Good to hear things are going well, will continue to keep John in my prayers, these are the toughest days of the entire stay, immediately post-op! Hang in there!
Holly P

HI Jwn and John, Wow what a story. It brough back a lot of memories when my daughter had her surgery. And you are right. That is the longest time in waiting. Im glad you put all of it there for all to see. I am glad your Dad is doing good. Now the work begins but everyday will be a better one. Good luck to both of you.
For the long haul
LInda H

Thanks Jen for the update on John. I had AVR at CCF on 3/13/12, so I KNOW he is being taken care of well. My daughter was also with me for my surgery, alone as well. We flew to Cleveland from South Carolina. I know how stressful it is on you and you are right...take care of yourself. I don't know what the doctor is telling you about what John will need during recovery at home, but I will offer this. I am 63 years old, other than my aortic valve stenosis was in very good health. My surgery was almost a non-event for me, everything went perfectly and I had no complications at all. Did not need any transfusions, etc. I was so excited about the surgery and hospital stay being so uneventful and relatively pain free...I wasn't prepared for recovery. I had surgery on Tuesday, was discharged on Saturday and flew home on Sunday. My daughter stayed with me at home the first night and after that I was here alone. If your dad has other health issues he may well need help when he gets home. I don't know all of the circumstances, just wanted to let you know that the recovery is tougher than I expected. Shoulder and neck discomfort and fatigue were my biggest issues and as "piddly" as those are after open heart surgery, they were still draining. Hope John continues to progress and tell him "welcome to the other side of the mountain".

Linda Dixon, AVR 3/13/12

Remembered you in my prayers at Mass this morning. God be with you and all the famtastic people caring for you.

John,
Good luck! We'll be looking forward to your post surgery updates!

Steve

Thoughts and prayers coming your way. Isn't it strange the calmness that comes over you the night before? Looking forward to posts from the other side!!!
Holly P

John, you will be in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow. You will be in excellent hands and I look forward to hearing you aced it! Tell the guys and gals in ICU and J6 unit that I said "hello" and take good care of you! God bless!
Linda Dixon, AVR 3/13/12

Good luck Jack! WIll be looking for some good news coming from your corner!

-Thomas Hunt

Best of luck John. See you on the healthy side of life!

Nancy B

Hi, John -- I'll be following in your footsteps next week. Wishing you a smooth, easy time of it and a bump-free recovery.
Selma Kaplan

Hi John, well you have made it tomorrow is finally here and the long wait is finally over....Will be thinking and praying for you tomorrow that you will be on the other side and feeling great!!!!

Best of luck to you!!!

Cindy Pastrano

Hi John, Try and have a little fun the next few days. It will help keep your mind off things. You will be fine. That place looks like a 5 star hotel.wow.You will be fine and be going down the other side of the mountain shining. Good luck and keep us all posted.Prayers to you.
For the long haul
Linda H

John, this is your big week! The hard part is the anticipation and waiting. My thoughts and prayers are with you,
Holly P.

John,
YES, get a recliner! Lift is even better, given your physical condition and back issues. I was in great shape going in and I can tell you that the recliner was a lifesaver. You will NOT want to lie flat, especially that first week or so. When I tried that it was HARD to breathe. Even when having the recliner back all the way, it was harder to sleep, so I often kept it semi-reclined. I only had the recliner in the hotel in NY after my hospital stay. Luckily, at home I have an adjustable foundation bed and that was GREAT, so I did not need a recliner. I would recommend a recliner for at least 3-4 weeks, maybe more. I was also lucky in that I had a private room in the hospital and it had a recliner in it (not powered though) and I slept in that the whole time. Never even used the bed as I found it difficult to shift around in and the controls always seems out of reach. That's my two cents. Best of luck to you.
Jeff Shebovsky, Orlando, FL

Good luck John! You're in good hands.

