Phyllis's Journal

Catie B  Yep! Same here. I still have an item highlighted from a guestbook post you left me eons ago--and while I'm here, I thank you for it again. :)

Phyllis Petersen  Any further news on your issues Catie? I missed your posting in November. I hope these issues get resolved soon.

Catie B  Oops, Phyllis, sorry! I didn't see you posted here. Hope things are great in your world! It appears the notifications function is still broken on the board.

Thank you for asking about me. I'm getting another echo this week from a different cardiologist and will follow up with her later this month. It's a complicated journey to find a way forward--she thinks I need to find a place offering a multi-disciplinary approach.

Marie Myers  Good to keep on moving! Enjoy square dancing and keep that blood circulating...
Hope your clotting issues get cleared up soon.

Shannon Gray  Oh, Phyllis... one more hurdle Inam sorry you have to go through. Hopefully all will be resolved soon. Keep moving and taking gentle care of yourself.

Phyllis Petersen  Yes, movement is the key. It was shocking at first, but resignation sets in and we just keep moving forward.

Catie B  Hi Phyllis, I'm late to the party, but it's good to "see" you again. That's a lot of obstacles in the past few months! I'm so glad you have your own home again and hope it's a wonderful space. I'm sorry to hear about the knee issues and the clot. I hope things calm down for you soon and that the venous issues won't be hard to resolve. Gratefully, I haven't had a clot, but was dx'ed with chronic venous insufficiency, for which I wear compression knee highs. All the best to you!!

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Catie, I've been wearing compression knee highs for decades because of the varicose veins. I wasn't wearing them all the time, though, because Tucson heat. Now, I'm wearing them religiously. I hope you can keep the blood flow moving with the compression socks, and keep an eye out for symptoms of a clot, since you're at risk. It was a bit of a shock to me. Stay well, my friend!

Catie B  And.... I only just saw your post to me here also (1/12/20). Sorry you've needed compression also! Yes, dealing with the garments in in hot weather is daunting here also. Like wearing sweaters on your legs! I've had four big-toe procedures in the last 18 mos., after which I had to leave off the compression for weeks. Gratefully, I have few symptoms in my legs and will return to compliance again soon. :) Hope 2020 is starting extra well for you!!

Barbara Laurie  Hi Miss Phyllis! Uh, yeah, you were not the only one. Don’t get me wrong..I KNEW I’d be doing them forever, but you had good reason! Yes, my last Echo was sooooo expensive! And I’ll be doing three more this year, and that’s WITH insurance. Yes, insurance has decided diagnostics like these aren’t so important I guess! BTW HUGS!! so glad you are doing well and complaining about costs! That’s a good sign you’re not worried about your health!😄💕😄💕🌸Hope your weekend is wonderful! 🎀

Kelly Stoll  Hi Phyllis. The cost is expensive. If you are able, budget ahead. I've been getting them since birth, so we always invest in the best insurance coverage we can afford but it is still a hit.
Hang in there and best wishes.

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Barbara, Kelly and Catie! Having followed your travails Barbara, and all the issues that my heart sisters and brothers have been through, I'm very thankful that I've had few issues. I have pretty good insurance through my old firm, but all of my costs went up this year. They decided to do a tiered system, so not only did premiums go up but also deductible, co-insurance, and maximum outlays. It makes it a little harder to predict costs. Kelly, I've only had to have echos since 2002, and that was every other year. That's a heavy burden to face when you problems start at birth. And I know you've been through quite a bit too Catie. I wish you all well.

Rose Madura  I kind of figured I'd need an echo once a year. But I don't see the doctor until November. The last echo was August of last year. Maybe you can negotiate every 18 months? But I too have had annual echocardiogram for as long as I can remember and the cost IS high. You may be able to call around to find bettern pricing. Our insurance person at work always recommended that. Glad you are healthy though. That's the great news!

Phyllis Petersen  I probably could save at one of the lesser centers, but my cardiologist is a director of cardiac imaging at a major heart hospital here. I don't know how much I'd save, but I have a great rapport with Dr. J, so for now I'll have to pay. A big part of the problem is that my old job substantially raised my deductible as well as other costs.

