Felix's Journal

Willie Radl  Felix, I just had a 29mm on-x valve placed in the Aortic position last Wednesday. My tick was very loud the first few days but has seemed to slightly decrease in volume(it's still very noticeable all times Im not sleeping). I also feel like I hear mine internally and to me is much louder than those around me. I haven't figured out a way to get rid of it yet, and suppose there may not be an option. I understand your frustrations but I think we may just have to embrace it. When I go to sleep I just imagine it's a pendulum swinging back and forth and pretend like I'm being hypnotized. I know sounds odd but has been working for me. I've heard and read on other sites the noise subsides a bit as the tissue grows around it a bit and your brain adjusts to the noise.

I'm hoping someone with longer experience shares their opinions as well.

Felix Cherny  Thanks, Willie! I think this ticking issue is under-reported by the surgeons and the doctors. They all tell me the same thing - 95% of the people get used to it. I always have one counter-line: What about the other 5%? I’m very emotional person, and require a quiet room to sleep. While I’m recovering physically very well, mentally I’m getting worse every day for the last 3 weeks because of the noise. I do hope my brain adjusts to it

Willie Radl  I can see how it could be extremely annoying for some people and I agree it's under reported issue...although I knew I'd have a tick. I think it's more the internal volume that's the issue not so much if other people can hear it. It literally never goes away. For me nothing seems to damp it out, I.e. ear plugs, head phones. It may be worth your(our) while to talk to an audiologist or someone who understands how the ear works. Maybe there is something they could do to dampen out the sound.

Felix Cherny  Willie! I’ve found so far on the Internet the following recommendations:
-make a pillow with a rough cloth and stuff it with some kind of grains (wheat, buckwheat, etc). Put it on your chest when you are trying to sleep. I haven’t bought the right one yet, but when I put a regular pillow on my chest it dumpens the sound by about 25%. Not perfect, but something.
- last night I tried the ocean waves sounds music. It “kills “ the valves’ ticking and I was able to fall asleep (with some sleeping pill for now). I’d say I had never fallen asleep with these types of music before, but at least it is something different than the damn ticking.

Felix Cherny  Last, but not least, all nurses over 60 swore to me that they don’t hear anything. It confirms what I read, that people over 60 begin to lose high frequency hearing. But, LOL, I’m 42, I have to wait 18 years to get there -:).
- Audiologist is a great idea. I kind of forgot that such doctors exists. But here at my hopistal they recommended a psychiatrist after a couple of month, if it doesn’t get better. I think, I just have to convince my brain somehow to adapt to it.....

Felix Cherny  - and yes, another thing. Somebody suggested a ventilator in the room at night. White noise! I’m in the rehab now, no ventilators here, but as soon as I get home, I’ll get one.
See this article also, yes, this issue is not typically discussed prior to surgeries. But, it’s a rhetorical question. At my age, in early 40’s - there is no alternative, and they tried a plastic reconstruction for 2hrs but it didn’t work
https://m.health24.com/Medical/Heart/News/mechanical-heart-valve-noise-may-cause-sleepless-nights-20170522

Marie Myers  Even though I got a tissue valve, I had sleeping problems for several months. I also noticed my heartbeat was much stronger than before surgery, especially when I take a deep breath. Hopefully you will get accustomed to the new valve noise.

Carolyn Newell  My husband has a white noise machine we call a "snore machine" that he got at Brookstone. And I have one from Bed Bath and Beyond that I like that I think was about $20. Best investment I've ever made. I'm an extremely light sleeper and it works. We turn the volume up so loud haha! Hope this helps.

Bonnie Stone-Hope  We have a very loud grandfather clock which always "gongs" on the hour. Visitors always make comments about it, but I do not even hear it. It is just part of my life................so, this is part of your life also.
Soon you will not hear it.

One thing that helps me sleep is a cold water vapourizer which runs in the hall, outside my bedroom each night. I use it to lessen the possibility of getting a sinus infection and it seems to work.
The side benefit is that it makes a very gentle "humming" noise which helps me fall asleep.

Rita Savelis  Sleeping is hard after OHS. So many nights I woke up at 3AM and then just waited until morning... I suggest sleeping meds to help you through the hard parts. Your body needs rest. As far as the ticking goes (I have 2 mechanical valves) one can be very aware of it at first and especially when it's quiet in the room and your mind is racing and your heart is beating hard as it will for weeks/months after surgery (mechanical or tissue valve).
I also put a small pillow to my chest to muffle the noise. It gets better, because your heart itself adjusts to what it's been through, and so the noise lessens and your mind calms down and is not so focused on the heart and what it is doing.
I would rather hear a mechanical valve than the sound of snoring. I can fall asleep to my heart but not to my partner's snoring.
But I say this 3 years down the road. Am used to my heart, but never to the sound of snoring.
I am thinking that you are okay in the daytime and it's those long awful quiet sleepless nights after OHS that are hard. Yes, I hear you. It's hard.
Wishing you some peace and quiet in the future, Felix....