Hi John, hope everything goes smoothly for you at CCF. I think you will be impressed, I found them to be very efficient and I had very little wait time in any department even though they were very busy. I was just so grateful to be there and be fixed, I didn't mind the pre-op process. Maybe you will run into Adam, I believe he will be there next week touring the Sydell & Arnold Miller Pavillion, which by the way, if you haven't seen it, is incredible. Let us know how everything goes.

Linda Dixon, AVR 3/13/2012

Hi John,

In planning for your return home just remember that you will not be using your arms to much for getting out of bed or chairs as this can be very painful. you will have a weight lifting restriction Probably 10lbs. I have had aortic heart valve surgery twice in the last year and a half. the 1st was a minimally invasive that i used the tissue valve but the stitching ring came loose and was leaking by about 25% of the valve. The next surgery they did the full sternotomy which for me seemed to be less painful than the minimally invasive surgery. but the recovery was about 2 weeks longer i was definitely in less pain. Also make sure that you keep your heart pillow handy as if you have to sneeze or cough you will definitely want to have it. The nurses will cover this before you are discharged.

Good luck to you, recovery will be over before you know it.

Cory E

Hi John,
Thank you for your response this a.m. I gather that one needs alot of patience to deal with CC (as Stephanie Cole said). It's hard to believe that you have to wait 10 weeks from start of contact with CC to get to surgery. It's a good thing that CC is soooooo good because I think by now I would be looking elsewhere for my surgery.
The only records I sent to them were my echo and the personal data they asked for. I guess the rest is done pre-op.
Best of luck to you for your surgery. I'll be watching for your updates.
Joan D.

Hi John,
I had an amazing experience at CC. However, I do agree with you. They are not the most communicative. What I can say is that the confidence surrounding the docs, nurses, surgeons FAR outweighs the lack of hand-holding prior to procedure.
It is truly a team approach and you are in the best hands. Stephanie Cole. 16 day out!

Hi John,

Don't get too worried about what you will be able to do when you come home. You will just do what feels right at the time. I slept in my own bed (with LOTS of down pillows) the first night and was fine. I used an electric recliner during the day, but I am sure I could have survived on the couch. It's a little scary getting released from the hospital after being monitored every day, but that feeling quickly goes away after you get home. It is so great to be at home! CCF is an incredible facility, so you will be in great hands.
Good Luck!
Deb Ziegler

Hi John. I had AVR about 10 months ago. I was lucky that it was a minimally invasive surgery. My surgery was a couple hours south at Ohio State University. I really didn't have any trouble with the stairs. Now, my house does not have any stairs but I had to go up and down a few before they would discharge me. I had same ba back pain from lying in bed so much. I was able to sleep on my side but needed help getting out of bed for about a week or so. I bought a sofa with electric recliners with the assumption that I would not be able to sleep in a bed. This was true for the first two weeks. After that I was able to sleep in my bed. I attribute this to the minimally invasive surgery. Be prepared to not be able to use your arms to get up. It just put too much strain on your chest. The pain does go away. I'll keep an eye open for your updates. Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.

Jon Farmer

Hi John, My daughter had AVR 3 years ago. When she got out of hospital in 3 days, she had to go up 3 flights of stairs to get to her apartment. She just went real slow and did better than me. But I probably had my problem just didn't know it then. I think God was just preparing me for something in the future. So don't worry about the stairs just go slow. Good luck
For the long haul
Linda H

John,

Regarding stairs, just take them with expectation. When I came home on the 4th day after surgery, I had four steps to get into the house. Breeze. Then I sat in my recliner for about 30 minutes before going up 16 stairs to my upstairs bathroom for a real shower. After that, I took a nap!

Best wishes in your journey and definitely lean on us when you need it.