Catie B  A great cardiologist is worth a mint. I well understand why you stay where you are! And yes, deductibles have become crazy high...

Phyllis Petersen  I did have a wonderful time. Dancing is one activity that makes you forget that you're working hard.

Sophia Ridley  I found it very useful indeed. I wore it whilst doing a stress-ecg and it did well keeping pace with the “real” tech!
I wish I could still wear mine, I developed a rash and couldn’t wear it however much I cleaned it 🙁 Have notice my steps commitment has suffered considerably.

Shannon Gray  Sophia... same here! I actually bought a different type of band to hopefully help... but every time I’d put mine on, a rash would develop.

Sophia Ridley  Oh no Shannon! It’s so annoying, a great piece of kit, but I’m not suffering a red raw arm to wear it. I got mine two years ago, hope the later versions are better. I even tried sellotape on the back and that didn’t work.

Phyllis Petersen  I was going to suggest a different band. Sorry to hear that does help either. I'm hoping I can keep using mine. It's been very helpful.

Lisa Hunley  I am so glad to see this post. My husband got me a FitBit for Christmas and I am hoping it will help with my recovery progress. I am scheduled for December 27 for Mitral valve replacement.

Lise Bowles  Hi Phyllis,
Congrats! !!!! Can you believe it’s been a year? What a milestone! We’ve come a long way Baby and hopefully have a very long way to go, good to hear from you,
Lise

Lilly Black  Phyllis, congratulations! the one year mark was crucial for me, because I knew then I was out of the woods. It is definitely a roller coaster ride, but I'm so happy for you.....keep up the great work.

Phyllis Petersen  Thank you Lilly! I'm glad that you feel you are now out of the woods. It is quite a journey, and for some harder than for others.

Amy Steele  Happy belated anniversary, Phyllis... I haven't been on much for the past couple of weeks and was thinking about you. Hard to believe it's been a year already!

Amy Steele  I'm doing well... Trying to be extra good this time about not doing too much with my upper body too soon. I've started doing light housework, a little cooking, and driving a little bit for short trips. Ken makes sure I don't do too much, and I'll be happy when I feel like I can do more driving. It'll be 6 weeks since my repair surgery in a few days... I'm FINALLY off Metoprolol and am not unhappy at all about that. It just took my heart awhile to settle down and decide it was going to cooperate! I hope you are back to your busy self!

Lilly Black  Phyllis, you are right about that......each person's journey is quite different but we all want to recover and get on with our lives. Amy, good to hear you are taking it more in stride. Good luck with recovery 😊✌️

Phyllis Petersen  I'm doing very well! Yesterday, I spent over 8 hours at an outdoor rock festival. At the end, I was really feeling tired, but this morning I was up and out to choir and church with just minimal soreness from all the dancing around and walking all over. On Saturday, I'll leave for 2 weeks on the Pacific coast of Mexico, so I really can't complain.

Catie B  Phyllis, you sound spectacular!

Sweet of you to ask. I'm doing well. Still trying to resolve an issue with my neck/shoulders that's disturbed my sleep since the surgery. PT early this year made things worse. Radiologists here are refusing to do an MRI because of my retained pacing wires. Faxed Cleveland for help last Friday.

Kathy Blank  Congrats Phyllis! So happy you are doing well and thankful for your sound advice as I was making my decisions for my own treatment. Keep enjoying your travels and hiking and thanks for helping me and so many others!

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Catie, I don't think I saw this before I left on vacation. I hope you were able to find a solution, so that you can get an MRI or other test and find out what's going on.

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Kathy, I hope you're progressing well and enjoying life. I heard the snow missed your part of Texas. I preparing to be in Lubbock for Christmas and it sounds like I need to pull out more winter clothes.

