Michael's Journal

Hello all!

Hope you’ve been doing awesome and were able to enjoy the 4th of July!

Today I am one month post op. and wanted to provide another update. If it helps to motivate someone or answer some questions then it's worth it...

For reference, I had my Aortic Valve replaced with an Edwards Inspiris Resilia bioprosthetic valve on June 6th w/ full sternotomy. 

- I continue to push myself where able and am up to 5 to 6 mile hikes daily. I have incorporated some hills and feel confident getting my heart rate in the 110 ballpark. I even ran just a little a couple days ago to prove to myself that I could...
- I took my dogs for a walk for the first time today and had no issues. They are medium to small but can pull with the best of them. They took it easy on my today and their pulling was no factor.  
- My right upper back/ neck continues to be intermittently pretty tight. I found stretching on a foam roller works very well to stretch and loosen it up. I'm starting to stretch my chest as well which feels pretty stable and seems to be related to the neck/back issue.  
- I went surf fishing yesterday to gauge my limits and ability to cast/twist/move. It went really well and although I only caught one little surf perch had a great time with a good friend. 
- I'm also tackling some projects in the yard and around the house. I'm definitely slower than normal but accomplishing the tasks. 

I had my first follow up appointment with my primary cardiologist last Thursday. He cleared me to drive and to resume whatever activity I feel confident enough to do. He thinks I'm doing enough cardiac rehab. on my own and recommends that I keep doing what I'm doing and adding what I'm comfortable adding. Unfortunately he would not prescribe Physical Therapy that I requested as I think it would make a huge difference with my neck/back issue. i'll be following up with my PCP to discuss options. I also made contact with a massage therapist recommended by my PT but unfortunately she currently has COVID...... :( 

I’m looking at returning to full duty with the fire department the week of July 25th if my body continues to cooperate. This might seem crazy but I feel great and think I will be ready. 

Speaking of fire department, that reminds me of a guest book post that I made this week in response to someone being freaked out with a sudden onset of post op. dizziness. Most of us live in areas where our Fire/EMS systems provide Paramedic service. You are not alone and help is just a phone call away. Please know that you can call 911 and have your local Paramedics evaluate you if anything you experience post op. (or pre-op. for that matter) freaks you out. We have a lot of capabilities these days with 12 lead heart monitors in many systems and the ability to help you make informed decisions. You DO NOT have to go to the hospital by ambulance just because you call 911 and can sign a release of liability or AMA (Against Medical Advice) form if everything checks out and you want to stay home. For reference: I have 26 years of experience as a Paramedic, both with a private ambulance company and with the fire department, and have run many of these types of calls over the years. 

I hope this has been helpful and motivating. It really is great to write about my progress so it's helpful for me if nothing else. :)

Stay positive! You’ve got this!

Mike

Hello all!

Hope you’ve been well and are either recovering or looking forward to recovery. 

I thought I would provide another update covering the last week. If it helps someone it is worth it...

For reference, today I am 21 days post op. Aortic Valve Replacement w/ full sternotomy and 16 days home post discharge. 

- There continues to be improvement everyday and I feel great!
- I can’t over emphasize how good a shower feels everyday! Incision is still healing nicely. 
- 2 high blood pressure meds dropped my BP pretty significantly and I was hypotensive and dizzy when standing. Discontinued one of the meds. after discussion with Dr. Trento’s NP, BP is great, and I feel way better. 
- Lung tidal volume seems to be back to normal with occasional cough and sneeze that isn’t too terrible.
- My right upper back/ neck is pretty tight and I’m hoping some massage therapy will loosen it up. 
- Slept in bed all week w/ no coughing to keep me up.
- Peeing at night has also reduced which has been nice. 
- Appetite is still 100% and I just watch not to overeat as I’m healing and hungry. 
- Washed my truck (slowly) on Saturday and went to the grocery store with my daughter in law. Nice to do some normal things and get out. 

My post op. follow up with Dr. Trento was last Tuesday. He and his staff are happy with my progress which makes me happy. :) As expected my care was transferred back to my primary cardiologist who I will see this week. Hoping to start cardiac rehab. asap!!

I’ve been walking for at least an hour a day this week and celebrated 21 days post op. this morning by taking a 4 mile hike. I’ve been working on keeping my max heart around 100 during my walks and don’t feel like I’m overdoing it anymore. I’m stoked and feel awesome! 

