Robert's Guestbook

Robert Machado  Well i'm 21 days from the surgery and feeling better than i expected to at this time. I am experiencing the AFIB as I wrote but I suspect that will resolve itself as the doctors think. I'm walking 3 miles every other day, taking care of myself in the shower and bath and making most of my meals. My sternum is sore but each week the soreness is decreasing and this week I'm finally able to sleep on my side with a degree of comfort that has allowed me to get some good sleep.

I was scared like anyone is but did a lot of research starting with Adam's book and though I knew there was a chance the worst could happen finally decided I had to go forward with confidence that all would go as planned and, knock on wood, it generally has. I'm lucky enough to live in Massachusetts and near enough to Boston and Mass General that I can drive there in an hour. Mass General is like the 2nd rated cardiac center in the country behind Cleveland Clinic and my surgeon George Tolis has an impeccable reputation. He spent an hour with me answering all my questions including some very difficult questions about how many patients he's lost, how many times he's performed this particular surgery and what the dangers were. He made me feel at ease with the process. I had no bypass issues required so that was good too.

Its okay to be scared. I was scared, am still in a way for the future, but constantly thought what If I didn't have this done what does the future look like for me. I have a lot of living left to do. For most of the time I had been asymptomatic but the last six months I got much worse and that really helped me to know that having the surgery was the right decision. All symptoms are gone and the surgery was a success at this time so I have no regrets what so ever. Put your faith into your surgeon. Remember he or she want's only the best for their patient and that means you.

The first two weeks of recovery are no joke. Its like getting hit by a mack truck. There is no avoiding it but I was off pain meds 5 days after surgery and haven't needed anything but Tylenol since. You can do it too.

Rob Sparling  ^^^^ what Robert said! All of it! Good deal that you are so near Boston and the talented docs there!

Don Faust  I had my aortic valve replaced on 4/2/18 I was in good health except for the valve. All my test came before surgery came back clean, and was fortunate to have a minimally invasive sternumity. The sternum heals up pretty fast it feels like a long time when your going thru it. After about 7 days after surgery I was sleeping flat on my back, i used my abdominal muscles to get up no arms. Each day was better I walked everyday long walks short walks, Every hour I would go out and do 1k to 2k steps, then would come back and rest and do it again the next hour. After six weeks started riding bike 8-10 miles a day. I work in a industrial setting I have to be able climb 10 stories of stairs, several times a day and also ladders. I went back to work with a full release June 18, 2018 I feel fine somedays off the charts, but I do need minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night, So I am almost 6 months out and I'm back to pretty much normal activity training for a metric century bike ride in two weeks. But if you were in good health now except for the valve you'll be in better shape when you come out. The doctors have the heart surgery down, I'm sure you will do well good luck and god bless