So I’m surfing the Internet last night when I come across Michael C’s blog, “The Wonderful World Of Nothing Worthwhile”. Great name for a blog, right?

Anyways, it turns out there is something very worthwhile at this blog. Michael is a former heart valve replacement patient. He had mechanical valve replacement surgery just recently.

Like many patients, Michael was curious to see what his chest (heart valves and sternum wires) looked like under xray after surgery. Unlike many patients, however, Michael actually did something about it.

Here is Michael C’s show and tell (including an actual xray picture of his embedded, artificial heart valve and sternum wires)…

“I bring you my chest. Yes, I know, it’s a bit adult to be showing a bare chest, but when I saw this x-ray of my chest (taken from the side to help you orient yourself to what you are looking at) at the doctor’s office the other day, I had to have a copy. So, 13 phone calls, 2 forms and $20 bucks later, I have my own copy of my own x-ray of my own chest. Granted, I still had to photograph it while holding it up because they don’t have copies digitally (hence the horrible bright light in the middle that makes it look like I have been infected with a glow stick), but I finally have a copy.”

“Why did I want a copy so badly? Well, the red arrow shows my artificial heart valve and the big red circle on the right shows all of the sternal wires that pulled my chest shut (you can click on it for a larger view, that’s what she said). And I wonder why I get a stabbing pain down the middle of my chest at times…that’s a joke. Honestly, I didn’t even know I had wires in me. That’s not a joke.”

Thanks Michael… For the picture and the comedic writing!

If you would like to learn more about mechanical heart valve manufacturers, broken sternum recovery, and see a frontal picture of sternum wires, please click the appropriate link.

Keep on tickin!

On Monday, Labor Day, I chose to really enjoy myself. So, I did one of my favorite things…

I WENT TO THE BEACH!!!

As you can see, my family and I went to Manhattan Beach in California and experienced a picture perfect day. We enjoyed the sun, the Pacific Ocean and a picnic of submarine sandwiches.

When I downloaded the photos just now, I immediately noticed the smiles on everybody’s faces. We had so much fun.

Then, I couldn’t help but notice the scar left from my aortic and pulmonary heart valve replacement surgery. (So you know, it is always a little emotional for me when I see a picture of myself without a shirt on.)

Read the rest of this entry »

So, I just received an email asking, “Do you have any pictures of a bicuspid aortic valve?”

Well, considering I had a bicuspid aortic valve for the first 33 years of my life, I definitely researched and located pictures of bicuspid aortic valves for my book.

As you can see below, the aortic valve on the left is normal – the valve has three leaflets and three cusps.

The valve on the right, however, is a bicuspid aortic valve. As you look at the diagram, you will note that the bicuspid heart valve only has two leaflets and two cusps.

This can become very problematic if the valve calcifies and becomes diseased with the condition known as aortic stenosis.

Here is a picture of a calcified aortic valve with stenosis:

Picture Of Calcified Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Well. I hope that wasn’t too graphic for you. Those are some pictures of normal aortic valve, bicuspid aortic valves and calcified aortic valves.

Keep on tickin!

The heart is an amazing muscle. For reasons described on this previous blog, “The Anatomy And Heart Function“, I am constantly marveling at all the complex elements that makes the heart operate. Interestingly enough…

Electricity has a lot to do with the actual starts and stops (aka contractions) in the cardiac conduction system. That said I thought you might like to see a diagram of cardiac conduction system.

I could go on and do my best to scientifically explain the cardiac conduction system illustration above. However, it’s the Internet age. So, I’m going to let the American Heart Association do that for me. Here is a link to an article all about the “Diagram of Cardiac Conduction System”.

It’s actually a very, very, very interesting article!

Keep on tickin!

I just received an email from Roger, a recent Ross Procedure patient and reader of my book. Roger raises some interesting points, so I thought I would include this as an email bag blog. Roger’s comments and questions are:

I am now 20 weeks post op and I just had my annual physical today with my family dr. BP 116/70, heart rate in the 70s, blood work good so that all seems reassuring. I am back to running about 3.5 miles at a 10 min pace. Per your suggestions, I have been monitoring my heart rate while running and trying to keep that in the 150 range.

It seems like I improve slowly but steadily. The doctor did say that I have a heart murmur which he said is perhaps normal after this type of surgery but he has never seen a Ross patient, so I was curious if you have a murmur or if you know whether that is a normal situation.

I remember one time you mentioned to me that you still listen to your heart so I figured you would know. Your feedback is appreciated as I am obviously still very paranoid that something is going to go wrong. I feel like I am about 85% back to “normal” feeling. How long does it take to feel completely recovered?

My Response To Roger…

Let me start with a virtual “high-five”! It must feel great to be running again. And, it seems, given your age and recent heart surgery, your system is definitely healing and responding to your desire to recover from your Ross Procedure operation.

From prior emails, I know you can go into the “Something Is Wrong Here!” mode, right? But, let me assure… If something was wrong, I highly doubt your cardiologist or surgeon would encourage you to walk 3.5 miles, let alone, run 3.5 miles.

That said, I know what it is like to be paranoid by the “What’s Wrong Here?” mentality that dominates patient’s brains during the recovery. FYI, it’s been 21 months since my Ross Procedure and I still sometimes think “something is wrong” with my heart.

As for the heart murmur you mention above, I too had a tiny murmur following my aortic and pulmonary valve replacements.

From what my cardiologist told me, that is common. If I remember right, Dr. Rosin told me that the tiny murmur may be caused by sutures around the new heart valve. Interesting though. My murmur has since gone away. Maybe that will happen to you as well.

Regarding your final question, “How long does it take to fully recover from open heart surgery?”

That is a toughie. I would encourage you to go back and re-read the beginning of Part IV of my book. The process of healing is very personal. In a recent survey I just completed, some patients feel fully recovered after eight weeks. Some patients feel fully recovered after sixteen weeks.

Me? I didn’t feel fully recovered until I entered the Pacific Ocean with my surfboard. That was 435 days after surgery!!! For me, that was the moment that I considered my recovery complete! If you would like to read about that moment, I memorialized it in this blog about surfing after heart valve surgery.

One more point, I felt even more recovered when I Scuba dived during my honeymoon in Fiji a few weeks ago.

That said, you may want to create some form of milestone to help you during this process. If you were to complete one physical activity that would signify your recovery completion, what would it be????

Let me know. I would love to support and encourage you.

Keep on tickin!