Hi Nancy,
How was your night? I hope you were able to sleep. My incision bothers me most at night.. they say that means it is healing...
Yes, based on the experiences outlined here, I do believe different hospitals offer different experiences. The best thing is... we 're home! If you want to share ups, downs, ins, outs of hospital food.... krcott@mindspring.com. I hope you enjoy this Sunday - supposed to be 87 degrees and beautiful! Happy healing, Kate R

Hi Nancy, so happy to hear you are home. I also am a retired hospital laboratory person, so my problem going into the hospital was "knowing too much". But I have to say...my experience at CCF could not have been any better. So there was a big "whew" there. I'm sorry your surgery was so rough. Reading journal after journal over the last several months, I am convinced that mitral valve surgery must be more complex, etc. than aortic valve surgery. We "aortic valvers" seem to have an easier time than you "mitral guys and gals". At any rate...yes indeed, we all are blessed just to be able to be fixed. Now take recovery slow and easy, you will have good days, great days and "why do I feel so yucky today?" days. Won't mean you aren't getting better. I look forward to reading about your progress. Welcome to the "I'm fixed" club!
Linda Dixon, AVR 3/13/12

Hi Nancy,
Welcome home! Doesn't it feel good?!
First, I have to say my husband and I loved your post. We could have been the ones writing it. I have been an RN for almost 24 years... and my hospital experience was, well, eye-opening.... All I can say at this point is that I am awaiting my hospital survey. I don't mean to sound ungrateful; I love my surgeon, and I am eternally grateful to him.... but the rest of the experience was, well, eye- opening...
Well, it is behind you now... Enjoy the birds outside your window this a.m. and take in the fresh air... God Bless you and happy recovery!! Kind regards, Kate R

Glad you are home! I do have to say that the constipation discomfort was one of the worst things, really.
I walked 3x yesterday but napped twice, BP has been low last two days. It seems as if I am getting achier but maybe that is what happens as we heal and I need to use more Tylenol and/or pain meds.
Perhaps we can chat offline tomorrow or early next week. Enjoy being home!
Karen

You are home!!! The best place to be. Glad that you can put all that behind you now and focus on healing and getting stronger! Keep using that spirometer and enjoy your coffee. I agree, it's a whole different ball game being on the other side of the bed!!
Holly P

Well, if it was a drainage *tub* no wonder you feel so much better! You're on the home stretch now, stay strong -- DVB

Oh boy.....That pain in your side will be me bothering you while you recoup at home.!!!!!
Glad your back among the heart healthy. Now take it easy....and RELAX! Don't be trying to run a marathon the first few days. Walking little short steps and doing things a little at a time will get you a long way a lot faster. God Bless.

Paul G.

Hi Nancy,
I am happy you are feeling better. The drainage tube I had was shoved up under my shoulder blade... the pain I had was beyond compare. I know the relief you must be feeling.. :)
Best, best wishes; you have been in my prayers. These days are so hard.. but they will pass and you will be home soon. Kind Regards always, Kate Rooney

Glad you are doing better, it was good to hear from you. Keep walking and using your spirometer, each day will get better! Hope you get to go home tomorrow and glad you are on the other side!
Holly P

Lol Nancy...see...you made it and it's all downhill from here!!! Yay!!! You will be home before you know it. Make the spirometer your best friend. I held onto mine almost constantly and I'm convinced that's one reason I recovered so well. Thanks for the update!
Linda Dixon

I had my mitral valve replace 7-2011.
glad you are doing soo well...like u I never had a murmor..thought I had bronchitis which I now know was heart failure and leakage from the valve. went t er they thought pneumonia and did scan that filled my lungs with more fluid and nearly killed me right there and then..was admitted to ICU to find out same day I would need open heart surgery with mitrla valve. i did get to come home for about a week and 1/2 b 4 surgery. after surgery spent another week in hospital as they tried to remove all the fluid..had to have lung drained. I feel fairly well.. recovery will take time...

