Barbara's Journal

Hi all, just a quick question for those who have had their surgery... how often are you scheduled for an echo? I'm 3 years out & scheduled for every other year ( that's for the echo, I do have a yearly appointment), curious as to others schedules. Best wishes to all - waiting, in recovery & the old hands:).

Had my 1 year mitral repair follow-up the other day - I wore a 24 hour holter monitor a week or so before the appointment, so was pleased to hear that all was good. I was taken off warfarin- very happy about that- & put on a daily low dose aspirin. I was hoping to get off the toprol ( metoprolol) but was kept on 12.5 mg/ day - my ef was 53, considered to be borderline low- the toprol is supposed to help correct that. It's been a good year, feeling fine & able to do the mountain hikes this year with the hubby- couldn't do that last year, or the year before. A big thank you to the many folks who helped me get through this - the support & sharing of knowledge & experience on this forum is awesome! And positive thoughts & prayers go out to those in recovery & those waiting - yes, the waiting really is the hardest part:)!

I'm 8 1/2 months past my mitral valve repair, doing great & thought I'd give a quick rundown of my experience... I was found to have mitral valve regurgitation ( moderate) after having AFib & having a TEE before the cardioversion. After the cardioversion I felt fine, asymptomatic for 8 months, then had AFib again. My regurgitation had increased to severe & my cardiologist decided it was time for surgery. I had the additional concern of previous radiation on the left side of my chest after having breast cancer 7 years previously. There are problems with scarring around the heart & bone healing can be compromised. But I found a fantastic surgeon who was able to do a repair & had no problems with the sternum healing. My surgery was 3 hours in length & aside from needing scar tissue removed, was uneventful. I spent 1 day in icu, 4 days in the step down unit. I did develop a pleural effusion ( that was expected given the radiation history) & it was drained before I went home. I felt pretty good for the first week home, then had AFib. That's common & a lot of people seem to wait it out, but my cardiologist ( & I) wanted to have a cardioversion to return me to NSR. So I went back to the hospital for 3 nights to have that done. It made a world of difference & I was able to get back to my walking & recuperation. I developed another pleural effusion, but it was small, & left to go away on it's own, with the help of lasix. Most people do seem to have little glitches after surgery, it is very much an up & down recovery - 2 steps forward, 1 step back, but it is all very doable & the rewards are great. This forum was invaluable in helping me through this! Thanks to all the veterans who stick around to comment & best wishes & prayers for those waiting:)!

We're having a long stretch of sub 0 weather. I enjoy outdoor winter activities - skating, snowshoeing, skiing. I've been staying inside through the extreme cold, but I wonder once it hits about 15-20, is that safe weather for those of us who have had valve replacements & repairs to enjoy wintertime activities? I know there are lots of hot weather warnings, but what about the cold?

I'm 7 months past mitral valve repair tomorrow. I was quite active before surgery & have regained most of my stamina by now. I live in the mountains & have gotten back to skiing & snowshoeing this winter. I recently bought a wrist heart rate monitor & see my heart rate often goes to 125-130. This seems high to me, though I'm not really breathless. My cardiologist said there is no cap, not to worry about the hr, but he is very nonchalant, & I wonder what others here have experienced, do you have a cap that you try not to go over?

I'm curious about reactions to cardiac rehab. I'm scheduled to start Mon. My copay for the monitored rehab is $40/ session, or $120/ week for 8 weeks. I find that a little steep- is that a typical copay? The woman I spoke to yesterday suggested I ask my cardiologist if he would approve me for supervised rehab- that's in the same gym but no monitoring leads. That is only $50/ month. I'm thinking of going the heart monitoring for a few weeks & then switching to the cheaper option. Has anyone gone that route, or skipped cardiac rehab?

6 weeks ago at this time I was in surgery. I remember being wheeled into the operating room & scooting over onto the very narrow steel operating table, & looking at all the lights overhead then nothing until I came partially to hours later in the cicu aware of the breathing tube & feeling slightly panicked! I had my mitral valve repaired & a maze procedure ( I had AFib a few times in the year leading up to my surgery). The surgery was just 3 hours long- my husband & kids were updated several times in the surgery waiting room. We had been told about 5 hours for the operation, so it was nice the waiting was shortened for them! I remember very little of the icu beyond being thirsty. My family said I was sitting up in a chair & seemed completely lucid, they also said I looked far better than they expected:), but I remember none of that! I was moved to the step down unit a little less than 24 hours later. Care was great . I was nauseated the first day, hated the hospital food, but otherwise it was uneventful& I was released on day 5. No real pain to speak of. I felt good when I first got home but got AFib after being home a week. I had a cardioversion scheduled out a few weeks but opted to go back into the hospital to move it up - AFib brings me down very quickly- I was exhausted & very short of breath. I felt much better after the cardioversion, but had a cough that lingered. I was prescribed lasix, dropped a few lbs of fluid & lost the cough immediately & began to sleep well. It's been good days & not so good days, but at 6 weeks I feel so so improved- very close to normal. It does get easier, the first few weeks can be rough! My best wishes to those in recovery, those waiting & those who are seasoned veterans- I don't think I could have done it without this forum, so thank you all!

I'm 3 weeks out now & basically doing well, but have had the complication of nearly constant afib after week 1. So I'm not making the progress I started out with- my cardiologist said not to push myself. I'm scheduled for a cardioversion next week. I had a maze procedure, but it seems to need some time to kick in, hoping it works & keeps afib at bay- I hate it so much! Because I can't walk as much as I'd like, I have this cough- a productive cough that brings up clear fluid from the lungs. I think one of these breathing devices might help me expell the mucus more easily. I remember Marie & Kathy ( I think) mentioned the aerobika. Do you think it really helped? Anyone else try these, or anyone else plagued by cough?