Ellen Leng  Happy 11 months!
What are you doing for your 1 year? Mine's in 2 weeks and I'm thinking about getting people together for a BBQ and grateful observance.
Hope you get to enjoy your hiking :)
Ellen

Lilly Black  Phyllis, congrats on 11 months and good luck with getting back on track! enjoy life and your new found energy :o)

Civita Fahey  Congrats Phyllis..Im at 5 months and I can't believe how good I feel.. hopefully our weather here cools down a bit and I can do some outside activities too.. the heat and I are not friends any longer.lol

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Ellen, At the end of October (1 yr. and 2 weeks), I'm heading back down to Mazatlan to hang out near the ocean for a couple of weeks. I should do something on the date, which is a Friday. Lilly, thanks. I have to or give up so much I've gained. Civita, Glad to hear you're coming along well. The heat here has been setting lots of records this year and I'm still pretty new to the SW. I'm looking forward to the dry, comfortable weather of Autumn.

Kathy Blank  You are doing SO awesome Phyllis! Always helping the others just starting their journey and inspiring those of us behind you!❤️

Jill Krajnovich  Glad to hear that you are doing so well, Phyllis! While I have been appreciative of all of the information I have learned from this site, it is stories like yours that are the best!

Steve Farthing  Phyllis, My doc told me a couple of weeks ago that the heart can take 2-3 years to remodel and attain maximum benefit from surgery! So you might continue to gradually feel even better for another year or two!! Likewise with many people here.

Phyllis Petersen  Thanks for the info Steve! I'd love to keep improving. I hated all the fatigue for several years before the surgery. There's just too much to do in this life to be held down, although I know too many people whose health doesn't give them a choice. I am truly grateful. Thank you all for your kind wishes. My HVS family is great!

Phyllis Petersen  I think there are many cheerleaders in this community, especially you Kathy. This is what makes this community so great. It helps us through the tough parts and then so many people pay it forward. I really don't think I could have gotten through this with my sanity intact if it wasn't for so many people letting me know that what I was going through was not unusual, what I really needed for the hospital and so many big and little things I learned on here.

Jennifer McInerney  Weird, I've never seen it. I'm glad I haven't though. Sorry, I can't help. You need one of the techie folks. Definitely not my strength - lol

Adam Pick  Phyllis, This is very strange. What browser are you using? It was designed to only appear one time. Thanks, Adam

Sue Sanchez Grela  Adam, how can I stop receiving email notifications for those I followed? I now go to the community updates when I can.

I click on the link in the email, and receive the confirmation, but they don't stop.

Thank you!

Phyllis Petersen  Every time I scroll down or change pages, I get the pop up, even though I have pop ups blocked in my settings. It's a shame, since I find it annoying enough that I really can't spend much time on here anymore. I've looked every where including clicking on the link and trying to find a way to get it to stop, but to no avail. Anyone have any suggestions or do I just have to give up this community until this stops running?

Adam Pick  Hi Phyllis, I ran several tests on the system. It seems to be working fine. I have also not received any other complaints from our community members. So, I think this might be an issue with your browser. Do me a favor and clear the cache on your browser. That will reset your browser. If you don't know how to do that, here's a link to help you- https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en.

Lynda Ruiz  When it popped up on this site on my phone it went on for several days. Every time I went to a new page on this website it popped up again. It was a nuisance, but is gone now.

Phyllis Petersen  I've wiped out my browsing history, cookies, etc. as far back as it can go and I'm still having the same problem. At this point, I really don't want to clear usernames and passwords, as I am travelling and would need to have time and information to put all this back into my computer. It did already log me out of all my sites. When I logged back into this site, the same thing is still happening. I'll have to try a different browser and see if that works.

Phyllis Petersen  I had a brief respite from this annoying ad on my computer (it never stopped on my phone), but now it's covering every page I go to again. I think my limit for closing it is about 10 times, so I really can't follow people the same anymore. I understand needing ads to pay for free sites, but this one is really obnoxious since it covers the side of all except for about 2 lines of text, making it impossible to ignore. Hopefully, it won't run forever!

Bob Fessler  I still have not had the popup on my desktop with safari nor my ipad with safari. Maybe you have a bug of some sort. I'd scan with several programs to be sure.

Phyllis Petersen  I've installed additional programs to check my system. I just wish there was someway to turn it off.

Steve Farthing  I did have both cath and CT with contrast but my understanding is if you want a non-sternotomy surgical method, they always request the heart cath.

