Justin Gosling - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

2040 days ago

Hi all, 8 weeks into recovery from complications of a aortic valve replacement. Finding this week my chest has become incredibly tight, like someone is pressing ...Read more

Hi all, 8 weeks into recovery from complications of a aortic valve replacement. Finding this week my chest has become incredibly tight, like someone is pressing on my sternotomy wound. Has anyone experienced tightness developing weeks after your heart surgery? I had a CT 2 weeks ago and they found a residual hematoma but nothing that would explain the chest tightness, unless the hematoma is getting larger of course.

Bradley Dunn It depends on how tight. Some tightness is normal and will go away. I recall wanting to stretch badly ... Read more

Bradley Dunn It depends on how tight. Some tightness is normal and will go away. I recall wanting to stretch badly. At eight weeks, you should be able to stretch some.

Mara Sherwood Having mitral valve repair on April 16th. The waiting and anticipation have not been fun!

Kirk Bepler Justin - Yes, I like Mara had mitral valve surgery. I experienced a tightening chest during my recove ... Read more

Kirk Bepler Justin - Yes, I like Mara had mitral valve surgery. I experienced a tightening chest during my recovery, I still get some tightening now and again almost a year later. But was told it can take up to a year for the sternum can take a year to fully heal, you just have to take is slow.

Justin Goslingposted an update

2058 days ago

Having a hard time of recent. Ended up having complications 12 weeks after aortic valve replacement, could have died. Luckily I could tell something was wrong ...Read more

Having a hard time of recent. Ended up having complications 12 weeks after aortic valve replacement, could have died. Luckily I could tell something was wrong and insisted I be checked for a 4th time at the ER. They found a large pseudoaneurysm (blood) caused by a leak in my aortic root which had to be cut open when my aortic valve was placed. This leak was fixed 5 weeks ago. Recovery was going well until the last 2 weeks. Ive noticed the valve sounds have again become much much louder, its nearly deafening because I can hear the ticking internally, this wasnt happening for the first 3-4 weeks of recovery. Secondly, im again having to deal with a bounding pulse that is very regular. I can hear my heart beating against my chest, also wasnt happening the first 4 weeks of recovery... I had a chest CT on Friday to make sure the leak hadn't re-opened since it was repaired 5 weeks ago, apparently the repair looks good, no leak/blood. I just cant explain why i have developed this loud ticking and bounding pulse in my chest in the last 2 weeks. Its making me very anxious but 4 heart surgeries in 12 years will do that I suppose. Life is hard.

Shannon Gray Thinking of you! My goodness, you have been through a lot. Prayers that all will settle down and you ... Read more

Shannon Gray Thinking of you! My goodness, you have been through a lot. Prayers that all will settle down and you can continue an uneventful recovery.

Marie Myers Wow! That is a lot to go through. Must have been frightening! I hope things are going in the right di ... Read more

Marie Myers Wow! That is a lot to go through. Must have been frightening! I hope things are going in the right direction for you now.
I got an aortic tissue valve when my aneurysm was resected 2 years ago. I have noticed that my heart beats much stronger now, especially when I take in a deep breath. I can imagine it is because this new valve works more efficiently and puts out more per beat than my original bicuspid valve did. It has been this way since my surgery.
Praying that things get back to normal for you soon!

Bradley Dunn I have always heard mine. I recall being in ICU, waking up and hearing it. I wasn't supposed to get a ... Read more

Bradley Dunn I have always heard mine. I recall being in ICU, waking up and hearing it. I wasn't supposed to get a replacement but a repair. However, my valve ended up not repairable and I knew instantly when I awoke.

I had extreme anxiety for a few days and sudden onset anxiety for a couple of months. Seven months - 1 day I am fine. I coach kids playing baseball 7 days a week.

Keep fighting and getting better. The sound will never go away but you will learn to deal with it. Find an out and embrace it.

Catie B Justin, I'm so sorry you've had to struggle through all these complications. I'm soooo glad that you ... Read more

Catie B Justin, I'm so sorry you've had to struggle through all these complications. I'm soooo glad that you advocated for yourself and kept returning to the ER and I hate that it took four trips! I'm thankful your pseudoaneurysm is repaired. I don't doubt that the ticking and strong pulse are uncomfortably distracting. I had a strong beat for weeks after my surgery but it quieted down in time. I hope yours will settle before long or that you'll be able to get used to the changes. Hope things start getting easier soon!

Sommer Russell Hi Justin. I am happy that you are here! I had a AVR with a mechanical valve w/ Ascending Aorta Ane ... Read more

Sommer Russell Hi Justin. I am happy that you are here! I had a AVR with a mechanical valve w/ Ascending Aorta Aneurysm repair about 18 weeks ago. I think I have even mentioned on here how my heart felt like it was a revved up race car engine in a little gremlin car. Wom-wom-wom-wom. I could feel and see my heart start its forceful beat at the top of my chest and travel down to the left side of my flank area. The forcefulness did get better with time. Today, in dealing with trying to get my in-home INR monitoring approved, I am feeling that forceful beat again. Especially at the top of my breath. I know my blood pressure is up and attributing to this. It will calm back down. I have removed caffeine from my diet and it has also helped. The tic, tic, tic. OMGawsh- it was defining last night. I can attribute the loudness of the tic to what my INR is and blood pressure. I know last night it was from my INR trying to actually become normal. I knew it was not therapeutic before testing because the tic had quieted- and sure enough it was only 1.7. Coumadin increased to 10 mg and I can tell it is taking effect. I find comfort sleeping with a sound app on my phone to drown out the noise. I totally get and understand all these concerns. The tic is very distracting. The pounding of my heart (that I can feel in my throat and belly) is at times uncomfortable. I was feeling pulsating in areas that I had never felt them before- back of my neck, right at my throat above my incision, on my side. I was going crazy one day last week and was telling a colleague about this. He let me know that he can feel his pulse in those areas too. That maybe, because we haven't had good blood flow (in my case, my whole life) that we are just having to get use to how a heartbeat is supposed to work! Best of luck, and I look forward to following your progress.

Justin Gosling Wow, what lovely messages to wake up to and also very comforting. I appreciate you all very much!

Rob Sparling Justin, you are doing what many people wish they could master: listen to your heart! Well done, man. ... Read more

Rob Sparling Justin, you are doing what many people wish they could master: listen to your heart! Well done, man. You brought the team together to circle the wagons and you are alive because of it. Sorry to hear your journey is bumpy and filed with challenges but you will conquer these challenges. ❤️💪