Carol's Guestbook

Hello Carol, I am sorry to hear you are having such difficulties. I, too, am recovering more slowly that I thought I would. For me, the extreme fatigue is the biggest issue. One of my doctors told me it will take a full year to recover (from my Feb. 28 open heart surgery for aortic valve repair and repair of aorta that had a aneurysm). I also had a hospitalization with a bleeding ulcer in the lower esophagus 1 week after I got home from the heart hospital. She told me I would need an extra 6 months of recovery time due to that. I have had to retire from teaching (as of Dec. 20) because I do not have the energy to keep up with my demanding and stressful job. I am taking lisinopril - 5 mg./day. I have developed a minor cough lately with no other cold-type symptoms, so I think it may be due to the lisinopril. I have read that many drug side effects are due to the fact that these drugs deplete from the body or use up more of certain nutrients. Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor. ACE inhibitors deplete or cause you to need more of zinc, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. I got this information from the book Drug Muggers by Suzy Cohen, RPh. This book also cautions to be careful with taking potassium supplements if you are taking medications or have a chronic illness as it is easy to get too much potassium. Cohen suggests getting potassium from food sources and to check with your dr. regarding dosage before taking large dosages of supplemental potassium. I already take supplemental magnesium and calcium at the direction of two of my doctors. In fact, increasing my magnesium intake at night, at one doctors\' suggestion, has eased my bounding pulse. I will try taking extra zinc and see if that helps. I can then increase my calcium and magnesium intake. I will if these help. I am going to be careful with the potassium, because I think I am taking something else that may cause elevation of potassium. CoQ10 is also another nutrient that is vital to every cell in the body, but especially to the heart. Statin drugs deplete this. CoQ10 is one supplement that my cardiologist has told me is good to take. (I do not take a statin.) My incision is not as painful as yours. It is, however, still sore, and has that ropy appearance. My dr. told me it has keloided (sp.?). It is slowly getting better, but I think it should be less painful and itchy by now. I did use a topical gel product called Xeragel, recommended by my cardiologist, for a couple of months, beginning about 3 months after surgery, and I think it helped a little. (I had to order this from the internet.) I hope your shots help and that you do not have to get very many. As soon as I get through the Christmas holidays, I am going to go on Doug Kaufmann\'s Phase One diet to try to regain my health. I will also step up my exercise, of which I am doing very little due to the demands of my job. With all of the bronchial and other ailments you have experienced, you might want to check out his website:  www.knowthecause.com Doug believes that many health conditions are caused or made worse by fungus and their mycotoxins. His Phase One diet eliminates these from the diet, as well as including many healthy and some antifungal foods. He also recommends exercise, removing any sources of mold and mildew in our environments, and taking antifungal supplements or medications. Check out the website. There are quite a few articles, a blog written by readers/viewers, a week\'s worth of his television show episodes that can be watched online, and the books he has written are for sale. I have purchased several of them and am finding them very helpful. I wish you all the best in overcoming all of your challenges and for a more speedy recovery.

Hi Carol, Sorry your\'re experiencing these problems. I have also had my share of medication related problems as well as others. My cardiologist at CCF is slowly increasing the Lisinopril by 2.5 mg. at a time due to my exaggerated reaction to meds. Hope you feel better soon. ruth howell

Carol, Your comments about difficulty with your incision(s) healing are curious to me. I had a mitral valve repair on March 11th and overall have had a super recovery, although there have been some little challenge things post surgery. Here\'s my little story about my personal issue thing, not that it could relate to yours, but, who knows. Anyway, because a couple times over the years it seemed like I may have had a reaction to absorbable sutures, I ended up getting the allergy doc to check this...they taped a sample next on to, not into, my skin for 2 or 3 days and there was no reaction, so I was given a clean bill, so to speak, to have absorbable sutures, it is what they use, for sewing me up in all those places they are used from the heart to the skin surface incisions and all those places in between they sew up. I\'ve had some mysterious allergy reactions maybe 3 or 4 times since heart surgery, one time full anaphylaxis (sp?) where I could hardly breath for 6 or so hours. The allergy doc, perplexed with what is the cause, agrees with my hypothesis the sutures may be the cause...so hoping the last blood test shows my histamine and tryptase (re allergy) levels are normal again. Allergic reaction to absorbable sutures is apparently rare, but not unheard of. One doc told me after 15 years of internship and practice he just came across his first case. Other than that hiccup, I consider myself fully recovered as of Oct 30th when I completed the Marine Corps Marathon at Arlington and Dc. ...Barry on the mtn in NM

Carol, I had my mitral valve replacement 11th April and am still having ongoing other health problems but my doctors but most of it down to post- traumatic stress. I have constant anxiety headaches and have had a run of colds and viruses for a few months. I have three small children and am desperate do my life to return to normal for their sake. I have now accepted being signed off work and am trying to rest. Any other advice anyone has would be great.

Hi Carol, thanks for posting your update. I haven\'t been reading your blog but your update caught my eye. I\'m experiencing similar issues, various complications after aortic valve replacement. Doing OK in general now, I had surgery in June, but still have sternal pain and irregular heartbeats. I have a mechanical valve and it\'s hard to adjust to feeling my heartbeat all the time, intensely, as well as hearing the valve itself click. I\'m just completing cardiac rehab which has helped me a lot in getting strength back but I don\'t yet feel great..getting there hopefully. I\'ve been told by several people it can take some people a full year to feel good again. So, hang in there and continue to be vigilant about how you\'re feeling and stay in communication with your doctors. Your health is #1. best, Rob R

Congrats Carol. My 6 weeks comes up on Thursday and I go back to work at the end of this week. I think I am ready though. It has gone by fast. Randa Gaalswijk

I see the freedom of driving hasnt worked well for you. Back to work already, yuck! LOL. I still have 6-8 weeks before I can go back, as a nurse I do lots of tugging and pulling on people who are bigger than your average bear. So I have to be sure I don\'t make things worse. Hope your having a great weekend. Garry

Carol, I am glad that all seems to be improving quickly. I have pre-op testing coming up in May. Ready to get this show on the road and get back to a normal life. Jim Davis