NANCY IS BACK!!!! Did you look when they hauled those tubes out? Holy cannoli! It just gets better. That first walk, I felt like a newly born kitten but the more you walk, the better it gets. You'll be out of therein no time.
Selma

Hi Nancy, Glad to hear you are starting to do better. Hope you can get home for weekend. Everyday will be better, just hang in there and go slow. Hears to a speedy recovery.
For the long haul
Linda H

As we southern ladies say..."bless your little heart" (this time literally!). Sorry you are having issues, but number 1...you survived the surgery and number 2...you have been fixed. You will be amazed at how quickly (relatively) things will pick up once the drainage tube is out. Hang in there Nancy, the hardest parts are over.
Linda Dixon, AVR 3/13/12

OK - I just posted on my wall on your behalf as requested. I did email you back to ask were they able to repair the valve or was a replacement needed? Karen

Oh no! Been there done that with the tube vomiting. Not fun, but I promise it will all be a fuzzy distant memory really soon. I hope you are home for the weekend!
Kerry

Hiya, hon! Yeah, the loathed vent. I had similar "issues.". But you'll see, it gets better. I hope you'll be home for the weekend -- I think we do our best healing in our own homes.
Selma

Hi all,
Sorry for no updates.
I'm still in the Hosp.. Surgery went well....it was rough. The vent tube sucked. I threw up while I had it in. It took forever for it to come out.
I have a pneumothorax so the chest tube is still in.
I hope to go home tommow. Was moved to step down yesterday.

Was just thinking about you. So I came on hoping for some news....Whomever you gave the Update chore to gets a great big "F".
Ha. Seriously though I hope you are doing well. Or as well as one can in CICU! LOL!
Praying right now for ya!
Paul G.

I am sending you good thoughts. I hope it all went well.

-Mitch Friedman

Will keep you in my prayers Nancy.

Robert Hartner 2/6/12

Prayers and good thoughts coming your way! You will do great!

-Thomas H.

Hi Nancy-
It was great to speak with you yesterday. As I write this you are probably nearly done with your surgery and headed to ICU to begin your recovery. I'll look forward to reading your first update and meeting you in the not so distant future.
Karen

Best, best wishes Nancy! You will do great! I will be praying for you and your Doctors all morning. Kind regards, Kate R

Thinking of you and know you will do fine. Soon you will be on the other side of this mountain! I will be looking forward to your posts.
Holly P

Nancy,

Good luck tomorrow, and update us when you feel up to it. All of us will be thinking and praying for you.

Until then,

Trent V

Nancy,
You will do great! We will all be pulling for you and sending good thoughts your way until we hear from you again (and after too...)
Paul had me cracking up! They do pull that thing out like it's nothing, but I don't recall any super glue, lol!
Kerry T

Well Nancy, your wait is almost over. I will keep you in my prayers until we hear from you again. I know you are prepared and ready! You can do this! God bless!
Linda Dixon, AVR 3/13/12

Hi Nancy, Wow what Paul G just posted you litterally turned my stomach. Anywat kidding aside. I want to wish you the best of luck tomorrow. You will fly through this with colors. Wish I could say see ya on the other side of the mountain, but I'm still trying go up this mountain. It seems to be pretty big and I just don't have the energy to get there yet, but Im working on it. Will say a prayer for you and all the others. Gods speed for a good recovery.
For the long haul
Linda H

Nancy....we'll still worry, don't you worry about that. And as far as relaxation music when the time comes to get the tubes removed. don't worry about that either. they just have a couple of big orderlies hold you down and yank them out with a pair of big pump pliers and shove some super glue in the hole and send ya the bill. Now you go and have your fun filled operation....See ya on the good side. Just remember....they have ice cream in there but they don't tell ya about it. It's all a hush hush kinda sneaky nurse thing.
God Bless.
Paul G.

Hey and my Mitral valve was a 4. And I was still working.. LOL!