Phyllis Petersen  I had minimally-invasive robotic surgery. I was told that because my calcium score was zero, they could forego the cath. I believe my cardiologist recommended not doing it.

Phyllis Petersen  Did they give you a reason Civita why they didn't require cath? I had a CT w/wo contrast and MRI w/wo contrast during evaluation by my cardiologist, then a different CTA for the robotic surgery.

Lise Bowles  Phyllis, I did have a cardio catch and a CT before surgery. The doc said my arteries were good, so that was a relief.
Do you need one?

Rose Madura  I had a Cath and angiofram as well as CT scan w/ contrast. It was my understanding that the cath was to make sure arteries were clear and to rule out any other issues. I also had a full sternomy.

Bob Fessler  I had both cath and CT with contrast. I think you need the cath to check out those arteries before surgery so they can fix any other problems. No problems here thank goodness.

Laura Jacobs  I had a CT with contrast and an cardiac angiogram (cath). I assumed it was standard and never questioned it. Perhaps my surgeon needed the cath because of my aneurysm? The 3D CT showed that the ascending aneurysm went up into the arch which was not revealed in the echo. They had to do a bypass with artery from my upper chest/arm area to keep blood flowing to the brain. Maybe because of this they needed to ensure there were no blockages? I have no idea.

What I do know is that it didn't turn out to be a non-event for me. I have always been told that I have small veins etc. It often takes several people and several tries to find an IV site. For the cath procedure, it was the same problem. They could not find one large enough in my wrist and decided to go through the femoral. Once I arrived in the procedure room the doctor decided to try one more time to find a wrist vessel using ultrasound. She told me that she thought they found one on my left wrist and would give it a shot. The procedure itself was painless but by the evening my lower arm was throbbing and continued to keep me up at night for two weeks until the day of my surgery when I finally seemed to have some improvement. I woke up from surgery with an IV in the same arm, and the right arm the colour of an eggplant with multiple punctures due to the unsuccessful efforts to find an IV site. I think the anesthesia kept me from feeling anything, but a couple of days later the IV site on the left arm was inflamed and they had to change the site to just above my thumb joint on my right hand. Two days later both arms were aching and they are still aching today and it still wakes me up at night. Slowly getting better. I must be an exception as I have never heard of anyone else having this problem. I have never had a surgery before that required an IV for more than a day so it is a unique experience for me. Sorry for the long story!

Civita Fahey  Phyllis the Brigham and Women's in Boston said that they avoid it if possible. If the CT should something they would have done one but the Radiilogist says they could see just as well and not be invasive

Sandy Laine  I got a couple different stories - but the surgeon said the cath was needed to make sure there was nothing else they had to fix when they went in... Then one of the schedulers said they would have to fix it before the surgery, but the doctor doing the cath said any fixing would be DURING surgery - since fixing would require anti-coagulant. Luckily there was nothing to fix... My CT scan with contrast said arteries looked okay - but study was not designed to look at them... (That may have been a factor.) So my scenario agreed with that of Rose and Bob - surgeon making sure nothing else to fix while in there.

Phyllis Petersen  From what I've read from people's stories on this site, it seems most surgeons require one. I know each of us is unique, but apparently that is not the only factor. I'm still thankful that I didn't need one. Dr. Gillinov's nurse led me to believe that he generally requires one, but the calcium score made it unnecessary for me.
Laura, Just wow! My aunt had problems with her veins and they eventually started doing IVs through her neck. I'm "fortunate" to have very visible veins, so they get to pick their favorite ones. I hope you have a phlebotomist who knows your veins well for those annoying blood tests.

  I had right sided heart Cath prior to surgery, mostly to measure pressures. They didn't do left or check for blocked arteries, I believe due to young age.

Lynda Ruiz  My veins are horrible and I wish they would use the ultrasound guide to put a needle into me, especially and IV. They used it for my hip surgery for IV plus for an arterial line in my wrist. My neck port clotted in Heart Hospital so they took it out earlier and the tubing looked like someone had crushed it in their hand.