Thanks for reading again. I hope this has been helpful.

Stay positive! You’ve got this!

Mike

Hello all!

Happy Father's Day to all you other fathers out there. Hope you've had an amazing day!

I thought I would provide another update covering my first week home after discharge. If it helps someone it is worth it...

For reference, I am 13 days post op. Aortic Valve Replacement w/ full sternotomy and 8 days home post discharge.

- There has been steady improvement everyday and I feel good.
- Showering daily has been outstanding and my incision is healing nicely.
- Lung tidal volume was still low at the start of the week so walks were more difficult than expected. Have been using the spirometer a lot and my lungs now pretty much feel normal with an occasional cough to clear whatever is in there during the day.
- Slept in a recliner due to coughing until Friday night and have been able to sleep in bed w/ no coughing the last couple nights.
- Have been getting up to pee numerous time/night, likely due to meds. Looking forward to that not being a thing at some point...
- Overdid walking on Tuesday (3 walks a little over a mile each) which resulted in no energy on Wednesday. This was dumb since many of you have mentioned taking it easy... lesson learned... Have realized that I need to get comfortable, enjoy the book that I'm reading, and be ok with naps.
- Appetite is back to 100%.
- I was able to cook dinner for the fam. on Thursday. It was super motivating to contribute! My wife, son, and daughter in law have been kicking butt on meals so it was a nice treat for them too.
- Discontinued Extra Strength Tylenol since Friday night. Maybe a bit more sore than I was before but it's tolerable.

My post op. follow up with Dr. Trento will be this Tuesday where I expect that my care will be transferred back to my primary cardiologist.

Thanks for reading to this point. I hope this has been helpful.

Mike

Hello all!

Wow! What a week!

Surgery was completed on Monday June 6th @ Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The original plan was for a Ross Procedure but Dr. Trento determined that my pulmonary valve was too big and opted for an Edwards Inspiris Reselia bio-prosthetic valve which was our agreed upon contingency plan. I’m happy!!

I woke up around 2:30pm from anesthesia
and felt pretty bad. If someone had told me a truck had been involved I would not been surprised. Into Tuesday morning was pretty much no sleep, nausea, meds, and a brief run of V-Tach. 

Tuesday: Short walk happened in the morning, both chest tubes, Foley, and A-Line came out and walking happened again. Had to be on clear diet due to nausea which wasn’t awesome. Horrible night of no sleep again. 

Wednesday: Central Line out and much more walking. It was rough but progressively more doable. Had orders to go to the step down unit but no beds meant one more no sleep night in the ICU. 

Thursday: Had a run of A-Fib after the early morning walk. That got stabilized with meds. and step down transition happened. Started an actual solid food diet which was another milestone. More walking and A-Fib remained under control. I slept a little better but not great.  

Friday: VF wires were pulled and IV drips we’re discontinued so I was able to push the walks out a bit further. We found out how many laps = 1 mile at Cedars-Sinai 6th floor. 💪🏼 Also, my wife and son brought lunch and I almost cried eating the best Jersey Mike’s sandwich I had ever tasted!  

Saturday: Received word of eminent discharge around 9. Was able to hammer out another mile walk in the morning. Got home, showered, ate the leftovers my wife had around, and actually slept!

I cannot overly emphasize how incredibly thankful I am for Dr. Trento’s care and the care of every nurse I had while admitted. They are all true professionals and did an awesome job!

I’m home now and got a few good outside walks in today. Also sneezed which sucked - but I survived and am pretty convinced it won’t kill me next time. Also dealing with a cellulitis issue in my right arm but Dr. Trento’s staff answered the phone and had the antibiotics ready at my pharmacy when my wife arrived to pick them up. 

I got through this week due to the incredible amount of information on this website. I do have a medical background, on the pre-hospital emergency side, but this was different. I felt prepared for everything that happened and knew what was coming.

My final thoughts about this phase:
• YOU can also do it! 
• The days sucked in the ICU, but they didn’t last long. 
• The tubes and wires didn’t hurt that much coming out. 
• Be prepared and educated. 
• Have a contingency plan identified. 
• I already feel a ton better than I did last Sunday night!!!

Thank you, thank you for your support! I’m here if you have questions. 

Mike