Arlie's Journal

Quietly celebrated four years yesterday since mitral valve repair. I'm doing well, although under stress I feel soreness in the heart area. Will be having an echocardiogram checkup in about a week. Last year the cardiologist eliminated some medication so all I take now is metoprolol and aspirin. We'll see what he says this time. Other than allergies, my wife and I are enjoying retired life in Arizona!

I'm curious as to how some of you discovered this site before you had heart surgery. Mine was a kind of emergency, and I did not find out about this site until long afterward. I have a check-up with my cardiologist Monday, April 6, about 23 months after surgery.

Will be moving from Montana to Sierra Vista (an hour from Tucson), AZ, in July. How does one go about finding a new cardiologist, etc.? Any recommendations?

I'm wondering about various symptoms; are they common? Or do I just have them? Like sore areas in the chest at times (What is causing this?), seeming to need more sleep than I can usually get, being groggy lots of the time (Any solutions besides caffeine?), dry throat and coughing almost daily, experiencing near-constipation most of the time, wire irritation, etc. I see a cardiologist every six months. At those visits they take my vitals and tell me I'm fine. Maybe I am, but I know what I feel and experience. I try to ignore the wires since, after the cardiologist consulted with the surgeon, they said that all was fine. But those wires, two years later, still get my attention at times. So my doctors have not been much help with these post-surgery symptoms. We also subscribe to a brain aneurysm site which is very active and interactive, since my wife had a ruptured brain aneurysm three years ago. Many people share their experiences; there is a wealth of similar and dissimilar information which does provide support. But perhaps there is more interest in sharing since the group that has had brain aneurysms is much smaller. In any case, we cannot all the time get answers from our health professionals, but maybe sharing more among us patients could also be helpful. I would love to hear from others about their post-surgery symptoms and what, if anything, they have done about them.

I had mitral valve repair about 16 months ago and since have been taking lisinopril, metoprolol, and low-dose aspirin. Lately I've been feeling dumpy and fatigued something like I did before the surgery. However, my color is good, and I don't think I have shortness of breath like I certainly did before. I probably should see a doctor, but I don't have one now as ours seem to come and go rather rapidly. Can anyone share any insights or suggestions? My blood pressure and pulse are in the normal range. Perhaps I have overdone weight lifting; I was cleared for really any kind of activity, but I think I'll cut back and see if that helps. A little more energy would be wonderful.

I was supposed to have a 6-month checkup with the cardiologist two months ago. (The cardiologist doesn't come here in winter, but the appointment is telemed. She is 220 miles away.) So at the appointed time I went to the hospital only to learn that there was no appointment. I had to call her office. First they thought I was not in their system, even though I had seen her last July, but then they located me. After jumping through various hoops, I finally have an appointment for tomorrow. I have some questions for her, and I hope she can answer them. I don't know what to expect. The checkup doesn't seem to require anything of me than just to show up.

Life was going along fairly well with me doing most everything I usually do. However, about three weeks ago, which was almost 9 months after the surgery it dawned on me that I felt really good. My muscle tone is back, and I am enjoying exercising and lifting weights again. I still don't care for the sensitivity of the wires, or whatever those little bumps are at the upper end of the sternum, but that is minor, and I can live with it.