Kendal 's Journal

Susan Lynn  Good question! I know if you have any arhythmias, they discourage high amounts of caffeine. But, if you don't, you're probably ok.

Valerie Allen  I don’t know how much caffeine is in an energy drink but worth checking. Would coffee be an alternative?

Susan Eckermann  Kendal,  you are doing amazing! That is great to hear. And your scar is barely visible. Wow! Just Wow! It’s barely noticeable. I can only hope for such an agreeable scar! 

Marie Myers  I don’t have any personal experience with this, but it is true that we are constantly exposed to pathogens of every kind. Fortunately,our immune system can keep most everything as it should be. I am sorry you had to go through 2 surgeries due to endo carditis; that is a lot to go through! I think the best advice would be to eat as healthily as possible, including lots of colorful fruits and veggies to provide essential nutrients for your immune system. Next would be to stay as physically fit as possible. Third, would be to pay close attention to your oral hygiene with regular dental cleanings and dental checkups. Lots of potential for bad bacteria in the mouth, especially with artificial valves. Hope you stay Strep-Free!

Marie Myers  High triglycerides cause plaque deposits in your arteries, which decrease blood flow. The plaque can also rupture, break off and cause a heart attack or stroke.

Susan Lynn  Kendal - Elevated triglycerides and cholesterol don't necessarily have the same consequences for everyone. My entire family has elevated cholesterol - even my vegan sister - and several also have high triglycerides. My father had extremely high triglycerides (and cholesterol) and lived a long, healthy life without any heart blockages. My triglycerides have gone up and down over the years and I've had consistently elevated LDL and low HDL cholesterol. Like other OHS patients, I had to have a cardiac catheterization before surgery and I also had a cardiac scoring CT - both were completely clear. I additionally had a full chest, abdomen, and pelvis CT before my minimally invasive surgery and had no issues anywhere from my femoral artery up to my heart. Medicine deals in commonalities between patients to identify precursors that lead to bigger problems and to define what is normal. However, there are always those people who don't have the same consequences associated with these "abnormal" indicators. Maybe you're one of them... Best of luck to you!

Kendal Zinn  Thanks... i also had several heart caths with zero blockages. My new Internist did a full lipid panel for the first time on my life. Triglycerides were over 500..No family history of high cholesterol ..

David Pearl  Get on a low fat vegan diet..That crashed my triglycerides down to 69, LDL to 56 and total chol to 101..Lost 20 lbs, got my BMI down a few notches, lowered my BP, pulse, CRP

Kendal Zinn  Wow david! I dont know if I could go Vegan!! Have two kids that eat vegan and they live in the kitchen! 6 times a day..... im too old for that much prepping !! Lol thx for the advice though!😁👍

Rich Krakowski  My sister works on an open heart surgery team and while not common, she's seen patients who've had 3 even 4

Kendal Zinn  David.... my first surgery went well but the Dr said from the beginning that the new valve size didnt fit well. My first echo after surgery showed that the pressure through the valve was almost as bad as before surgery! 3 months after! Later that year I had an intestinal bleed which caused me to get a blood infection. In 18 months it was destroyed enough to need 2nd operation. I am susceptible to strep throat and have had at least 2 the past couple years and now wondering of the strep is again destroying my 2nd new valve. I get a new echo in July so we will see what it says. Just wondering how many times can your heart handle replacing the AV??