Matt,Thank you so much for sharing your experience with everyone. I too have a Bicuspid Aortic valve with moderate stenosis and a 4.3 cm Ascending Aortic aneurysm. i would like to know what size your aneurysm was at repair.Again thank you and I'm so glad you are doing so well.
Betty Corns

Matt,
Just signed on and saw your journal. Seriously those pictures are awesome. How did you convince the surgeon to let you...or actually someone who wasn't sedated, to take those? My guy was great but pictures were not allowed. He said it is was against privacy rules, go figure. By the way man home after four days is great. Hope your recovery goes fast and is pain free.

Jerry H
Louisville, KY

Matt,

Great to hear all the good news.

And, those pictures are AMMMMMMAAAAAZZZINGGGG!

Thanks for sharing!

Enjoy your first night at home,
Adam Pick

Hi Matt,
This is Aaron Wagner, I am Curt's brother. He shared with me the link to your site. I must say, the pictures of the surgery are incredible, thanks for sharing.
Just want to wish you all my best in a speedy recovery and a positive journey back to 'normalcy'.

Matt, I'm so happy that your surgery went well and you are able to go home. Rest, eat, relax....all you have to do now is get better. Congrats on being on the other side of the mountain.

Neil

Hi Matt,

Great photos, thanks for sharing. I wish I had some from my surgery. Never thought to ask..... Have a GREAT recovery!!

Lori Wakat

WOW..........awesome pictures!
nice size anuerysm, huh? glad it's fixed!
Keep on doing GREAT!
susan

Matt,

Glad to hear everything went well. You had me a little worried there for a while, man. Hopefully they let you werar that newspaper hat during surgery. Tell Randy Sue I said to take good care of you.

Later bro,

Ritchie

Matt, that last entry is from Dan Cline

It's wonderful to hear how well you are doing, Matt. I am very impressed with your recovery after reading so many stories from others of about their struggles in the days right after surgery. I'm feeling very positive about mine in 32 days.

I'm (We) are so relieved that everything went so well for you and hope that your good luck continues. I will be sending Nancy down to help you both out in any way she can on Sunday. Wish you and Randy Sue could be here tomorrow for Kelsey's open house but your health comes first. Just send Mom back to me when you get tired of her being around, there's no hurry. Take Care!!!!

Randy T.

Good for you Matt!!!!!!!! Keep us posted on your recovery!!!

Christy Naughton

Matt, your courage and your attitude are nothing short of amazing. I am still in a holding pattern and won't have surgery until September. If I can only have half the good attitude that you have, I know I will absolutely sail through this thing. All my best to you and your family and I wish you a very speedy recovery.
Jim D

So good to hear from you Matt! You sound terrific ( I can hear you all the way from Sarasota:) Continue to be a great patient and we look forward to seeing you and Randy and mom in law real soon!!
Susan and Don

hi bro,i am happy you pull through,just try and take it easy and let ur body do it thing and heal,after my surgy i try doing stuff too early and that mess up my recovery time,but just stay strong,ok

Hi Matt and family,

Please keep us updated as to your progress. You are in our thoughts and prayers!!

Lori Wakat

So glad to hear that the surgery is over. (I had my AVR surgery at Duke a month before my 41st birthday last year.) Let the medical staff do their job and make your wife rest. Her work starts when you come home!

Hopefully things will continue to go well for you in your recovery.

Tim
Greensboro NC

Good Morning Matt,
So happy to hear your surgery's is over and will continue to keep you in my prayers.

Take care,
Kathy Bergen

We are so thankful that your surgery went well and THANKS to Randy for sending us the text when it was over! I am sure you will be up moving around as soon as they tell you it's okay! Be A Good Patient and follow the Dr's (and Randy's) orders!
I am praying specifically tonight for a peaceful night's sleep for you and Randy and that your pain will be minimal.
Look forward to hearing from you guys again soon! Good night!
Susan and Don

Hi Matt,
My thoughts have been with you today and have sent a prayer up for you and your surgeon that the surgery was perfect.
I'm scheduled for an aortic valve replacement on July 11th and will be following your journal entries to see how your recovery goes.
Sheila
Apple Valley, CA

