Ken just wrote me about potential, physical limitations following heart surgery.

Specifically, Ken writes, “I am a truck driver. Will I be able to drive big rigs or not? They are going to replace my heart valve in February, 2009.”

Read the rest of this entry »

If you have an anxious personality, please consider the following…

The time period between your diagnosis and your actual surgery can be a challenging, anxious period.

How do I know? Well, I’m one of those Type A+ personalities. I’m a list maker and a nail biter. (Yes, I know how dangerous that combination is.) That said, I was a nervous wreck during the 4-week period from my second opinion to my actual heart surgery. Thankfully, I was asymptomatic. Other patients are both anxious and suffering from common symptoms related to aortic stenosis or mitral regurgitation.

On this topic, I just received an interesting email from Ann.

Read the rest of this entry »

In the past, I’ve written about a post-operative condition known as “pumphead“. The basic premise of pumphead is that patients on heart-lung machines for extended periods of time may experience cardiac depression and/or cognitive decline following surgery.

This has been somewhat of a heated debate in the medical community. Some researchers suggest pumphead is real and should be prevented / monitored. Other researchers believe that pumphead should not be attributed to cardiac bypass surgery.

Well, this morning I was reading an interesting article in a recent issue of Scientific American. The title of the story is “Pumphead: Does The Heart-Lung Machine Have A Dark Side?”. The article provides clinical information about pumphead and, more interesting, a very detailed patient story about this condition.

Again, my goal with posting this type of information is not to scare you. It is simply to inform you of certain, potential risks of heart surgery. So you know, my brain is functioning incredibly well after my aortic valve replacement. Yes, I did experience cardiac depression but I would not submit to you or anyone that I had pumphead.

I hope that helps!

Keep on tickin!

As many of you know, one of my life passions is… travel.

Whether it’s for work or play, I love to experience the different cultures that exist on this vast planet. Every time I get a new stamp on my passport, I feel lucky and privileged to eat new foods, learn new languages, swim in new seas, hear new songs, etc. Even with my recovery challenges, there was no way I was going to let heart surgery impact my passion for travel.

Last week, Robyn (my pregnant wife) and I went on a Babymoon. As Baby Pick is arriving on or about April 11, 2009, we wanted to have a special vacation before our little, baby boy arrives. So, the two of us embarked on a wonderful vacation to a remote island.

Any ideas as to where we went? There are some hints – pictures and video – below to help you guess the answer. If my clues are not helpful, simply scroll down and watch the video or read the text below!

Picture Hint #1 — Even though I’m doing a silly Egyptian pose, the island we stayed on is in the South Pacific. It took us 14 hours and two planes to get there from Los Angeles, California.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bruce just sent me an interesting question about chest pain related to deep breathing after heart valve surgery.

His email reads, “Hi Adam, I’m ten weeks into recovery and getting a little nervous – hopefully, for no reason. My surgeon tells me my mitral valve surgery went perfect and that my mitral prolapse is fixed.  But, I’m having a lot of chest pain. Specifically, it hurts to take deep breaths. As an active 62-year old, I notice it most during walks as my heart rate increases and I start to breathe heavier. Any thoughts? Thanks, Bruce”

Bruce’s question brings back a distinct memory from my early recovery. In fact, deep breathing pain was one of my biggest complaints during cardiac rehab classes. I would be peddaling away on the exercise bike when a sharp, cramp-like pain would flare-up across my sternum and rib cage.

Read the rest of this entry »