bicuspid valve with a mechanical valve, and also had my ascending aortic aneurysm replaced with a dracon graft. You're going to do great. Just thought I'd say hi. Take care!
Laura Jacobs Hi Matt, I so appreciate you reaching out. It means a lot to me. A big HI to you as well. Congratulat ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Matt, I so appreciate you reaching out. It means a lot to me. A big HI to you as well. Congratulations on your recovery. I am ready to get mine done. 😀
Laura Jacobs Hi Matt, June 21st must be a lucky day. I am back at home and recovering well..not saying it is easy ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Matt, June 21st must be a lucky day. I am back at home and recovering well..not saying it is easy but better than I feared so far. I hope things are going well with your mechanical valve. I went with tissue. They tell me I am a clotter so I have to take wafarin for about 3 months. My ascending aorta was found to extend into the arch as well so they did a little bypass during surgery to keep the arteries at the top of the arch flowing to the brain. So I have two incisions but they say they are healing well though they look positively gruesome to me. I loved the photos of you with your family by the way. It is all worth it to make sure we are around to look after them. Thanks for the note!
Laura
Hi Laura ~ I had surgery 5 weeks ago: my aortic valve was replaced as well as my ascending and transverse aorta. I was given a diagnosis of bicuspid aortic ...Read more
Hi Laura ~ I had surgery 5 weeks ago: my aortic valve was replaced as well as my ascending and transverse aorta. I was given a diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve after a CT. Because of the CT, the doctors ignored the echo results. Turns out, I had a univalve, all of the leaflets were fused and not moving. Your symptoms sound very much like mine pre-surgery...
Laura Jacobs I read your story Soggy and saw the photo of your valve...amazing!!! So glad you are recovering. Best ... Read more
Laura Jacobs I read your story Soggy and saw the photo of your valve...amazing!!! So glad you are recovering. Best wishes for continued and speedy improvement!
Soggy Rodent Ty! I saw my surgeon for the first time post-surgery today. He said I was doing great and can now sta ... Read more
Soggy Rodent Ty! I saw my surgeon for the first time post-surgery today. He said I was doing great and can now start pushing myself. When I asked him if he sees many valves like mine, he said that he does but the patients are usually 70yo. He said, however, that it was rare to have a valve not match what was shown on the CT and echo. He said my valve was interesting in a weird way... Because you're having your CT soon, I just wanted you to know that sometimes you have to fight for surgery if you have an interesting and weird valve like me.
Laura Jacobs My goodness, so lucky that you stood up for yourself. Sometimes you have to be your own advocate and ... Read more
Laura Jacobs My goodness, so lucky that you stood up for yourself. Sometimes you have to be your own advocate and you are so lucky you were strong enough to do it! Good for you!!
Soggy Rodent Ty Laura :) I'm very fortunate because I'm aggressive from working on an ambulance and I have medical ... Read more
Soggy Rodent Ty Laura :) I'm very fortunate because I'm aggressive from working on an ambulance and I have medical knowledge as an EMT Instructor and Respiratory Therapist. The combination has helped me immensely while dealing with doctors. We have to be able to advocate for ourselves because we're the ones living with the outcome...
Good luck on the 21st, Laura. (I am having my valve replaced on the 22nd.) I have a quick question: About a year ago, I often coughed whenever I laid down, ...Read more
Good luck on the 21st, Laura. (I am having my valve replaced on the 22nd.) I have a quick question: About a year ago, I often coughed whenever I laid down, and I saw that you had mentioned experiencing that same symptom. When I mentioned it to my cardiologist (having already been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and having no other significant symptoms), she said that coughing when laying down was not a symptom of aortic stenosis. But I can't help but think it was. Did your doctor ever address that? (Since then, I developed other symptoms, which is why I'm having my upcoming procedure.)
Laura Jacobs Hi Anne, I wrote a note to you from my iPhone last night but it seems to have disappeared...sorry abo ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Anne, I wrote a note to you from my iPhone last night but it seems to have disappeared...sorry about that. About the cough - my surgeon seemed to think it may be reflux. I am not a doctor and not in a position to refute that, but my gut tells me otherwise. My consistency of my cough correlates with other symptoms. When my symptoms escalated (edema, chest pain, breathlessness), my coughing started to be pretty consistently there throughout the day. Early on, the cough was present only when I laid down. Now that the edema has left and I am having less chest tightness or breathlessness at rest, the cough not ever-present and more intermittent. I have also seen symptom lists that include coughing. So who knows! Something is giving me the urge to cough without the presence of congestion, but maybe it is unrelated. Good luck to you on the 22nd!!!!
