Mike's Journal

Just got out of the hospital again today. Been in the hospital 9 of the last 17 days with GI bleeding. I have the On-X aortic valve. I manage my INR at home consistently at a 2.0. I am getting ready to drop it down to 1.5. Today I am at 1.1 and not bleeding. This weekend when I went to the ER they had to give me 2 pints of blood. They are having a hard time finding where I am bleeding from. What I need help with is a way to monitor my hemoglobin. I have been to the ER 3 times this month for GI bleeds. I waited too long the last time. Is anyone testing their hemoglobin at home and if so what meter are you using and where did you get it?

Roche PTINR Test Strips recall Anyone else impacted by this? I have been testing at home since Nov 2017. After my new insurance company had no idea what PTINR testing was I bought strips on my own. Now looks like I am out $250. Below is a quick clip from the letter I received from the company I bought the test strips from: Dear Customer, Roche has instructed us to send you Roche's PDF Document Click Here to all customers who may be affected by the Roche recall. Due to the fact that you did not go through a Home Monitoring Service (IDTF) Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility; Roche has made the decision to not replace your defective strips. Furthermore, they are no longer allowing us to sell or ship the Roche strips to home users.

Roche PTINR Test Strips recall Anyone else impacted by this? I have been testing at home since Nov 2017. After my new insurance company had no idea what PTINR testing was I bought strips on my own. Now looks like I am out $250. Below is a quick clip from the letter I received from the company I bought the test strips from: Dear Customer, Roche has instructed us to send you Roche's PDF Document Click Here to all customers who may be affected by the Roche recall. Due to the fact that you did not go through a Home Monitoring Service (IDTF) Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility; Roche has made the decision to not replace your defective strips. Furthermore, they are no longer allowing us to sell or ship the Roche strips to home users.

It's my birthday today. What an crazy year. April 6, 2017 I had open heart surgery to get an On-X aortic valve with aortic root. The Monday prior to the surgery there was concern I had lung cancer as well. The Tuesday before my surgery I sat in the oncologist office with my wife listening to why I needed to have the upper right lobe of my lung removed DURING my open heart surgery. I told him I thought we should only work on one thing at a time. He texted my heart surgeon who immediately called him back and they basically had a conference call with my wife and I sitting there listening to them argue on the approach. The oncologist wanted the upper right lobe removed. He wanted my heart surgeon to do it from the front while he had my chest opened. My heart surgeon was saying "I am doing open heart surgery!!! I can't just cut out his lung while I am in there!!! It is too much." In the end my surgeon agreed to take out lymph nodes that were easily accessible while doing the surgery they would biopsy. If malignant they would start radiation and chemo while I was in the hospital recovering from the surgery. I woke up in an isolation room with my family outside looking at me through the window. They could not come in. The medical people who came in all wore special masks. They said it looked like I might have tuberculosis but were continuing to test to confirm. Two days later they finally cleared me. No TB and no cancer. They let my family in. Sitting here tonight thinking thru the 6 weeks from the time they discovered my heart condition to surgery, recovery and to now. It is just remarkable. It really is a miracle what our surgeons can do for us today. It has been great to celebrate another birthday Christmas this year with my family and hoping to celebrate many more as well as the first birthday of my heart surgery of April 6. Merry Christmas to you all! God Speed!

Shot a 78 this week. First time ever to break 80. My handicap has dropped 3 strokes since before my surgery. Guess Dr. Bauer was right when he told me I would play better with a whole heart vs 13% of one. ;-)

Just a quick recovery update. I had my aortic valve and root replaced with the On-X valve and ascending aortic prosthesis April 6. I started Cardiac Rehab May 23 and the really big news starting playing golf again on June 2. While I have lost a little distance with all my clubs I am playing and getting stronger. At this point the incision still hurts a little but my sternum is fine with no pain. I don't have a follow up with my cardiologist until January. He is very pleased with my recovery.