Joanne's Incentive Spirometer Trick
If anyone knows that laughter is the best medicine, it might just be Joanne Harris.
Over the past few months, Joanne and I have emailed back and forth regarding her heart valve surgery. Joanne had a mitral valve repair with maze procedure. She suffered from mitral valve regurgitation (leaking heart valve).
Anyways, I recently received a note from Joanne that really shows her incredible attitude towards her cardiac bypass surgery, her broken sternum recovery and her innovative ways to trick the incentive spirometer used to defend against fluid in her lungs.
Here is Joanne's email
Hi Adam,
It's been so nice corresponding with you during this mitral valve repair maze procedure rollercoaster. I'm home now and 11 days post-op. What a difference even one day makes in recovering!
Here are a couple photos -- the only 2 we took in the hospital. First one shows me (with bad bed hair) looking out the hospital room window, and right past the palm trees is The Las Vegas Strip. I had a really good view of it.
Second pix is my incentive spirometer trick -- where I realized that if you plug up the little hole down low on the side, you can "blow" 4000 quite easily. My respiratory team didn't think it was so funny, but my family and I laughed every time. It sure beat struggling for 500.
My love to you and encouragement to all your many readers. Your heart valve book was incredible!
Joanne
Written by Adam Pick
Patient & Website Founder
Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder
Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.
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- Adam's Updates
- Aneurysms
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- Aortic Valve Replacement
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- Before Surgery
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Blog Categories
- Adam's Updates
- Aneurysms
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Aortic Valve Replacement
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Before Surgery
- Bicuspid Aortic Valve
- Heart Valve Replacement
- Medical Technology
- Mitral Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Patient Stories
- Pulmonary Valve
- Recovery
- Ross Procedure
- Surgeons & Hospitals
- Tricuspid Valve
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Dr. Christopher Heid is a leading cardiac surgeon at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas who specializes in heart valve repair and replacement operations.
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