On January 16, 2012...
Hi Dick,

Good luck tomorrow! Do not worry if you do not get any sleep tonight, you will make it up during surgery:) I am sure all is going to go great and valve will be repaired.
I am sure that waiting for the actual surgery to end and any news from surgeon is worse on the family that on patient - we are asleep happily:)
Just take it easy and try not to worry too much. It will be all over before you know it!

Ivana
Dick Miller  thanks, Ivana - I imagine you're right about this being more emotionally draining on the family. Bas ... Read more
On January 16, 2012...
Hi Dick, will be thinking of you and praying for you tomorrow. I know everything will go fine and you will probably have climbed over your mountain this time tomorrow! Won't that be a relief? I don't know about you, but I am tired of thinking about valve surgery and ready to get it over with!

My surgery is March 13th so I will be reading your updates, both to hear how you are doing and to get your perspective on all of it.

You are the lucky one to have a nurse to look out for you and keep everyone on their toes!

God bless and please keep us fellow "valvers" updated.

Linda Dixon

Your fr
Dick Miller  Linda - I am so anxious to get this all behind me!
Yes, I am lucky to have Mindy with me - but this w ... Read more
On January 16, 2012...
Hi Dick,
Reading your post, I noticed that you said you hoped your daughter would be able to keep the family calm during your surgery. I am 6 weeks post-op and learned not that long ago that my extremely anxious husband and two adult daughters actually went out to a local restaurant while I was in surgery. It made me feel better that they were not sitting there biting their nails the whole time. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow. I am sure you will do very well. You will be a .
happy patient tomorrow when it is all over.
Jane
Dick Miller  Jane - I can see that happening tomorrow! I just hope they remember to come back! I don't want to b ... Read more
On January 15, 2012...
Hi Dick,

Welcome to this site. I am 64 years old and had a Mitral Valve repair and Maze procedure to treat Atrial Fibrillation on September 14, 2011. That seems so long ago already in many ways.

As you have learned from reading the different blogs, we are all different and our pre-surgery, surgery, and recovery experiences are quite different in many ways, although we are generally all anxious and concerned about process.

It helps greatly to be able to read about the experiences of others and be able to communicate with each other during this time. Just be careful not to compare yourself to others.

You should do well with your surgery Tuesday, you will be out of the hospital and into your recovery in no time.

Take care,

John Lund
On January 14, 2012...
Dear Dick, I will have you in my thoughts and prayers Tueday. You will do great. I am 16 days post op and doing very well. Don't worry, all will go fine and you will be on the road to recovery very soon. Janis Kielbasa
On January 14, 2012...
Hi Dick, Wishing you all the best for Tuesday! I have my 1st apptoinment with the surgeon on Wednesday to find out when my surgery is, so just starting my journey...feeling rather anxious already! Take care, Sharon Cochrane, NSW, Australia
Dick Miller  Sharon - thanks for the note and well wishes! I wish you all the best as well and hope I can provide ... Read more
On January 14, 2012...
Dick, good luck, I'll have you in my thoughts. I am on deck and step into the batter's box on Feb 2 for AVR and possibly aortic root replacement. Will know the answer to that once I get a CT scan which has yet to be scheduled. I'll be looking for your updates and any advice you have for us because you will be an old pro by then. -Mitch Friedman
On January 14, 2012...
Hi Dick,

I had my mitral valve repaired with minimally invasive davinci procedure 4 weeks ago. I know all about anxiety you are facing before surgery. As many people here will tell you and I agree, the most calm I felt just prior to the surgery.

You will do just fine. My repair was very complex and surgery was really long - almost 9h and I was 3.5h on machine but it all turned out fine.

The recovery from this type of surgery is much easier than full stern. After about 2.5 weeks I was completely pain free. I left hospital with no medications but off-shelf tylanol and motrin. In hospital they put me on the regular tylanol after 3 days. I had some lung issues and did stay in hospital for 1 week, but that had nothing to do with pain, heart or surgery itself.

I was not even in big pain while in ICU, and they took me off morphine very soon. I left hospital with no restrictions at all! I was driving after 2 weeks - no need for me to drive sooner:) I could lift anything, do anything, but mind you, it is still open heart surgery and heart is wounded! You are going to be slow and get tired easy, but speed of recovery is amazing.

I do not need to go back to work for sometime, I got 12 weeks off which is normal in Canada after heart surgery and I will probably enjoy them:) But if I put aside getting tired easy, you would never say I had major heart surgery 4 weeks ago!

This type of surgery is the latest and very cutting edge. We can be lucky that we are even candidates for it.

You will do just fine!!!!

Any questions just ask, ok?