Anne Walpole I, too, saw it listed somewhere as a symptom of aortic stenosis. My cough was there for close to a ye ... Read more
Anne Walpole I, too, saw it listed somewhere as a symptom of aortic stenosis. My cough was there for close to a year but then at some point it just randomly stopped. I'm glad you're doing better and coughing less. Good luck to you, too!
Hi Laura! Hope the jitters aren't bothering you too much. How are your surgery preparations going?
Laura Jacobs Hi Alethea!!! Thanks for checking in...so kind of you! I am pretty calm right now. I feel ready to g ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Alethea!!! Thanks for checking in...so kind of you! I am pretty calm right now. I feel ready to get it done and start the recovery. I am not saying I will be calm on Tuesday when I head to Boston. I will stay at a hotel for the night and have my surgery in the morning. I hope I am not too much of a mess on Wednesday morning. Time will tell!
How is your Dad doing?
Alethea Scally He's doing remarkably well. The only hiccup is getting into and out of bed. Don't know how we're goin ... Read more
Alethea Scally He's doing remarkably well. The only hiccup is getting into and out of bed. Don't know how we're going to manage that at home since he's being discharged tomorrow.
Laura Jacobs That sounds a little scary for you. I hope he gets more comfortable quickly so he can get up more eas ... Read more
Laura Jacobs That sounds a little scary for you. I hope he gets more comfortable quickly so he can get up more easily. I will be thinking about you. I hope the transition home goes smoothly.
Hi Laura,
My diagnosis seems similar to yours except the aneurysm . Are you having TAVR procedure? I wish you great success and will be praying for you. ...Read more
Hi Laura,
My diagnosis seems similar to yours except the aneurysm . Are you having TAVR procedure? I wish you great success and will be praying for you. Judy Stokes
Laura Jacobs Hi Judy, I am having open heart surgery. They have to replace the valve and a section of the aorta. M ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Judy, I am having open heart surgery. They have to replace the valve and a section of the aorta. My surgery was just moved today from the 19th of this month to the 21st...it is only a change of two days but for reasons I do not understand it gets me jumbled up emotionally all over again. I hope your surgery goes well also. Are you having TAVR? Best wishes to you and thanks for writing.
Judy Stokes Yes having TAVR. And like you I am full of emotions and anxiety. The waiting is horrible!
Judy Stokes Sorry to hear they changed your surgery. It's bad enough let alone changing. I'll be thinking of you ... Read more
Judy Stokes Sorry to hear they changed your surgery. It's bad enough let alone changing. I'll be thinking of you.
Hello Laura, welcome to the site.My surgery was almost 3 1/2 years ago, I had a stenotic and bicuspid aortic valve replaced with a mechanical valve. I'm 45, ...Read more
Hello Laura, welcome to the site.My surgery was almost 3 1/2 years ago, I had a stenotic and bicuspid aortic valve replaced with a mechanical valve. I'm 45, and doing pretty darned great!
-Meredith
Laura Jacobs Hi Meredith, Thanks for writing. I am so glad to hear that your are doing well! I have to make a cho ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Meredith, Thanks for writing. I am so glad to hear that your are doing well! I have to make a choice between a mechanical and a tissue valve. The idea that I might hear the mechanical clicking is scaring me. I think it might drive me crazy, though not facing another surgery in ten or so years sounds pretty good. - Laura
Meredith Bray Laura, whichever valve you choose will be the perfect choice for you. My cardiologist had good reaso ... Read more
Meredith Bray Laura, whichever valve you choose will be the perfect choice for you. My cardiologist had good reasons for a tissue valve, and my surgeon had good reasons for a mechanical. It's a very personal choice. For what it's worth, my diet hasn't changed due to warfarin/Coumidin, and most of the time I don't hear my ticker.
Laura Jacobs Hi Meredith, Thank you for sharing your experience. I met with my surgeon last week, and finally deci ... Read more
Laura Jacobs Hi Meredith, Thank you for sharing your experience. I met with my surgeon last week, and finally decided to go with a tissue valve. I am hoping that valve replacements without OHS will be much improved by the time I need it replaced. I am glad that everything is going so well for you. All the best to you!!!!
Meredith Bray I'm excited about the future of valve replacements. I've read many accounts of patients getting valve ... Read more
Meredith Bray I'm excited about the future of valve replacements. I've read many accounts of patients getting valve replacements through TAVR and being home from the hospital is just a few days, and back to work in a few weeks. AMAZING!
My grandparents moved to Toronto after they married. Both my parents were born in Toronto, as was I. I have visited Halifax once. I vacationed in New Brunswick once when I was about 7 years old. I remember nothing except the beautiful farm where we stayed with family friends. I have never been to Newfoundland. My husband and I planned to visit the maritime provinces this summer until the surgery popped up and changed everything. Perhaps we will get there next year. I have wanted to go for years.
All the best to you,
Laurie (I also have a dog named Max, and another named Daisy.)