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Heart Valve Surgery Patient & Author, Adam Pick
Blogs About Heart Valve Replacement & Repair Surgery
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The Importance Of Support Groups For Heart Surgery Patients?

Posted on August 27th, 2009 under Patient Stories & Updates.

Throughout the highs and lows of my heart valve surgery experience, my support group never wavered. Their commitment to me and my recovery was extraordinary considering the challenges (cardiac depression, pain management, Vicodin addiction) I faced.

Me (Adam) With My Family

That said, I am always thankful when I receive a patient note that echos this point. So, without further ado, I felt you might like to read Charles’ (also known as Chaz) thoughts about support groups, heart valve surgery, and the use of iPhones to stay connected with his family and friends – before, during and after surgery.

Chaz In The Intensive Care Unit

Adam,

One week ago I entered Good Samaritan Hospital in downtown Los Angeles for an aortic valve replacement.

I’ve been home now for three days. In retrospect, I find the whole journey positive – except for the occasional cough. To enhance my recovery, I look forward to starting cardiac rehab next week. I know, I know… I’ll take it easy.

I am a 62-year old architect who lives with my girlfriend (Jane) and dog (Duncan) in North Pasadena, California. As I have lived here for less than a year, most of my family and friends live back east. But, they still formed an amazingly protective support group even though they were thousands of miles away. Thank you Internet! Thank you iPhone! Your idea of building a “support group” was the single-most important part of approaching each step in the heart surgery process, positively.

Chaz With His Support Group

Finally, I wanted to thank you for your heart valve surgery book. It provided me a much-needed road map for my cardiac surgery – even if different turns were occasionally made. Your book helped ease the unknown, answer simple questions (many of which I would not thought of asking), and established a realistic expectation for each “next step”.

Again, thank you!

Chaz

About Adam Pick – Patient Advocate

A dad, a husband and a patient, Adam founded this website in 2006 to educate you about heart valve surgery from diagnosis to recovery. More...

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jerry says on August 27th, 2009 at 10:23 am

Do it yourself Heart Valve Surgery? There’s an app for that!

Adam Pick says on August 27th, 2009 at 10:27 am

Jerry,

As you might have guessed…

I have that app – or, at least, the lite version of it. It’s pretty fun! Have you played the full version of the game?

Adam

Matt says on August 27th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

You know, a well developed heart valve replacement iPhone app would be really cool! Among being a Computer Systems Engineer full time, I also work at my local Apple store in Richmond, Va as a Mac Specialist.

I know that when I got to the hospital this coming Tursday for my aortic valve replacement, my iPhone will be like a “blanky” for me:-)

I’m a very (otherwise) fit & healthy 32 year old that just found out last March that I have aortic regurgitation and in that 16 month period it went from moderate to severe!
Oh well such is life, besides i have been training & staying fit for some reason, why not this.

Because of my youth & hope to never have to have a re op, I’m choosing the gold standard of mechanical valves, the St. Jude.
In my assessment, Coumadin in nothing more than a minor inconveinence and the clicking of the leaflets closing will become white noise to me in the months following surgery. We’ll see…….

Bill W says on April 21st, 2012 at 11:29 am

Is anyone aware of a support group in Tallahassee, FL or Florida’s panhandle for persons who have undergone heart valve surgery? I am trying to affiliate with such a group. Thank you.

jAMIE says on August 2nd, 2012 at 9:25 pm

I am a chf patient and am finally considering the surgery.I don’t know which valve to chose. I have chronic kidney disease, Should that make a difference?Me very sad
.What is a good hospital to have the procedure.One week in the hospital sounds good but is that the minmallyinvasive.Is an angiogram safe? Me worried:(

William says on August 3rd, 2012 at 9:33 pm

Jamie: I recently underwent mitral valve repair using minimally invasive surgery. I went to Shands Hospital-UF, in Gainesville, Florida. I found that not every hospital recommends or performs minimally invasive heart surgery. So, if you find one that does not, then keep looking. With minimally invasive heart surgery you recover faster and experience less pain and less scarring.