John's Journal

UPDATE -- MY NEW LEASE ON LIFE! (I hate cliches, but there's no better one in my case.)

To all the great folks who have been following my case -- thank you!!

Three months after a crisis during a fly-fishing trip at Idavine Creek in the backcountry of Alaska (re previous posting), and my followup diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis, a posting this week in my MyChart medical records says it all:

"RESULT DATE: 11/20/2023 (Monday, at Swedish Heart and Vascular Center, Cherry Hill Campus, Seattle)

"FINAL RESULTS: Successful Transfemoral TAVR with Edwards Sapien 3 size 23 Ultra Value by Sameer Gafoor, M.D., [and his medical team] . . .

"Patient underwent successful TAVR with no vascular complications."

(I'm happier than I look in the photo, taken as I was getting ready for the TAVR.)

My new aortic value is made of bovine (cow) heart tissue that has been preserved with a special Edwards technology to reduce calcium building on the valve tissue . . . potentially allowing the value to last longer (prediction: 10 or more years. I'm now 76.).

Followup echocardiogram done in my hospital room showed the value was "well-seated." [Great job, Dr. Gafoor!] No regurgitation. . . No stenosis. . . "Post-op patient completed bedrest and was observed for a few hours."

I was pronounced as "alert, oriented, articulate, pleasant."

My TAVR began at about 9:30 a.m.; I was in the recovery room, coming out of anesthesia, at about 10:45. After hours of bed rest, and a short nap, I was discharged at 6:15 p.m.

My wife Barbara and I went to a Seattle hotel. Bit of a rough night; incision area in my groin used for the "delivery system tube" [on a catheter] was plenty sore and kept me awake. Finally took one Tylenol PM, which helped.

Barbara drove us home to Port Angeles (by ferry and road, it's about 3 hours) the next morning (Tuesday).

Removed all my dressings (groin, right wrist, right and left arms) in the shower Tuesday night.

Day 3 (today, Wednesday): No problems. Nothing hurts. Hey, I did it!

I'm still taking it easy, no strain on any parts of my body. Can't drive my car for five days.

I feel stronger, more energy, don't feel in need of a nap, can breathe deeper, and thank god the shooting pains that I've had for months down my left leg to my left foot have lessened substantially . . . and hopefully they will soon finally disappear. (Wonder if my new value will also relieve my acid-reflux GERD?) And Barbara is happy with the post-op outcome, too. (Thanks for hanging in there with me, darling.)

Keeping track per my post-op instructions of my blood pressure, heart rate, weight and symptoms. Everything "normal." I can sit in front of my computer and type all this without any problems.

Have a ZOOM video visit with an ARNP on Dr. Gafoor's team at Swedish on Nov. 27 on how I'm doing . . . and an almost 1-month followup exam (echo, labs, EKG) on Dec. 15.

Hope to get back to my four-day-a-week exercise class at Angeles Fitness in about 5 weeks.

Happy to answer any questions! Ooops, let me address two additional questions.

ANESTHESIA? -- I had conscious sedation for my pre-op angiogram -- but for the TAVR I was put under. General anesthesia. I was happy to be knocked out! It had been stressful during the angiogram. On Monday, I remember being rolled into the anesthesia room at about 9:15 a.m., then nothing until about 10:45 a.m. when I was in recovery.

I was told you have to be knocked out because it could really screw up things if you moved the slightest bit while they were running the catheter from your groin to your heart.

BLOOD THINNERS? -- I've been on a daily baby aspirin (81 mg) for years -- and that's all I'll continue on. Doctor said the protocols no longer require anything stronger post-TAVR than a baby aspirin. No other "blood thinner" is necessary. I also take 40mg lovastatin and a multivitamin.

Before the TAVR I also took furosemide (Lasix) in 20 mg doses for periodic cases of edema caused by my bum valve.