I'm wondering if I'm doing enough coughing( surgery was 12 days ago). I don't really feel the urge to cough, but I wonder if I should be making myself cough more. Any thoughts here? Thanks:)

I feel like I turned a corner today, feel more like myself. I've had little pain, my biggest gripe has been an inability to sleep on my back. I bought a wedge & with that plus about 6 bed pillows I fashion a kind of nest each night to sleep in. Last night I was able to roll just a little bit on my side which helped immensely- that's an envelope I plan to push, definitely helps. My chest feels much better, less "heavy". My comfiest outfit a soft u or v tee, cardigan, no bra, drawstring linen beach pants. I'm just 4 lbs. over my pre- surgery weight now, finally got my appetite back, walking 1/2 mile divided into 4 outdoor walks/ day. My goal is 1 mile in 2 weeks when I next see my surgeon. And my spirometer is getting lots of use. Best wishes to all those in the same boat as me- May we all thrive!

I'm curious about how people with sternotomys deal with the pain, or discomfort of the chest area & how they'd describe it & if they take Tylenol for it. I don't find it painful, but more very uncomfortable, like a weight or pressure & only when I'm up & moving & particularly if any heavyish clothing touches it. Any good hints?? Thanks:)

I made it through surgery ( mitral valve repair & maze procedure)- surgery Monday, home on Saturday, operation length about 3 hours & feel pretty good- glad to be off hospital food! I did have a small pleural effusion that was drained on Friday & it was iffy that I might need a pacemaker, but turned out I didn't. But I came home 9 lbs heavier & only have 2 pairs of pants that fit now! I know this is common, but how long did it take you all to lose your extra weight???

I've had my surgery rescheduled 3 times since March- first afib, then bronchitis- so now I am good & ready! I've become comfortable with the idea of ohs from being here on this site ( never thought that was possible!) & I've learned so much...what a stellar bunch of people you all are! Best wishes to Candee, Melissa, Sean & Stephen- May we all have successful surgerys, speedy recoveries & beds by the window!

What is your honest opinion of having a bowl of candy in your hospital room for the nurses, blood techs, meal delivery people, etc who go in & out of your room? I'm going in in 2 weeks & thought I would get a big box of individually wrapped chocolate truffles ( Lindt!) to take along. My husband thinks this is a weird idea- people don't want candy from a hospital room & he sees this as my need to take a hostess gift to the hospital. This will be my third stay on the cardiac floor this year & I've really been struck by how really nice & friendly everyone is- from people who bring the meals, to housekeepers. I'd like to show my appreciation- is this a weird way to do it?

I have a sinking feeling I am coming down with a cold- scratchy throat, runny nose. My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. I will call my surgeons PA if I feel like this tomorrow, but wondering if anyone out there has experienced this- will they cancel? Sheesh...this surgery is not going the way I expected it to!

I was going along smoothly-asymptomatic- towards my surgery date when I was hit with afib Sunday evening ( pushing it too hard on my elliptical perhaps). I called my cardiologist & surgeon & they wanted me to have a cardioversion so I would go into surgery in normal sinus rhythm. I guess it can be done either way, but my cardiologist felt pretty strongly that it was better to go in in sinus rhythm. It worked, but it looked a little shaky, so they admitted me & put me on amiodorone to keep me from converting back. Amiodorone is one toxic drug! It can affect nearly every organ in your body, so you're closely monitored. I felt like I had every test known to man, though I'm sure it wasn't even close:). They feel that having it in my system going into the surgery will prevent afib from occurring after. ( it has a half life of weeks to months). I hope so. It was given in pill form so I was pretty free to roam the hallways & work on a giant (5000 piece) jigsaw puzzle in the visitors lounge. I left before I could finish it:). Dined on lobster & cheesecake- the menu was huge & the food was surprisingly good, & I had a nice view of the ocean & the harbor from my bed- so all in all, not a bad trial run. I don't expect next week will be quite so cushy! My surgeon had a slot open up for Wed, the 29th, & wanted me in there. So I'm happy - a little less time to stress & I'm as ready now as I'll ever be! Best wishes to all those with upcoming surgeries & a big thank you to those who have gone before us & come back to give us advice & encouragement!

I joined this group last summer, scared & feeling overwhelmed. I forced myself to read various people's stories & little by little became more comfortable with the process. Then I started taking notes & bookmarking journals that seemed most helpful. Some stories were very encouraging- people back home in 3-4 days, some were downright scary- those with complications, but they all helped me get comfortable with the reality of heart surgery. I had my heart Cath ( no bypasses:)) on Mon & a surgeons appointment in 3 weeks( mitral valve repair). I feel prepared & optimistic where I never thought I could & I have all of you to thank for that. So thank you to Adam for this wonderful site & you all for all your contributions!!

I've been lurking here for a few days, working up my nerve to read a lot of these posts & now starting to take notes & working to educate myself. I notice that so many people have had their surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. I'm curious, does your insurance cover that ? I'm on an HMO & my choices seem pretty limited as to where I can go. My plan pays nothing to out of network costs. Thanks for all the great first hand experience & advice & tips I've picked up here- I've read a lot of your stories & can't tell you how impressed ( & a little scared) I am!

In May I had my first episode of A-fib- & had a cardioconversion. I followed up with an echostress test that showed severe mitral regurgitation & have been told I will need a mitral valve repair, or , more likely, a replacement. I am anxiously waiting out the weeks til my cardio appointment ( Sept 9) when I will hear what the plan is. I am nervous of course, but have a little extra concern over the surgery because I've had radiation on the left side (breast cancer) & have read that there can be possible complications because of that .I am thinking that I definitely need to get a 2d opinion, & am now figuring out how to go about it- who to choose, etc. ( I need a Dummys Guide to navigating the health care system:))