Andrew Bachert - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

758 days ago

Question for fellow aortic valve replacement patients. I am an active cyclist both prior and post surgery (April 2022). I participated in a physical therapy ...Read more

Question for fellow aortic valve replacement patients. I am an active cyclist both prior and post surgery (April 2022). I participated in a physical therapy group for about 11 weeks while taking atenolol (beta blocker). Have been off all medications other than aspirin since mid August. I have noticed in my workouts that my average heart rate is now 10 to 15 bpm higher than before surgery (roughly 155 bpm prior to 165 bpm now). And a couple of weeks ago I donated blood and my blood pressure was significantly higher than normal. Has anyone one with active lifestyles experienced this?

Marie Myers It is not surprising that your BP and pulse have increased since going off atenolol. Beta blockers li ... Read more

Marie Myers It is not surprising that your BP and pulse have increased since going off atenolol. Beta blockers like atenolol decrease heart rate and blood pressure, so going off them will increase both pressure and heart rate. I have been on a beta blocker since my AVR and aneurysm resection 5 years ago, and will probably be on it for the rest of my life. I am fairly active also, playing pickleball , tennis, and horseback riding.

Andrew Bachertposted an update

969 days ago

Andrew Dial, Rose Madura reacted to this

I have my surgery date to replace bicuspid aortic valve on Tuesday April 26 at Weill Cornell Medical hospital in New York City.

Rose Madura Hi Andrew. Getting the date makes it real! Godspeed.

David Pearl Keep us posted and god bless sir

Marie Myers Great news! The waiting period can be tough, so be kind to yourself. Distraction with pleasant thing ... Read more

Marie Myers Great news! The waiting period can be tough, so be kind to yourself. Distraction with pleasant things and light exercise (if you can) help pass the time.

Dan Rhoden Andrew, I'm a fellow avid cyclist. I experienced shortness of breath and fatigue symptoms leading up ... Read more

Dan Rhoden Andrew, I'm a fellow avid cyclist. I experienced shortness of breath and fatigue symptoms leading up to my diagnosis. Before that I chalked these symptoms up to getting older. My surgery was March 28 and all went well. Recovery is moving along nicely. As other have mentioned the waiting till surgery is torture. You'll look back and realize the pre-surgery anxiety, etc doesn't come close to actual experience. Good luck in your journey, you'll be in recovery mode very soon. And back on the bike this summer! 🚴🚴🚴

Andrew Bachertposted a journal

997 days ago

Started feeling lightheaded yesterday morning after my workout. Persisted off and on to this morning. Hadn’t really experienced that before. So decided to ...Read more

Started feeling lightheaded yesterday morning after my workout. Persisted off and on to this morning. Hadn’t really experienced that before. So decided to go to the ER as a precaution. They did some tests and gave me some motion sickness medication. Not really helpful other than local surgeon’s office called while I was in the ER and set up an appointment for Monday.

The question I have is whether I am now experiencing symptoms because I know what to expect or is it just coincidence I was diagnosed just before symptoms set in. To be honest the light headedness is what I would describe as mild and probably would have previously dismissed it as fatigue. Can anyone else describe the light headedness you experience?

Andrew Dial I have that too! And it’s damn near unexplainable haha. Sorry. But yes I have been experiencing th ... Read more

Andrew Dial I have that too! And it’s damn near unexplainable haha. Sorry. But yes I have been experiencing that off and on for the last couple years and I’m coming to the realization that it’s my heart telling me it needs fixing ….

Rose Madura I used to get lightheaded often before I needed surgery and I used to explain it away as stress, ir ... Read more

Rose Madura I used to get lightheaded often before I needed surgery and I used to explain it away as stress, ir needing to drink a glass of water. It probably was related to my heart because nearly five years post op, I rarely, if ever, have any lighheadedness (if that's a word) Hope this helps.

Andrew Dial Wow.. that’s exactly what I think too.. I always go for a glass or bottle of water and think it wil ... Read more

Andrew Dial Wow.. that’s exactly what I think too.. I always go for a glass or bottle of water and think it will cure my lightheadedness. Sometimes though, I know I have not drank enough water and I can feel the lightheaded coming on. I have about 3-4 different kinds of lightheaded. Today, I was feeling off for a few hours, and could also feel my breathing change.