Hi Matt
We live across from Detroit, in LaSalle, Ontario. (outside of Windsor). I am American and Canadian. I have a 19 year old son (birthday was Sunday) and as you prob. know the drinking age in Ontario is 19, so he did it up right. The next day was his 6 months appt. in London, Ont. he also has bicuspid aortic valve and also last year developed an aneurysm. I was told this was common with the bicuspid aortic valve. He is to have a MRI in August for a clearer picture to see if his can be repaired before later having it replaced. (By the way, I'm also a Spartan fan, and enjoyed watching the last football game with my older son, who is a "Go Blue" fan. It was great! We also have 2 retreivers. God help us! I will read your post, and praying for you!! (and your wife). Plan a goal for down the road that you both have to envision. I have helped others and this really helps. Linda and Jordan

Hey Matt,
You are in my thoughts and prayers. The best thing that a patient can bring to his recovery is a great attitude. You definitely have that covered!
Michael

Hi Matt and Randy! thinking of you both; saw saoirse earlier, walking with snoopy! doing great:)
Praying for a successful surgery tomorrow, and a speedy recovery! Signed up for the email updates--that's a great way for us to keep up. Talk to you soon! Good night, sleep tight!
Susan and Don

Matt,

Good luck on Tuesdayf.. I had a very similar procedure last May at the Cleveland Clinic. AVR with aortic root repair and four inches of my aortic artery replaced due to an anuerysm. My valve had been watched since I was six, and probably waited one year too long at 49 to have it replaced with a bovine valve.

They did a lot of repair work, including a left ventricle myectomy; but I was very fortunate and had a great recovery. I was back at work after 6 weeks, and by 12 weeks was better than before the surgery.

I wish you the very best.. Stay positive, do your exercises, get out of the bed quickly and all will go well..

Good luck,

Mark
Keller, TX
(Lived in Bradenton for 10 years)

Good Luck Matt. I'll be thinking of your great adventure and praying for comfort for you and your family. I'll be 5 weeks behind you.

Dan Cline

Matt,
Pardon the expression, but "give 'em hell tomorrow". I will be thinking of you and praying that all goes well. Take care of yourself and I wish you and your family the best and to you a very speedy recovery. Godspeed and God Bless you and your family.
Jim D

Excited is the right way to be! -- DVB

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the very nice words about my book. You just made my day!

My thoughts and prayers are with you! May tomorrow be an incredible day for you!

Keep on tickin!
Adam Pick

Good Luck, hang in there. The worst part about the surgery is the "thinking about it"part!
My prayers are with and your wife. Mt wife still comes on the blog it has helped her greatly. If your wife needs to talk just leave me a message and Jacki will answer it. Best of luck.

Sean and Jacki Murphy

Matt,

I'll be thinking of you and praying that you are comforted by all your family and friends.

Dan

Hey Matt, Dennis showed me how to log on. Hope you are having a double meat whopper!! I have read some of your entries. Nice people and some nice responses. Your surgery will be a great success, you have many people praying for you. Luv ya :) xo Phootie

Thinking about you all day. Love you lots..

Matt, I agree with everyone else, I have had OPS 27 yrs ago for a VSD, never had any purgining or fasting - only for colonoscoy so if I were you I would ask the dr again. Maybe you misunderstood him, or maybe there is another reason he wants it unrelated to OPS...

When in doubt, always ask, always.

Matt, I never heard of the died restrictions you mentioned. I've had fasting the starting the night before varous blood draws, maybe before some type of imaging, like colonoscopy (SP?), but that's it. I don't know if there might be something different for diabetics...I'm not so no experience there. I imagine they would tell you if you had some other issue that would required the special diet....its a puzzle to me. My surgery was a mitral valve repair done as a minimally invasive type with a Da Vinci robot....no zipper scar...no sawed sternum...just a couple small incissions, one under the right pec area and another at the right torso area with some kinda puncture kind of wounds, I think 7 altogether minor scars. If you want to read any of whatever I or my family put on the HVJ, it is under Barry Stone ...Barry on the mtn in NM

Matt, you are in my prayers. I was born with a BAV and and aortic aneuyrsm was discovered, as well. On 5 Apr 2011, I had my OHS, my valve was working so well they did not have to replace it but I had two aneuyrsms, 5.3x5 and one just starting. However, I had no diet restrictions before surgery, so your's baffles me. You are young and strong and everything will be fine...God Speed.