Laura Jacobs  I feel your pain Lynda. My veins are ridiculously small too. I am finally feeling some relief from the inflammation from the cath and IV's. I don't regret the cath though. Knowing that I do not have any blockages etc. has given me peace of mind. (Phyllis - I wish I had your veins LOL)

Lynda Ruiz  Yes, it was good to hear of no blockages. I did not have inflammation after cath, but the ligament in my wrist coming from index finger hurt when I used that finger for a couple weeks.

Amy Steele  Yay! You've been so active since surgery that you'll do great on your own. I understand about being uncertain when starting exercise without the safety net of rehab... I've been going to the local YMCA with my daughter for awhile and I'm getting more confident in my ability to do what I want on my own. It's hard to believe that it's been 8 months since surgery...

Laura Jacobs  Good for you...well done! I can imagine it would be difficult to say goodbye to people you have been working with, and have helped you so much. Happy Graduation!

Phyllis Petersen  I've mostly been working on my own, but had the crash cart right there. I don't really expect to have any problems, but I've really gotten to know not only the staff, but many of the people who continued in the wellness center after rehab. It's a nice group of people. On the plus side, Mid Valley has sauna, steam, jacuzzi and swimming pool, plus a few good classes. I will NOT be doing Silver Sneakers! Hahaha!

Cathleen Weed  I have two rules:
1) I won't work out at a gym that doesn't have a defibrillator
2) I ask my friends to learn CPR/BLS. That would be especially helpful for you if you are hiking with somebody away from modern conveniences. You'll probably never need it but it's better safe than sorry and it could end up saving someone else even if they don't ever use it for you. ❤️ When friends want to know what they can do to help, I tell them to get certified. It's such a simple thing and people are happy to do it because it's empowering.

Catie B  Best to you with this next phase, Phyllis! Having the pool year round sounds great. I hear you about missing the staff. They graduated me from c rehab at the end of the year because my insurer changed, but I hated to leave all those sweet and caring people.

Phyllis Petersen  I most often hike with my sister, who's a cardiac cath nurse. I hadn't really thought about whether others are trained. I started getting certified in CPR and First Aid through my job (not health-related job, just made it available) a very long time ago. The advent of portable defribrillators has been a real blessing. I'll never forget how horrible it was seeing a friend dying and not being able to do anything but call for help. If nothing else, the regular training helps you stay calm in an emergency so you can give the best information possible.
Catie, there really are some great people working in the rehab centers.

Catie B  Good to hear that things continue to go well for you, Phyllis. I hope your BP responds well and quickly.

Kathy Blank  Phyllis- glad everything is Looking great for your heart. Hope the blood pressure meds do the trick without and your heart stays boring!

Phyllis Petersen  I'm not even sure I'll need to be on them forever. The cardiologist didn't seem to care what one I'm given, which is why I feel optimistic. I've had a hard time getting weight to really budge since surgery. I have a feeling things will click in all of a sudden and the weight will go back down and with it the blood pressure. I've never worked out this hard before without seeing better results. It's less than 7 months, so I'm trying to be patient with my body. I've had some concentration problems, but recently have been able to start catching up on paperwork and to feel more myself. I can't complain, though. I know I've very fortunate in my recovery.

Phyllis Petersen  Unfortunately, I won't have the results until I see the cardiologist next Thursday. I think things are going well, but you never know.

Catie B  Phyllis, big happy birthday wishes headed your way! I hope it was a great day, and that this next year will be a wonderful one for you!

Ellen Leng  Happy belated birthday Phyllis!
I used to LOVE the 4th Avenue street fair...thanks for the memories :)
Enjoy your day today!

Emily Rowley  Wow! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS 🎁 Please excuse my late Birthday wishes, though Birthdays are meant to be celebrate for a whole week, or even more esp as yours is so special with loads to celebrate-we love having you in all our lives. 💕 I hope you have an enjoyable time, look forward to hearing all about your 9hr Rock Concert-what bands are playing? I'm a fan of Bruce Springsteen, does he play much where you are? Rock on my Heart Sister Phyllis 😀🙃🎸