Hi, Nancy --
I kept my iPad with me and had Stewart bring my phone when he came to visit. I wish you an uneventful surgery and an easy recovery. See ya on the other side of the mountain!
Selma

Hi Nancy, I would just have your husband bring them to you after you get out of the ICU, before that, you won't need them. I did have my IPOD at my bedside the whole time once I was in my room, and it was a non-issue. I listened to relaxation music with it while they removed the chest tube, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It must have helped!!! I think things are pretty secure, but I left my purse, wallet and cell phone with my family and had them bring in my phone after the first day and a half, but I really didn't use it! Oh, I guess I did take a few pictures with it! It all depends on how you are feeling, it sounds like it varies so much with everyone. I will say, they didn't allow me to take my ipod to pre-op with me, once I said good bye to my family, everything was put in a bag and given to them! Hang in there and try to have a good weekend!!
Holly P

Dear Nancy,
Just read through your journal. As a recovering MV repair patient (Sept. last year), I am interested in other people's stories similar to mine. Thank you for your posts. Just wanted to wish you luck and speedy recovery.

I had a smart phone with me and my husband brought his laptop that I used a little bit (increasingly after day 3). Honestly, I really couldn't concentrate and slept alot. I was not worried at all about security. I do think that the nurses didn't appreciate when I was using it but it's understandable they're just trying to do their jobs. I would suggest baby wipes! They were a lifesaver for me.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! Debby T.

Nancy, well holy cow (no pun intended). My diagnosis was late last year, too. I am due to have my repeat echo in August. I don't like the sound of this, especially since I have two others with slight leakage. AND, my husband just had unexpected quadruple bypass surgery 7 weeks ago. I think I'll go drink now.

Hi Nancy, I am curious if you know what yor "grading" was for your mitral regurgitation prior to surgery? I was diagnosed with 3 leaking heart valves. Two are a grade 2+ and my mitral is a 3+. What was the turning point for you to move forward with the surgery?

Continued uneventful recovery, janelle

Hi Nancy-

I have had my laptop here since a day or 2 after the surgery as well as my cell. I have foreseen no issues with this.

K

I didn't brig my phone or Ipad. They told me not to bring any valuables with me except my ID and the hospitals registration card they gave me. When I checked in everything went into a plastic bag, before they took off for my shaving down, and wife took the bag home with her. I tell ya for the 4 days I was in there, the first day I was out of it. The next day I was pretty lethargic. The next two days were just laying around and taking a few walks in the hospital. Let go of the electronic stranglehold...LOL....RELAX. The only person you need to connect with is yourself while your in there. Pay attention to you. There will be plenty of down time when you get home to update everyone. I am excite for you to get this thing done and over with. Matter of fact I am going to go have a daiquiri for you right now.... Prayin' for ya Nancy. God Bless.

Nancy,

Sure am glad they got that date glitch straightened out for you! You are right about getting SO close and then oops, something happens. Re-scheduling for me was a real downer, think it'll go forward this time. And you are right behind. Keep your chin up! We can get through this!

Vel Turner

Well, your week has arrived! No turning back, it's time to move forward and get this done! Take some time to practice your relaxation, listen to music or whatever you do to relax, so you can use it in the hospital! I listened to my ipod while they took my chest tube out, and it wasn't bad at all. Get a stretchy bra, like an athletic one that is a size or two larger, it was the only one I could wear! We're all here for you!
Holly P

I know now you feel, I booked mine in March for 6-18. It is starting to get closer, but has felt like it has taken forever to get here. Not excited, like Selma said, but ready to get things moving...

Take it easy and it will be our turn soon.

Trent V

Yeah, you listen to Paul. He's bossy but he's right. :-) (Just kidding, Paul). I know what you mean about booking WAY too far in advance. I booked my May surgery in February, so by the time May rolled around, I probably could have done it myself, given the right equipment. I was SO sick of waiting. I'm excited for you, and I think as the time grows a little closer, you'll feel it, too. Maybe excited isn't exactly the word, but you will be READY.
xoxo
Selma

