Chuck's Heart Valve Journal

My Rest Time is Coming to an End

May 14, 2012

Wouldn't you know, just as my body is healing to the point that I can start to do all the projects I planned for my time off, it's just about time to get back to work. My cardiologist has released me to go back to work next Monday 5/21.

The great news in this is that the surgery was a complete success and my body is healing very well. Not to mention that I feel a whole lot better now that my heart is working like it's supposed to and the fact that I don't have this hanging over me anymore.

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and becoming productive again.

I wish to give you all very special thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and overall positive energy. THEY WORKED!! And I'll be forever grateful.

One month out

April 20, 2012

It's hard to believe that my valve replacement is only one month out (3/20). It feels like much longer. As I've said in previous posts, I was not blessed with a lot of patience. The medical staff all tell me I'm doing great. I’ve already had one follow up with my cardiologist (Coumadin levels are being managed well) and on Monday have my first follow up with my surgeon followed by my second follow up with my cardiologist.

My breathing capacity has been back to pre-surgery levels for almost a week now. I'm walking 2+ miles a day through some respectable hills. While the hills still get my heart pumping pretty quickly, when I hit the level spots, I recover much more quickly than I have in years.

In the past week, my chest has really improved. My sternum has been my only issue and an expected issue at that since it was completely split for the surgery. The two worst things in the first three weeks were coughs and laughter. Over the last week, laughter has gotten much easier and no longer painful. Keep in mind, I do not have a timid laugh. One thing I will say about laughter is that it really does help. A little over a week ago, I was with some really good friends when uncontrolled laughter hit me for the first time since surgery. I was hugging a pillow for dear life. However, to my surprise, the next day, I had a big jump in my ability to breathe and my chest felt much stronger. I guess Laugher really is the best medicine!

I had my first post surgery echo yesterday. I got a call from my cardiologist today and the report is very good. The valve is working properly, which is exactly what I expected to hear.

Now for the ticking. I may turn this into a party trick. Last weekend, we were with some friends. A few of them wanted to know if they could hear me tick. So we went to a very quiet room and anyone that was within about 2 feet of me could hear it tick.

I'm not able to hear it all the time, but if I'm in a quiet room or when I'm going to sleep, it is obvious. It is not distracting or intrusive. It is actually comforting.

I can still feel my body healing. I also still feel better during the day if I can lay down for an hour or so. I may or may not sleep the entire time, but the rest really helps. As the healing continues towards completion, I'm looking forward to not needing to lie down during the day.

For those of you on the waiting side - please try to embrace the process. It will help. Don't be afraid of the 'fear' entering your thoughts. Just understand that it will happen and it's best to try to move past it. Once you get to your date, things will start to fly by and the next thing you know, you'll be at home, comfortable and healing!

I wish you all the very best - those waiting and those healing.

Three weeks

April 11, 2012

It seems like so long ago, however it has only been three weeks since my valve replacement. While it will probably be another three weeks before all the man-made stuff in me has fully integrated, it actually feels healed inside. My chest, on the other hand, is still healing and I still need to be careful with it.

One of the most wonderful things I've noticed is how fast my heart is able to recover from activity. This is new for me. When I walk my neighborhood, the most difficult part is right after I leave my driveway. It is immediately an uphill climb. That hill gets my heart pumping at a pretty good rate. However, as soon as the road levels off, I can feel my pulse rate start to slow. In the past, that took quite a while. Now it starts to happen much, much sooner. I'm certain that if I had a flat place to walk, I could probably walk all day long at a regular pace.

One of the things I'm really looking forward to, that I took for granted prior to the surgery, is being able to sleep on my stomach. I'm a roller when I sleep normally. Since surgery, so far I've only been able to sleep on my back, with my back slightly inclined. I've not been able to sleep flat yet. I'm looking forward to that as well.

I've had my first sneeze, and while that was exciting, I've also done something more painful. Last weekend, we went to a friend’s house for the evening. Due to the mix of people, the discussions became very lively and humorous. The first wave of laughter came by surprise and I nearly pushed one of them out of the way to get my hands on a pillow to hold to my chest. Of course that caused everyone to try not to laugh which exacerbated the whole situation. It ended up being the first time in a week that I needed to take something stronger than Tylenol when I went to bed. Even at that, I only took half of the pill. The next day, I was still sore, but it was really good to laugh.

For now, I’m working on my endurance. I can tell that my body is still putting a lot of energy into healing. Over the next week, my goal is to start working a little jogging into my normal walks. The walks are almost feeling normal, so I need to start an additional push to continue the gain in endurance.

I’m enjoying the healing process because I already feel that the symptoms that took me to surgery are almost gone. As my body continues the healing process over the next few weeks, I’m certain my endurance and abilities will increase significantly. Considering that my walks are already easier than they were prior to surgery, I’m ecstatic with my progress!!

For those of you still in the waiting phase – You’re going to love this side of the process!

Tick, tick, tick . . .

April 8, 2012

This morning, Ramona, Anthony and I were discussing the significance of today. We were all sitting on the edge of our bed when I said "Shhh. Do you hear me ticking?"

Both Ramona and Anthony could hear my new valve ticking. What a hoot!

For me, the ticking is obvious when I'm in a quiet room, however it is not bothersome. It does not keep me awake at night. It's actually rather comforting.