Miriam Alejos I do the same exact thing when I get dizzy or lightheaded. I ask someone to bring me some water if I' ... Read more

Miriam Alejos I do the same exact thing when I get dizzy or lightheaded. I ask someone to bring me some water if I'm too dizzy to get it myself. I've had these episodes for a while and never could find what was wrong until just a couple months ago .

Timothy Andre I’ve found that drinking a minimum of 64-96oz of water a day helps me a lot with dizziness. For tho ... Read more

Timothy Andre I’ve found that drinking a minimum of 64-96oz of water a day helps me a lot with dizziness. For those of us with severe stenosis, letting ourselves get dehydrated is not good. The valve will stiffen up and make it even more difficult to pump blood to the body, causing near syncope and sometimes completely passing out. Staying hydrated and getting enough sleep is my main goal right now.

Marie Myers Have you checked your blood pressure during these lightheaded moments? It could be due to a low BP. I ... Read more

Marie Myers Have you checked your blood pressure during these lightheaded moments? It could be due to a low BP. If you are on BP meds, the meds may need to be adjusted in doses or changed. Hydration is also important, and will help if it is due to low BP. The other thing to check is your pulse in these lightheaded episodes, If your pulse is unusually low or irregular, you will need to contact your doctor.

Donald Houdek Andrew, as Marie Myers said, check your blood pressure. Mine would drop to below 110 and I would get ... Read more

Donald Houdek Andrew, as Marie Myers said, check your blood pressure. Mine would drop to below 110 and I would get that light headed feeling. Let us know how the operation goes, then it is back to your project list.

Andrew Bachertposted a journal

1008 days ago

Shannon Gray reacted to this

About three weeks ago diagnosed with severe aortic valve stenosis after a routine echocardiogram for a heart murmur which I have had as long as I can remember. ...Read more

About three weeks ago diagnosed with severe aortic valve stenosis after a routine echocardiogram for a heart murmur which I have had as long as I can remember. It was a shock as I am a healthy 56 year old and an avid cyclist. I never considered I could potentially have heart problems. And I have no symptoms other than the murmur.

Cardiologist current thinking is it is a bicuspid aortic valve. Wednesday morning will undergo the transesophageal echocardiogram and cardiac catherization. Nervous about the exams. More nervous about future surgery.

Richard Munson Andrew, take heart ( pun intended), all the nervous stuff you are feeling is standard operating proce ... Read more

Richard Munson Andrew, take heart ( pun intended), all the nervous stuff you are feeling is standard operating procedure for those of us who have been in your shoes. The transecho is kind of a no brainer down your throat to get a clearer picture. Expect you will be semi sedated. The catherization is mostly to check for blockages before heart surgery. The brave among us opt to be awake and watch the screen not me, i would pass out anyway. The ohs method itself will be determined by what they see in these tests. I had minimally invasive which means faster recovery but many on this site have had the full sternum with no issues. Keep the faith, you are young and fit.

Ginny Turner Andrew, many of us have experienced exactly what you are going through. Knowing we had a heart murmur ... Read more

Ginny Turner Andrew, many of us have experienced exactly what you are going through. Knowing we had a heart murmur, but never thinking it was a problem that would require surgery. I'm now 6 weeks post-op for mitral and tricuspid repairs, much older than you, and doing great! The fear and the wait were much worse than the surgery experience itself. You've found a supportive community here. Take it a day at a time and know you will be just fine. And keep us posted!

Sandy Harvey Andrew, I was diagnosed with critical BAV stenosis and had open heart surgery on 3/1. Like most of t... Read more

Sandy Harvey Andrew, I was diagnosed with critical BAV stenosis and had open heart surgery on 3/1. Like most of the stories you will read on this site, people live normal lives until symptoms show up. That is a good sign really. It means the problem can be fixed. You and your doctor will determine the best procedure for you. The waiting period is the most difficult. It's going to be alright, just keep a positive attitude and know that this community is here to answer questions and give you moral support. You have got this.