Amy's Journal

Bonnie Stone-Hope  Hope you feel better soon.
Glad to hear that your surgeon cancelled the surgery as you want to feel totally healthy when having your procedure.

Mark Wilbur  Sorry that it has worked out that way, but it's better in the long run. Hope that the delay will give you time to recover, relax and prepare for your procedure. Stay positive!

Marie Myers  Sorry about your pothole in the road to surgery. Way better to wait till you are well than to do surgery when you are sick. My whole surgery journey was a lesson in patience... You are getting an early lesson. All the best to you!

Wanda Blackwood  So sorry to hear about your delay. Hope your feeling better soon. Thank the Lord it showed up before surgery instead of when you were in recovery. My prayers are with you and your family.

Shannon Gray  Thinking of you! Better to be 100%, despite having to wait more. Prayers are with you and your family!

Rose Madura  Rescheduling is always emotional - at least it was for me. I cried all day when the moved the date out. Mine was due to my surgeon having to do emergency surgery. At any rate, I think it is best to wait. I wouldn't want to go through it being sick to begin with. I wish you the best on the 20th. Hopefully you will feel better by then.

Barbara Wood  I'd call my surgeons office asap...I came down with a cold 2 days before surgery & they rescheduled it. I think they want you going in in good shape if possible. Hope you feel better soon Amy, keep us posted how it goes!

Mark Wilbur  I agree with Barbara & Marie. I personally know of a case where the patient was in pre-op when it was revealed he had a cold and surgery was postponed. It will be best to contact your doctor asap. I'm sorry this has been such an ordeal. We are with you in spirit as you deal with these challenges.

  Amy, you will get constant support by the nurses. You will be surprised how fast the days go. Once you are home it will seem like a blur after a little bit. I heard the most interesting stories from my nurses. Your husband sounds like he will be fine and with you often. Will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. You got this.

Anna Jones  A "hi" from your neighbor in Austin. I may be going to Houston too :-). I'm in the same boat. My husband will not be at the hospital with me, so primarily I will be alone.

I've given thought to hiring someone through either an agency or Care.com to stop by and check on me, just to make sure the nurses know someone is around and advocating for me.

Meanwhile, these are the things I have read people bring to the hospital:

** Books or digital reader
** Cell phone and long charger
**Notebook - to keep records of what doctors and nurses tell you, and a list of your BP, and other medical readings throughout your stay,
**Picture of Loved Ones
** Pillow/Neck Pillow
** boxer shorts to help with modesty when you are walking the halls
** Toiletries (including wet wipes, dry shampoo, dental Floss, tooth brush, toothpaste, Hand lotion)
**Chap-stick
** Drawstring pants - to go home in
** Flipflops to go home in
** Coloring books and crayons
** gift basket of chocolate for anyone to dip into when they are caring for you in your hospital room

Many people also say they bring these things but don't use a lot of them.

Sending best wishes for your surgery. Please keep us posted.

Nancy Surprenant Takahashi  Hi Amy, don't know if your hospital has it but the hospital I'm going to has support people there that I can ask for that have been through this, when I'm out of ICU they also have comfort dogs that they can bring by. Should you call your hospital and ask them if they have any type of support like that. I was told that I can ask for it at the front when I arrive for my surgery. They are former OHS people that have completed special training.

  Also, The one thing i used the most was a tablet on which I had downloaded podcasts and audio books to listen to. They helped me when I couldn't sleep at night.

Toni Z  The nurses were really helpful so you won’t be alone. My hubby only stayed with me the first night and I felt he didn’t need to be in the room the rest of the nights since the sleep chair was rough on his back. We also have 2 boys that needed him too to give grandma soon relief. Dry shampoo, chapstick, and oral care stuff. Otherwise the hospital provided me with some. Towards day 5-6, I felt well enough to wear my own pjs with front button down tops, short sleeves. Deodorant is good too. Yes on boxers or comfy undies. Download Overdrive app and sign for free audiobooks from your library. Make sure to get your library card. I was able to connect to hospital WiFi.

Barbara Wood  Amy, I took a pack of facial wipes ( like burts bees), a few stretchy headbands, chapstick, pj bottoms, my kindle & phone & slippers. The hospital supplied everything else. I did take a basket of wrapped truffles - I got excellent treatment, maybe that little bribe helped:). Everyone who came into my room was really friendly, kind & talkative- I heard lots of good stories too - & 2 women with lovely comfort dogs stopped by too. I had a hard time with the hospital food & the aids were wonderful in making me smoothies, shakes & peanut butter crackers in the floor kitchen - also ginger ale, popsicles. I was so dreading it, but in a weird way I really did find my stay to be kind of enjoyable!

Best wishes, it will soon all be behind you!

Helen Daw  I was in ICU this week and to be honest I didn’t need anybody with me. The nurses are phenomenal and are great source of support. I didn’t even start to moan, and she would be by my side to ask questions. Out of my whole experience this past week, ICU was the best.

Bonnie Stone-Hope  Hi Amy,
You will be fine in ICU with the nurses, physiotherapist, etc. Take your phone and charger, and you can call your husband and son daily.

