Lauren's Journal

Patsy Stewart  Lauren, I read your story and I’m thankful that you did well with your surgery and that it’s behind you now. From what research I have done, you were in danger of severe Covid before you had your valve repaired. You need to ask your doctor what the situation is after you had your heart surgery. Do you have other chronic diseases like diabetes, other heart conditions such as cardiomyopathy or heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or receiving cancer treatments? Are you immunocompromised from medicines that you are taking? Your immune system can rebuild itself if it isn’t being compromised. Have you ask your GP or your cardiologist if you have a weakened immune system? I’m not sure I would take my mask off until I got answers from the doctors. I worry that the mask mandates are being lifted. My son and husband will continue to wear theirs while out in public to try to keep themselves and me safe until I can kind of get myself together.
I have several chronic diseases and have been told by my cardiologist that if I get Covid, I would not survive it. I have not been outside my house other than going to doctor’s visits, therapy, the hospital and the clinics that I have to go to for tests since the pandemic began. I occasionally get to visit my mom by her sitting on her porch while I roll the window down and talk to her from my car. Covid is rampant in my family. Most of them are unvaccinated and don’t wear masks or follow the rules. They are in and out of my mom’s home. Thankfully, my mom is vaccinated. My eldest brother is not. He has COPD and is on oxygen. He was exposed to Covid from his wife and they quarantined from my mom for 14 days. The day after he got out of quarantine, his neighbor ask him for ride. While they were out, the neighbor mentioned that his daughter had Covid. Somehow between his wife and the neighbor, my brother got Covid. He wasn’t feeling well, but went to mom’s on Christmas day. He was taken by ambulance the following day. He has been fighting for his life since Christmas and is still in the hospital. My mom got Covid from him along with a nephew and his wife. I have lost several friends and family members to Covid. I feel like I’m in prison and I wonder if I’ll truly ever trust being around anyone since I’ve been in quarantine for so long. I didn’t mean to write a book. I hope something I have said helps you.

Lilly Black  Great questions! Not sure if anyone knows how to answer them specifically since so much of acquiring Covid is a crapshoot. I know we are more at risk for infections of the heart such as endocarditis so in my mind I’m high risk. I don’t want to find out how sick I am able to get with covid. All of my step kids who are in their 40s got it even while fully vaccinated. My stepdaughter is quite sick and we can’t even help her!! I personally will do whatever it takes to be safe even if it means I still wear a mask. We need to do what’s best for us. Keep safe and good luck!

Lilly Black  Patsy, I totally get it! It’s been really difficult. Dan and I are stuck in our house too! We feel the same way about people but he’s even worse. I’m so sorry we’ve been so isolated but we need to keep safe! We have no idea how we will respond to Covid and it truly sucks 🙁

Robert Young  I read in my notes from the surgeon (I am vaxed and boosted) that if I was planning for a Covid shot to wait at least a month after surgery

Lauren Bongiovanni  Thank you Patsy for sharing your family story. I certainly hope all your family makes a full recovery. I appreciate your comments as it lets others know many of us are apprehensive about the u known.

Louise Moore  Fantastic news, home again and only taking Tylenol, wow! Well done! Take it easy and I'm sure that good 'ol heart of yours will gently ride back into sinus rhythm for you. Wonderful news, Lauren! 👍🏼

Ginny Turner  Lauren, it's great that your valve could be repaired, and that you're home and doing well! What a difference a week makes. I hope your recovery is smooth and easy. Sorry we didn't get to meet in the halls, but I appreciate your encouraging post as I head to CC before long!

George Gardopee  Lauren - it’s great to hear that you are home and doing well and even better that they were able to repair your valve! I think you will be surprised at how quickly you will feel better. The only advice I can offer is to be very careful not to overload your sternum. Mine felt so normal that three weeks after the surgery I totally forgot about it and I yanked on a stuck door. Big mistake, but while I scared myself badly (and I was more sore for several days after than I was right after surgery) I apparently didn’t break anything. Congratulations for getting this behind you.

Ginny Turner  This is the very best news! Thankful to hear all went well, including her hoped-for repair, and Lauren is now on her way in recovery. Hooray! Thanks so much for this wonderful update.

Ginny Turner  Happy Birthday, Lauren! Here’s to a successful surgery and a smooth recovery. You’ll do well and your mended heart is the perfect present! ❤️

Susan Lynn  Happy Birthday, Lauren! 🎂🥳🎶 Surgery is a gift. Take it from a fellow mitral valve patient, the short amount of time and minor discomfort you'll have with this procedure are the best investments you can make for your future. You'll do just fine! Wishing you the best of luck on Wednesday!!! ❤

Louise Moore  Your repaired heart is indeed a great birthday gift and way to start your new year, Happy Birthday, Lauren 💃🏻

Jean Lifter  I had my mitral valve replaced with a pig valve in August 2019. Had hoped for a repair but that was not to be. I was 72 at the time and the doctors seemed to presume that a biological valve was the way to go and I really didn't question that at the time. So far, so good. My echos have been good and I feel fine. I hope it lasts a good long time. I was on coumadin for several months and never really got totally adjusted and, being a vegetarian, I was relieved when I got off the coumadin and didn't have to think at all about the vegetables I was eating.

