so glad to hear that things went well, PTL!
Make sure he isn't a "hero" about pain meds, that is something the nurses are right about; pain is not your friend when recovering, so stay up on the meds and give the body energy to heal. Another surprise for us were the emotional swings, as we were so upbeat, and yet sometimes the body swings, the mind gets depressed, whatever, anyway, if that happens, it's also normal and part of the recovery work, so Kent doesn't have to be Superman all the time. We are praying for speedy and wonderful recovery, covered in God's great hands. Laurie smith

So when are you going to go home?

Jeff Roemer

Answered prayer that things went so well and so quickly. Praying now for quick and complete recovery with peace and joy along the way. You are all soooo loved. Anne

YEAH Kent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You go boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep that really positive attitude! I will make you SOAR thru recovery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christy Naughton

Hey Kent & Terri!

Congratulations!!!!

Keep on tickin!
Adam Pick

Hi Kent and Terri!

So glad to hear how well everything went! Our G-d is an awesome G-d! Praying for an equally spectacular recovery!

Grace and peace,
Keri

Dr. Kersey,

I pray that you have an easy and speedy recovery, and thank God for His work in you and your example to me. May you and your family be filled with peace in His sufficiency as you continue to rely on Him. You are in my prayers.

In Christ,
Evan Hedlund

Kent and Terri,

I am praising HIM right along with you all, that the surgery went beautifully. Our Lord, has given Kent a positive SPIRIT and attitude. All will be more than well before we know it. Love and BLESSINGS to you both!

In Christ,

Vikki Lyn

Praise the Lord it went so smoothly. I hope you can get some rest now too!

Great news, thanks for posting. Please give Kent my best.

I will continue to pray for a speedy recovery.

Talk to you soon,
Matt Fountain

Kent, all will be fine I'm sure. All the best for fast recovery.

Regards

Brian
Aortic valve repair at age 43. Still rockin and rollin !

Dear Kent,
My thoughts will be on you today. Prayers were lifted to you and your family this morning.

Looking forward to reading more of your progress.

God's blessings for you all.

Sheila Garrison
Apple Valley, CA (12 more days for me)

The Starks are praying for you. Thanks for the updates. God bless, Ryan

Right now my prayers are mainly for Terri and the rest of the family because they are feeling the ones trying to push back, fear and uncertainty and hold on to hope. Kent is in good hands and at peace. May you all have the peace that passes understanding through this procedure and for the next couple of days when the doctors will say things went very well but Kent just isn't going to look like himself. That will be hard for everyone. But it will pass quickly and give way to a better, healthier life! Praise the Lord.
Don

Dear Kent and Terri, Kent, your post was so beautiful it made me cry. And Terri, thanks for the update. We are praying for you both. Hugs, Colette and Stuart and Andrew

Been thinking of you throughout this day, both you and your wife.

Looking forward to the good news...

Steven in Calgary

The Pitzers are praying for both of you today.

Sorry to miss you on Skype today!
Know that you are all in our prayers and thoughts, always.
Luv you guys heaps,
Adrain & Margaret xxoo

Go get em buddy. Our surgeries are both at 7:30am.

Take Care
Jeff R

You'll do great Kent! Just remember, the first day will be the worst day, but you'll get through it will little memory of the day. The second day is a lot better. The third day you will start to feel like a human and people won't believe you just had surgery. The fourth day you'll feel like you could go home, but the doctors and nurses will politely explain why you can't. Then they'll play around with your INR and hopefuly get you packing by day 5 or 6.

Give yourself a bunch of time, do everything they tell you with no shorts cuts, and enjoy the service. The nurses can and will do everything. Nurses deserve a gold medal for every patient they care for.

Bon chance mon ami. Takl to you on the other side.

David Fanson

Rock it, Kent. Castañeda clan is praying.

We are praying for you, your family and a quick recovery. Roy and Lola Rae Olson

Night before. Sleep like a rock! Then in the morning, go with peace.

Good luck! Take ear plugs to the hospital! Only way I could get any sleep. It will be confusing the first few days because of anesthia, but just take it easy. Ask for a back rub or wash with a hot cloth! Really feels great after laying flat for a long time.

Kent,
I loved your Steve Jobs hardware upgrade announcemnt. I am praying both you and Terri will sense God's love and protection in a special way tomorrow. God bless you! --- Nancy Hedberg

I am an AVR patient, 2009. My recovery was difficult in some parts, very easy in the others. Remember to get active quickly, small walks, etc. Be on the look out for Cardiac Depression, it is real. Kent my prayers and the prayers of my wife are with you and yours today, tomorrow and moving forward and we wish you a speedy recovery. God Bless!

Hi Kent. I like your statement, "bring it on!" That's right, get it behind you. You'll do great. I look forward to reading your recovery posts.

You're in my prayers, all the best.

Matt Fountain

Hi Kent,

My thoughts are with you!

Hey Jeff,

My thoughts are with you!

http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2011/06/29/journals-patients-prepare/

Keep on tickin!

Adam

Kent,

Thanks for the encouragement. As for our little wager... You Are On! I'm sure we will both be home on the 4th. I have total faith in God and our doctors!

Keep On Tickin
Jeff R

Hello Kent,
I have you and your family in my prayers.