Phyllis Petersen  Thank you all my wonderful heart family! Emily, I'm a huge fan of Bruce, but he hasn't played here since I came a couple of years ago. This festival was hard/alternative rock with Blink 182 as the big headliner, A Day to Remember, Highly Suspect, Islander and a couple of others I can't remember. It was absolutely awesome. Only bad part was trying to get out of the parking lot after. I left about 1/2 hour before it was over (I could still hear the music in the parking lot). I wound up behind an idiot and sat for over an hour without moving. Finally, enough cars moved so I could get around her and get to the nearest exit, which was moving well. After that, I was home in about 15 minutes. I stopped over another apartment for a glass of wine to wind down. I still got up and went to cardiac rehab today and worked hard.
Ellen, This was the first time I could full enjoy it. Between having a new knee and a repaired heart, it was a totally different experience than in the past.

Vicki Hake  Hi and Happy Birthday! I was reading your post. I'm 9 weeks out from mitral valve repair. This is my 2 nd OHS in 16 months. It is taking me so much longer to feel good. I'm breathless if I do anything but sit.
Do you remember when you stopped being breathless, with activity? I'm very discouraged😞

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Vicki, I still get a little breathless when I rush, but not when doing regular exercise. But you can't go by me as I have asthma and allergies. Yours sounds like something you should discuss with your doctor. Pleural effusion can be a side effect of heart valve surgery. I had some at the beginning, but little enough to let it heal on its own. Others, however, needed meds and/or removal of the fluid. At this point, you should have lessening of your breathing issues. Good luck!

Marie Myers  You sure are lucky to have not been injured! Don't be surprised if you are a little sore tomorrow, though...

Amy Steele  So glad you weren't hurt, Phyllis! Having been in 7 auto accidents, I know that the effects sometimes take time to become evident. Take care of yourself!

Sue Sanchez Grela  Phyllis, I am so grateful you are OK and shared your story. This morning we ran some errands and I had left my pillow in the house. I ended up going back in to get it . Your post is a great reminder ❤

Lilly Black  Wow! So glad you were not injured! I am always fearful of being injured whether in a car or someone physically running into me. I would not like it if my sternum was impacted in any way even after 2years post-surgery. Take care! Glad you're ok👍

Phyllis Petersen  Thank you all for your kind words. My neck is achy, but doing pretty well. I think my sister, who was in the lane next to me when I was hit, was even more shook up than I was. Even though I didn't have a sternotomy, I was still worried since there's still some soreness from the surgery. I really think the cushioning of the seatbelt made a big difference.

Phyllis Petersen  Amy, I'm keeping my eyes on the weather forecast so we can plan that Honey Bee Canyon hike. Kathy, thanks. You'll be amazed at how quickly it lets you progress.

Phyllis Petersen  It's been sooooo hot here that it didn't sound like a great idea until the heatwave breaks. I can't wait to go!

Wanda Mroz  Congrats! I am in phase 3 and have been for a year almost . I love going. My rehab requires keeping a record of your BP and hr before and after exercise and keeping track of the kind of exercise you do. A staff member takes your BP before and after exercise. It is required every day you go. The staff is always there for you as well.

Kathy Blank  Congrats Phyllis! I start cardiac rehab in a week. Excited to get started! Hope you are feeling well!

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Wanda, I hope your new issues don't set you back too much. Phase III at BUMC is a lower price for 3 months, but then you can continue on. Kathy, you're going to love it. You can progress so much faster when you know you're being monitored. I would never have done as much as I have on my own. I'd be too nervous of overdoing it.

Amy Steele  I'm finishing right behind you with 6 more sessions of rehab (2 more weeks). It was great to have lunch with you last week and get caught up and compare recovery and rehab notes! You've done a great job with your recovery!!! Let me know if you decide to hike Honey Bee Canyon and we can try and coordinate. For those on the recovery side of surgery, I too highly recommend cardiac rehab. I've been going for about 12 weeks so far and am amazed at the progress I've made.

Amy Steele  My prayers are with you, Phyllis. So sorry about your uncle. Let's get together for coffee next week after you're back...

Phyllis Petersen  Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers. It was amazing to see how loved he was by family and friends.

