Ron's Journal

Thanks for all the encouraging words, after 3 weeks sense aortic valve surgery, I am doing well walking more everyday, pain management seems to be good as they have me taking 400 mgs of motrin every 8 hrs. But any one reading this before your surgery, Please make sure you have the nurses in ICU alternate your pain meds so you have full coverage. They had me on morphine and oxycodone! The pain was unbearable the first 12 hours, I was up walking about 12 hours after surgery, after going to the step down unit the first day wasn't to bad,The second day my heart went into Afib and they gave me meds thru several Iv's in both arms and hands. I was on the meds for 4 days in which the 5th they were planning to take me to the procedure room and shock my heart back to a regular beat, But a miracle happens that morning about 2 am and my heart was beating normal, they cancelled the procedure and I was allowed to go back on a heart healthy diet. But the only thing was the meds for afib burnt my vains in both arms so they had to install a pic line directly to my heart for the medication. If this happens to anyone demand to your doctor that you want a pic line installed !!!! They don't like doing in because of a chance of infection at the area of the new valve , But my left hand would swell up every time they tried to take my blood pressure reading from the blood backing up. The doctors don't like leaving patients on the medication for afib any longer than possible. I was on it a little longer than they expected, But when they tell you, you have 1 to 3 years to live I would do it again in a heart beat! prayer also helps a lot ! I hope this may help anyone having there future surgery ! God Bless!

I'm new to your web sight! I like all the impute on this topic. For about five years I have known that I had congenital aortic valve stenosis .I am in the process now of testing , an a scheduled appointment to see a great heart surgeon at the Frankel Cardiac Center / U Of M. I am dealing with symptoms due to my valve being closed below 1.0 cm's. Now I found out I have to have 4 wisdom teeth pulled out and my teeth cleaned before having surgery. Please wish me luck and give me a few prays for I am not looking forward to all this surgery, sense having had at least 6 major surgeries sense 1996, in which the 2nd one saved my life. Thanks to all the nice posts everyone has on this sight , They are encouraging and informative for the future. Good Luck to all and God Bless!