Chuck Holmgreen
3/20

Hi John, I am Linda from SC, just had AVR and aortaplasty at Cleveland Clinic 2 weeks ago. Dr. Gillinov was my surgeon. I remember well receiving the "information packet" and wow...it was definitely too much information! I had to wait 3 1/2 months for surgery and the wait was awful. However...let me say that it was the best decision I have ever made to go to CCF for my surgery. I traveled from SC at some expense, but I felt like it was absolutely the best place to be. I was not wrong. I can tell you honestly that my experience was almost a "non-event". The care I received was extraordinary. I was well prepared for surgery and every part of it was "better than I expected". Even the dreaded breathing tube was not as bad as I expected, the pain was minimal and well controlled. I had a mini-sternotomy, which is how they do the majority of incisions at CCF. Two weeks out, my only "after effect" is some shoulder and neck discomfort, apparently from the way we are positioned on the OR table, and that is improving daily. It really is hard to believe that I had surgery at all, much less open heart surgery. I have a cow valve. I struggled with the decision of tissue vs mechanical, and you are correct, the surgeons do favor tissue in folks our age. However, I had so much confidence in Dr. Gillinov, I went with the tissue. He determined during the surgery whether it would be pig or cow based on valve size needed. I can honestly say now that I am glad I went with the tissue. I don't need the coumadin and in the unlikely event the valve will need to be replaced again in the future...I think it will be worth it...for me, at least, the surgery was really not a big deal. The day before my surgery I spoke with a man from Colorado, Dr. Lytle had replaced his AV 5 days earlier and he was like an angel sent to reassure me. He apparently had the same great experience I did and said it was no big deal. I flew back to SC on day 5.

Please don't think I am trying to minimize the OHS, I am just honestly saying that for me, it was so much less traumatic than I expected. I don't know if it was me being so prepared or my surgeon or what...I just know that I wasted so much energy before just waiting and worrying.

Let me know if I can answer any questions regarding CCF, etc. I will be happy to.

Linda Dixon

Hi, John -- My understanding is that they have you practicing stairs in the hospital and I've seen a lot of people who have gone home and had no problem with their stairs, as long as they take it easy. I'm not going to bother with a recliner, though again, lots of HVJ folks said they are great for sleeping in the first few days. Others have used pillows propped up to make them comfortable. I'm sure you'll be hearing from lots of Cleveland Clinic grads and get tons of good advice.
Selma Kaplan

Hi John, Welcome to HVJ. You will find this to be an amazing place to be and it helps. I have learned so much from everyone here. Wish I could say that about doctor, but I am going to be seeking a second opinion very soon. At least you know when it will happen I was told 5 months to 5 years, but yet I have problems. You will find the time will start to go by fast espically if you stay busy. Good luck to you.
For the long haul
LInda H

Hi John,
I am 10 days post-op bovine valve replacement at Clev. Clinic. You are in GREAT hands. I also waited to schedule the procedure (7 weeks). I'm sure others will tell you that waiting is truly the hardest part.
Every person at this facility is top notch. The surgery is much easier than you would imagine. You will find complete peace prior to the surgery and then really begin to see yourself on the other side.
Please ask any questions. I have lots of suggestions of what to bring. (which I learned from others on this site)
Good luck. Stephanie Cole

Hi, John --
Boy, do I ever feel your pain! I met my surgeon on Feb. 21st and scheduled my surgery for May 11. WHAT was I thinking?? It's a long wait and everybody seems to think that waiting is the hardest part. I decided to take the time to learn everything I could about the procedure (mitral valve repair), take care of a bunch of stuff at work so I wouldn't have to be worrying about that while out on leave, and most of the time it's pretty good. I find myself getting calmer as the surgery approaches and I bet you will, too.
Selma Kaplan

Hi John!

Welome to HVJ. I had my aortic valve replaced at the Cleveland Clinic in May 2010 and it was the best decision I've ever made. It was a great experience (well, as great as heart surgery can be!) Your friends the Millers should be very proud of the Heart Center named for them.

Read Cleveland Clinic vets' journals - Anne Shannon, Fran Zilko, Barry from New Mexico, and most recently Linda Dixon's (there are many others I can't think of at the moment). I promise, they will give you comfort. As Linda recently learned - it's not that bad (and we're not lying!) AND the waiting is the hardest part.

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want.

Welcome to club!
Ricki Shine