"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders." Det.33:12

Terri Davis

Good luck on Thursday! Stay positive and I look forward to reading about your recovery. Jon Farmer

Sorry for the double post (accidentally hit submit twice).

*This is Matt Fountain btw.

Hi Kent. I just read your story. You've got a great outlook on everything, as you should. You've got everything going for you. I too have heard the analogy of feeling like you were hit by a car and kicked by a horse. I gotta tell ya, I didn't feel that way. Don't get me wrong, it hurt...just not THAT bad. Of course, everybody is different. I think you're going to do great! You've got your support group, your family and faith in God.

I look foward to reading your recovery posts.

I'll be thinking about you and praying for you (and your family).

All the best,
Matt

Oh, and after reading Nurse Janie, I have to add, that before Dan's surgery, during the prep, you know, the shaving of the groin and all those intimate and possibly embarrassing moments, our hilarious nurse began making comments about how many razor blades she might have to change out, sheep shearing, maybe even other totally inappropriate but hilarious jokes about weaving and knitting, and we were both just laughing and relieved to be laughing, and still knowing that God was watching over us and laughing at our frailty with a sense of power.....anyway...take care and know how many people hold you up. Laurie

Hi Kent,
I had to chuckle when I read your Steve Job dream...hey it could happen, you are absolutley right, it could happen! I have always thought humor was a great tool to have when facing bumps in the road of life, and you seem to have a great handle on it, not to mention your faith..My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your family!

Hello Kent and Family. Donny Zavala here with Corban Univ. I don't think that you and I have officially met. I wanted you to know that I will be praying for you during this time! May God be with you and your family.

Sincerely,
Donny Zavala

So glad you have such wonderful friends with you.

Hi Kent. Just now finding out about your upcoming surgery. Wanted to let you know I am praying for you and the K Team. Love you all!
Missy

Hey PK! I am thinking of you and definitely sending out prayers your way for peace and calm and a healthier heart after surgery! We love Dr. Winkler--he was Dan's surgeon for triple bypass in '96, and he could not be more skilled or more caring. You are in capable human hands and in God's great big wonderful hands. Hang on to each other for the ride!
Blessings, Laurie Smith

I love your post today, especially the Ezekiel verse! That is now my favorite :) I am going for pulmonary valve replacement in 19 days, so I understand how you are feeling..whole gambit of emotions. Praying for peace for you and total recovery in half the time! Roxanne Dropko, fellow HVJ patient.

Hi Kent I had a tissue (cow) valve replacement in 2007 . Mine was the aortic valve and it was done at the cleveland clinic. I was very anxious about it and it all turned out great! Best wishes to you and I am sure you will go through it fine. I was 65 when it was done.

I love the Ez 36:26 reference. My best guess for the Aristotle quote involves some obscure neo-retro-alternative-underground rock band. The Renaissance humanists called Aristotle "the cuttlefish," not a compliment, and so I'm confident that Erasmus did not say, "Where is Aristotle when you need him?" Ryan

Yep...this roller-coaster ride is making my stomach feel like I'm going to lose it. Emotions....up & down & up & down and....well, you get it, right?

I'm feeling God's love more......

Sheila Garrison

The Griffiths are praying!
- Brian

Oops, now I see that this is not at all like FB...no profile pic or name is attached when I posted a minute ago. OK, Kent...That was me praying for my friends and making the wild and random suggestion. Nurse Janie

Praying for you, Friend(s). Just a thought in answer to the "Coumadin Question," but perhaps this is the time to go "wild" and stop the shaving nonsense altogether. Like I said, just a random thought. :-) Less morning hassle and you get to work earlier! Where's the downside to that???

Kent 2.0 - I like it! I'll be praying for you. -- Jerry Johnson

Any time you have questions don't hesitate to throw them my way.

Reading your journal today, was like deja vu for me. I had brain surgery in January and I can share the exact sentiments. I knew for a year that I was going to have to have the surgery but on the days I spoke with the doctors the reality hit home more than any other time. And then once I had the date, it became a bit to real.

God has you in His hands and you will get through this like a trooper. I just kept focusing on the fact that God gives us only what we can handle.

I love the Matthew West song, Strong enough:

You must
You must think I'm strong
To give me what I'm going through

Well, forgive me
Forgive me if I'm wrong
But this looks like more than I can do
On my own

I know I'm not strong enough to be
everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough
Strong enough
For the both of us

Well, maybe
Maybe that's the point
To reach the point of giving up

Cause when I'm finally
Finally at rock bottom
Well, that's when I start looking up
And reaching out

I know I'm not strong enough to be
Everything that I'm supposed to be
I give up
I'm not stong enough
Hands of mercy won't you cover me
Lord right now I'm asking you to be
Strong enough

I love that we can rely on God and He does it for us! We don't have to be strong enough. Now when something comes up that is difficult, I think, hey I got through brain surgery with Him, this will be easy. :-)

Blessings!

Sorry Kent. My name is Melissa Murphy. I'm a new member to the site. Forget that you have to list your name...it doesn't automatically list it for you. Will be looking for more posts from you!

You would throw an Apple analogy in there. Will you have an iHeart now? You and Terri are in our thoughts and prayers. Proverbs 12:25 I hope all these kind words cheer up your anxious heart. Just think of all the new stories and experiences you will have to share with your students!