I also took shoes with velcro fasteners which were easy for myself and staff to fasten for walking.
Took a poncho (bamboo) which was cosy, and fit over all the tubes, etc. (a shawl would do the same thing- keep you warm without bothering your IVs)
Other items have already been mentioned above:)

Best wishes for a successful surgery and fast recovery.

Tracy Simmons  Hi Amy, in addition to the other folks here, I recommend some type of pj bottoms for once you leave ICU. Those hospital gowns just don't provide coverage :)
Very best of luck to you and your family. You'll be so glad once your surgery is done.

Sophia Ridley  Ear plugs and eye mask were vital. I was getting delirious from lack of sleep due to bleeping machines and bright lights and so dispatched hubby to buy some after 2nd night.
I’m allergic to hospital detergent, so had labour gowns which I wore instead of nightwear, which were much easier with all the checks (flaps fold down) and don’t open at the back! Gownies are the ones I used.
Bring in your own pillow too... will be a comfort.

Amy Minto  Thank you all so much for the fantastic advice. Feeling so incredibly overwhelmed & stressed. Lot the past 2 days to severe migraine, so I accomplished nothing to prepare. :(

  Amy, my brother had his mitral valve repaired robotically about 7 years ago. He is doing fine. As I remember, he was in the hospital a few days and was back to his old self in a couple months. He had davinci robot. His recovery was uneventful.

Amy Minto  Thank you, Karen. Mine won't be robotic- I just edited my post as it was confusing & I'm sorry. But great to hear he did well. Wondering if they are similar?

Lisa Ferguson  My best friend/heart sister who had two surgeries had the first mitral valve surgery as minimally invasive and the second as a sternotomy. She did have a rougher time recovering with the minimally invasive. I think it really depends on how you heal and what happens during surgery as to how it goes in recovery. The sternotomy does not necessarily mean you are down, as in laying down to recover. In fact movement is encouraged. I was walking the hospital floor 2 days after surgery with my sternotomy. But it certainly takes longer in the sense that you have bone to grow back! Lots of people have great success with a minimal approach, honestly I don't think you can second guess it. Your surgeon will do his best, but anything can happen and you may wake up with a sternotomy. Don't let that worry you because in the end, the best repair to your heart is what matters. That is what I was told and it helped me let go of some anxiety about the surgery. The surgeon needs to be able to do their best work, so they have plan A, but sometimes they have to go with plan B. Regardless, in just a few months, you will be back to your boys with new energy!

Tracy Simmons  Amy, I traveled for my surgery to and have no regrets. It was about a 5-6 hour trip. I only wish I lived closer to the hospital and doctor offices for follow-up visits, etc.

Emily Rowley  Welcome to this super supportive community Amy 😊 I see you're having your Mitral Valve Repaired due to Mitral Regurgitation like I had twice. I hope I can ease your worry when I say everything will work out for you and that I'm here for you, I understand what you are going through (except I don't have children but I teach 4yo children). Sounds like you have such a beautiful Son and supportive Hubby 👨‍👩‍👦 I completely understand your concern re not wanting to leave your Son at a strangers house! Can he come with your Hubby, stay close?

Civita Fahey  Hi Amy I had issues like you with anxiety and fear, like most of us.. I did get help from a book Meditation for Successful Surgery.. It's on Amazon and it really did help me focus on the positive and recovery. Maybe something like this can help you too.. best of luck.. You will do great.. the thing that helped me the most was reading all the positive outcomes from this site and encouragement from all the wonderful people here..

Rose Madura  Welcome to the site. I know it can be scary but remember that they do this everyday. The outcomes are typically very positive. Even if you have complications, they will know what to do. Regarding your son, maybe you could call the hospital to see if they have suggestions. The other side of the coin is that it will be good to have him with you.

Bonnie Stone-Hope  Hello Amy,
Your son will be a great little helper, wanting to take care of Mommy. Children are so amazing. He looks so sweet.
Many times we think that we have children to care for but, in fact, our children are the ones who help us to be relaxed, and be strong for them.
God bless.

Diane T  Hi Amy. Like you, I was pretty nervous and overwhelmed. I found Peggy Huddleston's book & CD "Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster" to be incredibly helpful. You can find it on Amazon. Good luck! You've got this!

Barbara Wood  Oh, that's tough! My kids are grown, but I still worried about how my surgery would affect them. Do you have a relative who might go with you to help care for him? The thing that helped me most in dealing with my anxiety was coming here every day & reading about other people's experiences - that helped me more than I would have thought possible. I had a mitral repair too, you will feel so much better! Best wishes to you & your beautiful family!

Lisa Ferguson  I have two thoughts...first, I was prescribed anxiety meds before surgery. Honestly, that was the only thing that helped. Not enough to knock me out, but enough to relax and sleep when I needed it. Second, a hired caretaker should be for you and not your son. That is an easy thing to do and leaves your hubby to care for your son. While you are in the hospital you will be taken care of so your husband can care for him fully. At that age, they are pretty resilient as long as they have a few favorite things from home. And when you go home to recover, focus outside support on you. It's hard to imagine how much better you will feel, but with proper care and not overdoing it by trying to help with childcare duties before you are ready, you'll be better than ever!