Ahhhh....Nancy, Nancy, Nancy......
Don't worry so much. You'll get those damned Hives again and you don't want that do you? I got bumped to two weeks out on my surgery. Gave me two more weeks to work and get things straightened out. You'll be fine. Relax. Have a nice frozen daiquiri or something to relax yourself. It is going to be a wild ride so just buckle up and go for the ride. Not much else you can do, so there is no use fighting or fretting over it. Just make sure the house is the way you want it for your "rest" period. Make sure you have some nice cool drinks and little snacks, because your appetite will be a bit funky for a week or so after. Have some good skin creme for the itches, some good pillows to prop yourself up with, and a support group to call on when you need to talk. Some comfy cloths like one of those Snuggle things and some comfy slippers. Like I said before I liked the canned pears for snacks. They were nutritious and wet and cool. Peaches were good too. I'd also suggest some Activia yogurt to keep your intestines happy. I had some issues with the workings after I got home...If you know what I mean. One week to go. Now stop worrying and get yourself mentally stoked for the good stuff about to happen in your life. No more focusing on the bad, or stressful.
Paul G.
Paul

Hang in there Nancy, after waiting so long, time dragggggging by...this week will FLY!!I had to wait almost 3 months for my surgery, so I know how you feel. This really is the hardest part (honest). Will be thinking of you this week, keep us posted.
God bless!
Linda Dixon, AVR 3/13/12

Hi Nancy, I hope your blood donation goes as well tomorrow as the first one did. I've been thinking about you, those last weeks before surgery are so hard and stressful. Glad you can get outside and relax a little, you need to do those things! Will you have help after your surgery? try to get all the cleaning done you can beforehand, because it will be a while before you do them again!
Holly P

Nancy,

Thanks for signing my guestbook. I responded and it turned out to be pretty long, and then after sending realized I should have put it into YOUR guestbook. So, forgive me please, and look up my guestbook for my message to you.

Hang in there!

Vel T.

Hey, Nancy B --
I feel like I might need to venture to Connecticut at some point to check up on you and Karen (I call you my Connecticut girls).
I've been thinking a lot about what you and several other folks have said about attitude going into surgery -- finding the right mix somewhere between denial and obsession is not always easy. The right amount of distraction helps. But yeah, it's amazing what comes leaking out in our dreams. And wait until AFTER the surgery. You're not gonna' believe them.
Have a good day -- it's not as pretty as it was yesterday, but still, it beats a view of a hospital bathroom!
Selma

You know I'm rooting for you up in this corner of CT :)
Karen

Ah yes the On-Q, or the Q ball as they call it. I had that. I remember when they came to take the tube out. I was like oh my God, Oh my God...I closed my eyes and all of a sudden I felt this.....nothing. It was out before I knew it....LOL. Goes to show how you can gt all stressed about nothing. Now the drain tube that went down around my back, well that one was the killer. Yikes. A month later and I still feel it sometimes if I exercise my right arm too much. Can we say Tylenol? Ha! Yes. The nesting is good. I was surprised how much food I ate in the last month. I was down 6 lbs after the surgery, and I am right back up to my pre-surgery weight already. Weird thing is I got back into liking canned pears. Huh? Better than fattening foods I guess....
Hey.....Take it easy will ya. Don't fret so much. I had my surgery a month ago. I had some weird stuff happen. But today I was out mowing my lawn with a push mower. Ya gotta love it! Keep on posting.
Your HJV pal,
Paul

Hi, Nancy --
I just answered a note you left in my guestbook and wanted to zip on over and check out your journal.
The next time you're itching it will be the wonderful itch that comes with healing!
Litchfield is a beautiful part of the world -- when you're out of surgery and back on your feet, you'll be able to enjoy some great scenery, maybe take in a Tanglewood concert, right?
Selma Kaplan

Hello, Nancy:

Thank you for your message in my guestbook. Your surgery is coming up then. It sounds like you are going to a great hospital. I chose Mt. Sinai for my second surgery. Dr. Adams showed me that the first surgery was a technical failure (I had it done in Spokane, Washington), the chordae burst and resulted in the moderate regurg post surgery. It is an odd thing not to have any symptoms or problems and one day you realize you feel either out of shape or something odd happens as in your case with heart palpitations. Do you have all of your travel plans situated? There's a lot of info on this website from patients about things you can do when you get to the hospital, what to take with you and generally what to expect. I look forward to reading about your progress.

Gayle Dudley-Coe