Louise Moore  Hi Lauren, I'll be having a mitral valve replacement Feb. 23rd with Dr. Gillinov and an Aortic and Tricuspid valve is also on the schedule. My own feeling is to have biological valves. I'm 67 and feel that even better advancements will be made by the time the bio valves could weaken or fail and minimally invasive, percutaneous replacements would be an option should they fail or wear out. With a mechanical valve, there is a need for anticoagulants for life as clots can form more easily on a mechanical valve. It's also possible that you could be aware of or hear the rhythmic clicking of the mechanical valve. That's just something I couldn't live with - and I don't like being on anticoagulants long term. I don't believe a mechanical valve can be replaced once in but seemingly they don't wear out either. I don't know if that helps you but I hope to have only biological valves for my replacements ( perhaps horse, cow and pig, a farm in my chest!) I'm told the choice is entirely up to the patient but I'll know more specifics and reasoning a day or two before/or after my Feb. 23rd scheduled surgery.

Lauren Bongiovanni  Hi Louise, I really appreciate your input. I am still holding out for a repair but feel it will likely be a replacement due to severe calcification. I am 65 and would also like to use biological valves if necessary. I totally agree with you on the ticking noise of the mechanical valve and do not want to be on anticoagulants long term. Your comments are very much in line with my thoughts. Thank you for sharing. I will definitely let you know what happens with the surgery.

Ginny Turner  Lauren and Louise, if you'd like to chat via email to discuss our upcoming surgeries, my email is ginnyturner@hotmail.com

Phyllis Petersen  I was able to have repair with Dr. Gillinov in Oct 2016, but you still have to choose because they never know until they go in whether they'll be able to repair. I was 62 at the time and Dr. Gillinov felt that my choice for a biological valve was a good one. He'll be upfront with you and help you with any concerns. BTW, I recovered at my cousin's down in Alliance. The binder they give you is really worth glancing through; it has a huge amount of helpful info. If you have any questions, you can also email me at fabphyllis@gmail.com.

Louise Moore  Lauren, I'll be thinking of you all day on Wednesday and I'm sure the surgery will go well and that you'll feel a great relief when you wake in ICU and begin the road of recovery, every day a day closer to a better heart and life. Ginny and Phyllis, thank you for your email addresses, it's so great to share specific details and info - I will email you both.

Richard Munson  You should tell them prior to surgery so they can use an anesthesia that fits your issues. They usually ask those questions ahead of time.

Deena Z  Hi Lauren I also had severe calcification on my MV and had a repair (though my MV was not torn). My surgeon, Dr. Adams, at Mt Sinai in NYC, did say my calcification was even worse than it looked on the imaging, so hopefully you can still have a repair. I also get nauseous from anesthesia, so the anesthesiologist did provide medicine to minimize it. When I woke up (fully) after the operation it was not that bad and short lived. If you have had it in the past, you will likely have it again, at least that is what I was told. Maybe others have some other tips.

Lauren Bongiovanni  Thanks Deena, I am glad you got the repair. It gives me hope there is still a chance. I Also appreciate your comments on the anesthesia. Very helpful!

Rita Savelis  I'm sorry that you have to go through this. But please let your anasthesiologist or surgeon (in a pre-surgery appointment) know about your past complications and especially about nausea. I used to get nauseous until I let anasthesiologists know, and since then he/she puts the right stuff (anti-nausea meds) into my anasthesia and waking up has been so much better for me. The more the anasthesiologist knows about you, the better. Here in France a pre-surgery appointment with an anasthesiologist is obligatory at least one week before surgery. In the U.S. it's usually the surgeon who relays the info to the anaesthesiologist. Take care.

Meredith Bray  I have sleep apnea too! It was a topic of discussion with a nurse during my pre-op conference. I brought my cPAP to the hospital with me and they had it all hooked up to their oxygen and ready to go when I came out of surgery. It was a HUGE relief to know it was there and I wouldn't stop breathing while I was resting. The only tough part was actually a bit comical. The patient-care-tech that was helping me put my mask on had apparently never done it before and I felt like my nose was pulled up over the top of my head because he didn't know what he was doing. LOL! I had a little difficulty waking up and following their breathing directions, but they took care of me just fine. The only nausea I had was when I insisted on some ginger ale to sip on and I don't think it even reached my stomach before it came right back up.

You're in great hands a CC - one of my close friends had a heart/lung transplant there and she's still here 8 years later <3

Lauren Bongiovanni  Thank you all for your helpful comments. Good to know they have medication to help with nausea and that it works.

Lauren Bongiovanni  Meredith- thank you so much for sharing your experience with the CPAP after the surgery. I will definitely bring mine along and make sure they know how to use it. Glad you had success.

George Gardopee  Hi Lauren. Regarding the nausea - I had a bout for two days starting the day after surgery. They will do their best to give you meds to tamp it down. For me it was the worst part of the ICU experience, but it was not terrible. It finally seemed to resolve when my wife pushed the ICU nurse to give me some crackers instead of the liquid diet. I felt almost instant relief. Good luck.