Karen's Guestbook

Hi Karen, I was glad to see your update, although I\'m a little late. I just don\'t get on as much as I used to, and I really need to update my journal too. maybe soon. It\'s great to be feeling so well and to hardly think about it anymore. How was your lab work? Keep posting once in a while, it\'s great to hear from you! Holly P

Hi Karen, I am glad to hear all is going well with you. I too would love to continue with the cardiac rehab - phase IV, but it would be tough to work around my work schedule, plus we cannont afford the added expense at this time. I have exchanged phone numbers with a couple of the women who have been in my class and we hope to keep in touch. The hospital is only a few minutes from my work so I told the nurses I may pop in from time to time to say hello. I am sure your lab work will come out just fine since you are not symptomatic. Take care and keep in touch! Denise K

Hi Karen, Glad to hear your feeling good and life is back to normal. You can\'t shovel snow?? really? Or are you just using that as a convenient excuse? :) Maybe we\'ll luck out and have nothing to shovel this year...we can always hope! Take care, Nancy B

Hi Karen, Glad you are well and back to work. That\'s great! I can\'t imagine that right now; I\'ve had a rough few weeks. I don\'t know if it\'s a change in meds, the heat, the humidity, or an increase in activity, but my pulse has been high again (like post up high) and my blood pressure has been irregular.. normal to very low... most importantly, I feel awful, esp. in the a.m. Seems I was doing well and improving .. mid July started to have increased symptoms. Getting a bit frustrated and depressed, I must admit. My husband is back to work (meaning he\'s gone 5 days/week - travels) and so I am running the household.. just wish I felt better. Thanks for checking up on me; I should update my blog.. but I hate to be the bearer of bad news.. I am so glad you are well - that is just great. Are you on your feet all day? Is it hard to get up and out the door for 7:30 am? Best wishes for the rest of the summer - ejoy those beautiful kids! Kind Regards, Kate ps - can you send e-mail address? krcott@mindspring.com

Hi Karen, I was glad to read your update and know that you\'re doing well. Good for you being back to work and taking it slow...I enjoyed cardiac rehab too, and wish I was still going! It was great exercise and I enjoyed getting to know the others in the class. Keep on healing! It gets better each day! Holly P

Karen It is wonderful to hear about your progress , both spiritually and physically ! My one year anniversary of my mechanical valve is on August 9 th. The time just flies by!! Just this week I have started volunteering in church to assist in their gift shop. After the surgery and recovery we have been through I just feel so humbled and thankful to God that I survived. Because there are many people that dont make it. We are blessed. I will look for you on Facebook God Bless John Madonna Las Vegas NV

Good Morning Karen, You may remember me, I wrote to you and connected to you because your surgery was May 25th the day after my Mom JoAnn on May 24th. I regret to tell you and it is with a broken heart that I share that my beautiful Mom did not make it. She passed away while in recovery on Memorial day the 28th of May at 8:06 pm. She had been doing well and walking etc. I talked to her twice that day and Dad talked to her at 4:00. We thought we\'d be seeing her at home in a couple days but the Lord had different plans for Mom and she is truly home now. No one understands or has any idea what went wrong, probably a blood clot. She got up to go to the bathroom, made it to the bathroom and dropped to the floor, gone before she hit. (do NOT lock your bathroom door, for those having surgery yet.) Why the hell would they have locks on bathrooms in the heart floor? They were in there in less than a minute though thankfully. I should probably connect with the guy who started this wonderful site for some encouragement ....Mom was 77. Married to Dad 59 years on July 17th coming up.....he\'s pretty lost...... I like the way you look in your photos and feel like we know each other. I have been following your updates with a sad heart but praying for you the entire time. Please be thankful for each minute of each day because you made it! :-) ♥♥ My Mom had an antique shop in Ely MN for 41 years and I have moved to Ely to live with Dad and run Mom\'s wonderful shop until September! I love each day and her spirit is all around me ♥ How would you like to answer the phone and someone says is JoAnn there? yep it happened a couple times....ugh......maybe you and I will always stay connected becuase of my Mom. Please email me when you can Karen. glendajo72@gmail.com I\'m from the Milwaukee WI area. Grew up in the beautiful North woods of Minnesota (Ely) Very happy to be here~ With love and prayers to you and your family and friends. glenda

Hi Karen I have been reading your journals and learning so much from you along the way. I am so glad you have been doing so well! For myself, the tears these days, seem to come out of nowhere. (I am scheduled for July 17th)...so it sounds like I have awhile to go before I can expect them to pass......but never the less, you have been one of my heros here at HVJ and I will continue to cheer you on....during your personal journey! Thinking of you.. Connie T

Thank you for today\'s post. I am 2 1/2 weeks out of my pulmonary valve surgery. The scar is itchy and the muscles ache, but each day is better. I will have family with me until 3 weeks out then I will expect the tears to come. We will continue to be here for each other.