Kathy Blank  Phyllis- glad you are able to see such progress in your health and wellness. I don't know much about your numbers in cardiac rehab but the fact that your BP is behaving- that is great! I think you have a very positive outlook and hope your emotional health continues to be positive! It sounds like you are listening to your body and resting when needed. I am very thankful for your support on this website! Our heart brothers and sisters are all pretty amazing people!

Phyllis Petersen  I look forward to seeing all your progress now that you're on the other side. I really don't know what I would have done without this site. Even my sister, who's a cardiac cath nurse, doesn't want to hear all the details. The numbers on the treadmill are percent grade and speed in mph. I'm a little OCD with checking heart rate, since that's how I used to do my intervals on the elliptical. A steady HR doesn't make the same quicker progress that interval training does, so I was glad when I was able to shift to intervals. I just hope my BP remains good on Wednesday, since it's been all over the place since I've been off the metoprolol. The body, I guess, is still adjusting to the greater blood flow going in the right direction.

  You are 1 month ahead of me. How encouraging to be able to do more!Keep a positive attitude, rest when you need it, eat properly and keep in touch with friends and family. Don't worry about the noise from your valve, it means that you are ALIVE!!! Happy Heart Day!!

Phyllis Petersen  Sharon, I had a mitral repair and since the surgery couldn't hear my heart, which was a relief after how loud it had gotten in the final months. It just seemed weird when I did hear it. I love seeing how well everyone is doing as they go along in their recovery. There are some who are not so lucky. Yes, James, it's early, but we need to celebrate everything along the way.

Kathy Blank  I bet you are thankful that the Cardiac clearance found your valve disease and now your surgery is behind you!

Phyllis Petersen  I knew about the prolapse and regurg, but not that it had gotten that bad. I'm very glad that the surgery is behind me. But it is strange not hearing my heart, especially at night.

Amy Steele  2016 certainly was and eventful year for you! Glad you're on the other side of both surgeries. Hopefully your BP will stabilize without meds. and that cardiac rehab will continue to go well for you.

Lisa Giaccone  My mom found out about her Atrial valve stenosis because of her pre-op for hip replacement. Now 3 years later she will have the valve replaced at the end of the month. Did you have mitral valve surgery?

Phyllis Petersen  Lisa, I've known that I had mitral valve prolapse with regurg for a lot of years, but it was progressing slowly. I was surprised it had gotten so bad recently. I it repaired robotically in October and I keep improving every day.

Amy Steele  I'm doing well, Phyllis! I haven't been on this site very much lately... Trying to get caught up a little. I've been pretty busy with rehab and all my other normal stuff. Sounds like you're doing well. We need to get together very soon!

Phyllis Petersen  It's good to hear you're doing well. I'm going out of town for a few days for my uncle's funeral. I'll actually be back in Ohio. I'm so glad I was able to spend time with him and my family there before and after surgery, but I hoped to go back in the nice weather for a relaxing visit. Oh well, we don't get to choose. I know what you mean about trying to get caught up. Are you as wiped after rehab as I am? I only have 5 sessions left in Phase II, so I have to decide about Phase III soon. I hope your rehab is going well. We definitely should make plans in the near future to get together. I'll get back from Ohio on Wednesday.

Phyllis Petersen  I did all right on it, but prefer not to need any. I had low blood pressure until about of year before surgery, so this is new ground for me. I don't know if it's the new normal or temporary and I don't think anyone can tell me at this point.

Amy Steele  Sorry to hear about going back on Metoprolol. I unfortunately still take 25mg twice daily but will be able to reduce my dosage soon. I'm looking forward to not having to take anything except aspirin daily!

Phyllis Petersen  Emily, My blood pressure is all over the chart. I thought it would stabilize by now. Amy, I'm hoping to only need 12.5 mg to get it back under control. I found it disturbing that no matter how hard I was working, my BP and HR were abnormally low, but having it going so high is worse. It went up to 180/98 yesterday with the HR only going to 119, which is not good, but BP isn't too bad when I get to rehab. Kim, I really didn't have any problems with the metoprolol. I just hope that there's nothing wrong. Like so many, I worry about every little thing that can't be easily explained.

