Jamie's Posts

It is hard to believe that 3 months ago tomorrow I was beginning this journey. In many ways the time has raced by and in other ways it seems to have been ages since recovery in the hospital. All are good things!! SInce I last posted, I have seen my surgeon and he is happy with my results and where I am in the recovery process. Unless I have problems, I have been given the hall pass for ONE YEAR!! Yippee! Definitely not back 100% but I would say I am 80 plus % there! Still attending rehab 3 days a week....we are cranking things up with each visit. Walking faster and longer with each time. Have increased the difficulty of the recumbent bike and try to do a mile on the bike and a mile on the treadmill each visit. Increased my weights for our arm exercises last week and I see a huge difference in my stretching abilities. Leg exercises are getting harder but I see the benefit in my overall stamina! I most definitely see improvements in my physical abilities. Haven't reached the half way mark in my 36 visits yet but I should be almost there. Have had to miss a few days because of conflicts but most weeks I get there 3 times a week! We have allot of fun in class teasing each other and I am happy we finally have another woman in my class!! Still seem to have issues with getting to sleep....but once I am asleep I do sleep through the night. Have some pain now and then at the end of the day in the sternum area but that is to be expected and after a good night's rest it always feels better. Still dealing with the right shoulder pain but the surgeon said he was sure that the aches and pains would disappear as time goes on. Very minor complaints. I still get a little panic every time I have any pvc's but I have always had them so I am just more sensitive now and need to trust that all is fine. The great thing about rehab is being able to "push" harder and know that the ole "ticker" is doing fine since we are on monitors. We also have BP monitored and Oxygen levels 3 times while we are there. Lots of confidence building there for sure. Just thought I would update since I have reached this stage in my journey. Life is pretty much back to normal...the hardest thing for me is learning to pace myself now that I feel better. I am still tired when I do too much and by nature I have always pushed too hard! I am trying to listen to my body signals and be better at moderation!! LOL. Thanks for all of your prayers and encouragement. I am healing beautifully and feeling better every single day:):) Hugs and Love, Jamie

I had my two month appointment with my cardiologist today for my INR blood test to monitor blood coagulation AND my first Echocardiogram since surgery. I am sooooo happy with the news my doctor told me after reviewing the Echo results. My Valve is working PERFECTLY....no regurgitation at all!! This is the best news I could have. This doesn't mean that over time it might not happen ever....could be slight to moderate as time goes on....but for now the Mitral Valve is working beautifully. Ahhhh...what an incredible feeling. It was awesome to see the valve on the Echo .Prior to my January 4 surgery it was very floppy and showed so much color indicating lots of regurgitation, The prolapsed valve really looked like it was on the bottom floor!! Today it was like seeing a brand new creation. AND it IS! I am soooooo happy and relieved. Doctor McGregor also told me that my left ventricle that had been enlarged because of the regurgitation and it had reduced soooo much in size that he was amazed at its change. The atria had also reduced some in size....he had warned me that it probably wouldn't change much...but it was surprisingly smaller than he had expected it to be, It is still slightly enlarged and will always be that way but I am thrilled with the results. It has been a wonderful day for me! I told Dr. McGregor that I was really enjoying rehab because it was giving me confidence in my heart again. His response was...."Why are you worried about your heart, It is GREAT!" It doesn't get much better than that:):). I see my surgeon for the last time in a couple of weeks and I can't wait to thank him...not to be corny...but from the bottom and the top of my healthy little heart!! LOL. He is truly one of God's angels. Thank you Lord for putting me here in Houston and for Dr. McGregor's diligence these last few years in staying on top of my valve issues. If I was late for an appointment by even a week or two, he either called me or had his staff call to set an appointment. He is an amazing cardiologist. I am blessed. He also introduced me to a fabulous surgeon, Dr Robert Baldwin. He was always so professional and I knew that I was in excellent hands. Thank YOU all for your many, many prayers for healing and protection. God has truly blessed me and my family and friends. I am soooo grateful to Him and to each of you. Have a blessed week...I just had to post again and share the awesome news of my NEW and perfectly working Mitral Valve!! Hugs. Jamie

just realized that today is March 4 and it has been exactly two months since my surgery. Wow...allot has happened in a short amount of time! I would first like to offer my sincere condolences to Kelly's family. I am sooo sad for their loss. I felt like I knew her from our HVJ pages and I am sooo very sorry. She is indeed perfect in God's world now but this has made me very sad. God bless her family as they go through this difficult season of life. I am happy that today is March 4!! I continue to heal and get stronger because I am in Cardiac Rehab 3 days a week. Getting such positive results at the end of each week is really motivating to stay on the path to wellness. My times on the exercise equipment continue to increase....I will finally be off the "sternum watch" tomorrow so we should be cranking things up! I have increased the treadmill speed and time as well as the bike speed and time. My averages are increasing in just TWO weeks. I notice that my walking and breathing are so much better...I can walk quite fast without becoming breathless. It's great! I am walking a mile on the treadmill and a half mile on the bike. Rehab has also helped me begin to trust my heart. During class you are hooked to a heart monitor and the nurses keep a constant watch on you. Blood pressures are checked three times throughout the 60 minute class. It is sooo comforting to know that my heart is beating as it should...that blood pressures are normal...and I feel really good. I am also really enjoying the classes offered afterwards on stress reduction, diet and typical issues with surgeries like ours. I have really learned allot about things I thought I KNEW all about!! The good news is that I have lost almost 15 pounds since my surgery and have such a desire to do things the healthy way. It is not like I am on a diet...I just want to treat my new fixed heart the best that I can. I really can't describe that feeling but it has really become a way of life and it feels good. Another great part of the Rehab program is talking with the others in the program about where they are in their journey. One patient has been soooo helpful to me by sharing his successes and encouraging me to try doing things a bit differently. As a result of his encouragement and sharing, I notice a huge difference in my breathing. Ihad quite a time after surgery with my lungs as one had partially collapsed so breathing has been an issue at times. I feel 100% better...still have a way to go....but I know it is a process and I have to be patient!! The nurses and staff have been wonderful...one of the nurses just got back from a Christian Retreat so God has put me in good hands for sure. Thank you for caring about me and my recovery. I know that you are still praying for me as I have the energy to want to get well and even in spite of occasional frustrations with the recovery process, I am overall in a great place. Praise the Lord! This week I will see my cardiologist and have my 2 month Echocardiogram. I am really looking forward to getting this appointment behind me. They will be looking at my mitral valve and checking for regurgitation. This test will tell them how successful the surgery was in terms of leakage....and how my valve is doing. It will be a relief to know that all is well and the surgery was indeed a success! I will keep you posted. Thanks again for the tremendous support from my family, friends and new friends on these Heart Valve Journal pages. Thank you Adam for giving us a way to communicate with our families and others who face similar medical problems. Have a blessed day...Love, Jamie