Good luck!
Ivana
On January 14, 2012...
Hi dick. Am pRetty much right behind you albeit - I have a few years on u. Not many tho. Lol. In good shape & like u told " I'll be just fine "

Am due for cath feb 8- with V-DAY. Feb 9. I'm ready to feel better fast. Thanks for going first ! We like cinn a lot. Keep us posted. I'm a professional speaker & hoping I can have a speedy recovery. Got lots going on Dr says should be ok

Do good & stay in touch

As they say. T.G we CAN get it fixed !

Best. Nancy Friedman. St Louis mo
On January 14, 2012...
Hi Dick, you seem to be coping well. Like you, I believe I have read just about every journal on the site. In fact, I am forcing myself to let it go for a while. It can be all consuming, but I'm guessing you know that.
I'm still waiting on March 13th.

So Tuesday is the big day. I will be thinking of you and praying that everything goes as planned and your surgery is successful and recovery complete and speedy.

Please keep us updated. Will you have someone posting for you?

God bless,
Linda Dixon

On January 14, 2012...
Hi Dick,
I had my mitral valve repaired 12/5. I had a full sternotomy. I am back to full function at this time. walking at least a mile each morning and back to work last week, as well as driving and sleeping well. You will do just fine. Take it one baby step at a time. Now just try to not get caught up in the anxiety. There is really a difference as you get closer to the day. I remember feeling quite calm as I walked into the hospital. I wish you an uneventful surgery and a boring fast recovery. Keep posting. This is a great site.
Jane
On January 11, 2012...
Dick,
I live in Cincy as well. I had an AVR and aortic root replacement on 9/20 at Cleveland Clinic. I am a doctor in Cincinnati and have referred many patients to Dr Smith. He is great! You are in very capable hands. God Bless and keep you and I will pray for you next week.
Jim Davis
Dick Miller  Dr. Davis - thanks for the note and the encouragement. I hope things have gone well for you since yo ... Read more
On January 10, 2012...
Dear Dick,
I am now 7 months post mitral valve repair. Like you, at 59 I am in excellent shape and exercise daily. I went into surgery with a 95% chance that it would be robotic, but due to a connective tissue disorder my femoral arteries were too fragile to accomodate the bypass tubing, so I work up with a ministernotomy. My biggest obstacle in recovering wasn't really the sternotomy, but rather the disappointment of having it, which led to unnecessary depression. Looking back on my experience and comparing it to others here, I had a quick and uneventful physical recovery that was about as fast as some of the robotic patients. If I had been better prepared for the sternotomy, I could have avoided the depression. I didn't find this site until about 5 months postop. If I had known about this site from the beginning, I may have pulled out of it sooner. I don't think surprise sternotomies happen very often but it's good to be prepared. And if you are in good shape and do end up with a sternotomy, you may have just as fast a recovery anyway. I will be thinking of you and following your journal, and you are in my prayers. God bless you as you prepare for your surgery.
Vicki Pierson mitral valve repair 6-2-11 CCF
Dick Miller  Vicki - thanks for taking the time to send me the note. I read your journal entries and ironically, ... Read more
On January 10, 2012...
Dick, just a note to wish you good luck with your surgery. I had the same condition as you (mitral valve prolapse with severe regurgitation) and had my minimally invasive robotic surgery (mini thoracotomy, port access) at the Cleveland Clinic just a month ago (Dec 8). I live in Columbus, just a short distance from you. My recovery has been quick relative to folks with full sternotomy and I am already back to work half days after about 4 weeks. You can read my journal and let me know if I can help answer any questions. Venkat Ashok.
Dick Miller  Venkat - thanks for taking the time to respond with the encouraging words! I read your entire journa ... Read more
On January 10, 2012...
Good luck to you...you are going to do just fine. Linda is correct...waiting is the hardest part. The physical recovery, I think, is easier...and I even had the full sternotomy. I am just 90 miles down I-71 from you and I will be sending you a lot of well wishes and prayers.
Stay strong and positive. You will do great!

JH Mattingly
Dick Miller  JH - thanks for the kind words. If my math is correct, you must live somewhere in the Louisville are ... Read more
On January 10, 2012...
Hello Dick, welcome to the HVJ site. So your surgery is in a week? I see that you live in Ohio...are you going to Cleveland for your surgery? I am alway awaiting surgery too replace my aortic valve in March and will be going to Cleveland Clinic. You are not alone, people on this site are wonderful about encouraging those getting ready for surgery and they all say waiting is the hardest part. I will be praying for you, that you will have a speedy and total recovery and be on the other side of this moutain in no time.

Linda Dixon
Dick Miller  Thanks for the response, Linda. I am having my surgery here in Cincinnati at the Good Samaritan Hos ... Read more