Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

I first met Ali, from Northern California, a few months ago. Her mother had been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and needed heart valve replacement. (I could tell right-away that Ali was going to be a phenomenal caregiver through this experience.)

Ali and I spoke on the phone for thirty minutes about her mom, her health and the next steps for aortic heart valve replacement. One of the big questions for Ali’s mother was, “Should I go to Cleveland Clinic? Or, should I have the surgery done locally by Dr. Guadiani?”

Ali’s Mom and Ali’s Son

Last week, I received an update from Ali. I thought you might like to read this email to get a very unique glimpse into the caregiver’s perception of heart valve surgery.

EMAIL FROM ALI TO ADAM ABOUT HER MOTHER’S AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT SURGERY:

Dear Adam,

Thank you for the voicemail the other day. I am so glad to hear you are doing well.

So you know, my Mom had her surgery 16 days ago. Unfortunately, due to some cardiac surgery complications, she had to stay in the hospital for 12 nights. Needless to say, it was pretty rough.

She was so brave. The doctors and nurses had a really hard time getting her heart rate to stabilize at a normal level. She was constantly in afib. Her heart was at 190/200 on-and-off for a long time. Then, once the doctors would get her heart rate down… Her blood pressure would come crashing down.

It has been a delicate balance, but thank God I think they have it managed more now. The good news was that mom was never alone in the hospital. I was able to sleep there every night - right next to her. And, my dad and brother were there every day… all day.

I kept telling her she might get better if there were no other bodies around, but she just didn’t want to be alone with her heart racing, etc.

Anyway, she is now home, Thank GOD!

I saw her the night before last and she was in bed and re-reading your book.

Anyway, all is good… thanks again for writing such a great book.

Take care,

Ali

Thanks so much for sharing Ali! I wish your mom a smooth recovery from her aortic valve replacement.

Keep on tickin!

Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam’s special valve surgery book, click here.

• Previous: How Much Annual Heart Valve Surgery In The United States?
• Next: Washington Senator, Dan Swecker, To Undergo Heart Valve Replacement Surgery

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 8:06 am and is filed under Post-Operative Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Print This Post | EMail This Post.