Carol

My surgeon hasn't mentioned any diet restrictions, except to have nothing to eat 12 hours prior to surgery. Maybe he's saving that great news until the last minute. I wouldn't mind losing 10 lbs., maybe more. I think it will help be to get in shape after surgery. How are you sleeping?
Dan

Matt,

My last name is Cline. I joined the journal crowd and just made my first entry. Thank you for your kind thoughts and I send you mine, too. I'll have to get some help from my son to post a photo. I always struggle with these high tech skills things.

Dan

Hi Matt. My name is Dan. I to am waiting for aortic valve replacement surgery. Mine is scheduled for July 12th, at Loma Linda Hospital next door to San Bernardino, Calif. I've known about my valve problem for 45 years. My doctor from way back then thought I would need the surgery before I reached age 40. I'm now 62 and retired so I feel like I got a lot of miles out of my damage heart. I lived a very active adult life and never felt restricted in any way until the last year or so. I'll be eager to read about your experience.
Dan

Matt- Saw your post and wanted to give you my best in prayer. I had my ascending aortic aneurysm repaired 2 weeks after my 30th birthday (April 12th). Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions at all buddy.

Adam Howell
Columbus, OH

Happy Birthday. Like you, I think I want a sternotomy for my 40th birthday! Good luck. Will be thinking of you
Jim D

Hey Matt

I totally felt the same way before surgery: in fact the night before, I didn't sleep at all! I couldn't stop my brain from running through what was about to happen...

It's totally normal and I hope that you continue to share, or shout if you need to, your anxieties and feelings as needed. The people on this site are awesome and so super helpful.

You're going to do great!

Ashley

Hi Matt. Happy Birthday! I had surgery last year at 40. It still astounds me how many of us needing heart surgery are in our 40s. I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. God bless! Take care. Kellie

Hi Matt,

I will be 40 in about three weeks and I am facing surgery soon. I was born with BAV and I am monitired yearly...in fact i just had an echo this morning (and went for a run right afterwards). So far I am asymptomatic but the valve is starting to show advancing regurtitation. It sounds like you lead an active life as well. Good luck with your surgery. I will be checking for your updates....just remember you are not alone in this little community.

Neil

Hey Matt,
My name is Sean and I had my aortic Valve replaced last July. I am 34 and married with 3 kids. I was born with aortic stenosis and it was finally time to replace it. I went with the mechanical valve and I am on bloodthinners for life. I feel so much better and and hope you know how much better you will feel. Any questions you may have about the surgery just let me know.

Sean Murphy

Matt,
Quite ironic, our stories are very similar, however, unlike you, I did not know about my aneurysm or valve until I popped into atrial fib after a run. I am set to have surgery in Cleveland in September. I wish you all the best and a very speedy recovery.
Jim Davis

Hi Matt,, welcome to HVJ. Your story is very similar to mine although I may have a few years on you. I am only three weeks post op but am on the road to recovery. Feel free to read my story, journal entries, photos and guestbook. You will be fine. Ask any questions you need answered. We are all here to make your specific journey as comfortable as possible. Take care.... Eric Brenie

Hi Matt,

First of all, best of luck! You sound very optimistic and ready to get this procedure done and over with.

I had the same diagnosis as you but only knew for about 3 years before the doctor made the recommendation to get it done sooner rather than later!

I too heard about Adam's book and felt much relieved after reading it, along with my family, many times over.

Even with my surgery being more than 4 months ago, the book still sits here on my coffee table. Really, it is just a reminder of how far we all have come.

I am able to report that life is normal once again! I had no symptoms or problems prior to surgery so I was expecting to have to deal with recovery from surgery I really didn't think I needed. Glad though that my heart is feeling less stress and working properly now.

Enjoy asking questions and getting support here from many friends. Read through other journals to see how so many others have been in the same situation. We are fortunate that doctors and the medical community are able to do the great work they do.

Lori Wakat
AVR-January 13, 2011