Lisa Ferguson  Phyllis, I'm right there with you! Worrying about everything that can't be explained easily. I did notice when I skipped a dose of metoprolol my heart rate and B/P went really high. Just skipping once! After a few more months it didn't have that big of an impact. I changed to a calcium channel inhibitor recently to see if it helps with not being so tired all the time! Seems to be ok so far. I'm taking it long term so I'm experimenting on what works best.

Emily Rowley  Whoa, so it looks like you might need it after all? How are your symptoms? I know you can't take fluid retension tablets with blood pressure ones, but this may not affect you.

Phyllis Petersen  I don't really have symptoms and it isn't consistent. It goes down when I first start on the treadmill, then goes up, then goes down after resistance training. It's just so weird! I want to get the most from rehab. I'm thinking that maybe I should have tried to pick up a low dose while I was in Mexico, but I want to know that there isn't something wrong.

Kathy Blank  Glad you enjoyed a wonderful trip Phyllis! All that relaxation ( and the Margaritas) must agree with you!

Phyllis Petersen  I had a repair and no afib, so was not prescribed blood thinners outside the hospital (heparin shots are awful). I don't take prescription pain meds anymore, so yes I can drink.

Lynda Ruiz  I guess I didn't complete that thought. Meant it to be drink caffeine. But guessing with no replacement or Afib, it's OK.

Don Catoe  I am so happy for you. It is amazing how this news brightens my day and renews my hope. This is my dream, to be able to not only reach the other side, but to have renewed strength! Congrats.

Amy Steele  Wow! Sounds like it was a great day! Keep doing what you've been doing and you'll be hiking Mt. Lemmon in no time! 🌵👍😄

Phyllis Petersen  Thanks Catie! I hope you're doing well too. Amy, Just let me know when you want to give a hike a try. Or even to just meet for coffee/tea. Don, It's easy to get caught up in the things that can go wrong, and I'm not trying to minimize them, but keeping positive is the only way to get through this. Look forward to doing the things you love and try to be patient. Everyone is different, but almost everyone gets there eventually.

Kathleen F.  Love this! I bet you don't miss Manhattan at all. I ran the Tucson Marathon in 2008 and I recall how beautiful it was to start at Mount Lemmon. Enjoy your new heart and all the wonderful hikes in your future!

Phyllis Petersen  There are many things I miss about New York, but I've been settling in pretty well here. I think once the health issues are behind me, I'll really get to enjoy it. I definitely don't miss trying to commute in all that snow!

Lise Bowles  Terrific Phyllis! I have been off the metoprolol since about a month and a half after my surgery. My heart rate recently has been quite high at times. Oddly enough it's not working out times, it's resting. For instance, yesterday morning I rushed into cardio rehab and it was 128! Blood pressure was fine btw, they made me wait till it went down to 100. And yet, when I am on the bike or treadmill at a good pace, it will only rise to 107-120. Stress makes it jump up? Crazy!

Phyllis Petersen  I know what you mean. My sister is a nurse and she tells me my heart rate is lower at night, but that isn't always true. Sometimes I wake up and just getting up out of bed sends it up to 100 or more, but then I get to cardiac rehab and it's 80, with a BP of 100/75 or so. Today I took a chance and went for a hike. I had to listen to my legs because my heart rate never got that high. It's the first time since the surgery and I kept waiting to feel my heart pounding and it just didn't happen. I guess we'll just have to learn patience :0

Amy Steele  Glad to hear that your cardiac rehab is progressing. I was able to start last week and got three sessions in, with another three scheduled this week. Hope you had a great Christmas!

Phyllis Petersen  My Monday session was cancelled for the holiday, so I'll only get in two sessions. I have to get myself down to the gym today and at least get some cardio in. My sister invited me to go liking off Camino del Cerro today, but I wasn't sure I wanted to do that trail yet. I'd rather do something with a bit more shade to start out. Merry Christmas to you and yours! I had a wonderful Christmas. How was yours?

Amy Steele  My Christmas was good. I probably tried to do too much and got myself overly tired, but Christmas day turned out to be very nice and also relaxing. It was good to be with family...

Phyllis Petersen  How can you not overdo it during Christmas? Just so long as you bounce back after. Family and friends are among the best things at the holidays.