Kelly's Heart Valve Journal

Surgery day is here!!!

February 2, 2012

Well, here I am 4 hours away from having to be at the hospital, can’t believe that this day is finally here. People keep asking how I am feeling, I have to say that I still feel relaxed, now I am just afraid that I won’t wake up in time to get to the hospital, this is the way I felt before I had to fly, I never slept the night before a flight.

This will be my last post until I am out of bed and in a chair, which could happen by Friday. My “brother” Chris will post later tonight, after I am out of surgery to let you know that I am out and resting comfortably in ICU.

So here are a few things that I found out in pre-op…When I wake up in ICU, late Thursday evening, I will have a breathing tube and my hands will be restrained, so I won’t be able to talk or move my hands around. The reason for the restraints is that, instinctively, I will want to pull the tube out, there will be someone there with me to remind me of that. Surgery should really only go 7-8 hours, but they really don’t know about the amount of scar tissue he will have to get through. My mom will not be able to come into my room, but they will let her look at me for a minute through the window. They told me that I probably wouldn’t get rest during the day, they were going to have me up and walking on Friday, bring it on, I want to get back to normal.

I want to thank everyone who is praying for me, from my friends who let me know that I am in their prayers, to the people that are part of prayer requests and pray circles, you are truly beautiful people.

Now to sign off with my usual…

Talk to you soon,

Kelly

GOT A DATE!!!

January 26, 2012

Hello All!!

Well, I finally got my date for surgery, next Thursday, 2/2/12, 4 months after my diagnoses, 14 months after the onset of my symptoms.

I go in on Monday for all the pre-op, 4 hours of pre-op.

Right now I am excited, but I think I will start feeling all kinds of emotions in the next week, I have a feeling that anxiety will be right there at the top.

Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts, we finally got a date, but now the actual hard part, please keep them going.

Talk to you soon,

Kelly

HEART SURGEON CALLED!!!

January 15, 2012

Hello All!!

Brief update…SURGEON CALLED, yes, on a Sunday!!! He will be scheduling my surgery in 2 & ½ weeks!! We couldn’t get the exact date today because his nurse wasn’t in today, of course.

I am going on a blood thinner for 10 days to see how my system works, I have to be off for 7, can’t be on blood thinner for surgery, that would be bad, then surgery…YEA!!!

My surgeon did tell me that he has been it close communication with my cardiologist and gastroenterologist and think this is the best way to go AND has talked about my case with the other heart surgeons at UCLA, they are in agreement too.

I wonder if my surgeon is reading my blog and read about tomorrow’s deadline??? LOL!!

So please keep those thoughts and prayers going, I love you all for all the support.

Talk to you soon!!

Kelly

Scan Results are back!

January 12, 2012

Hello Everyone!!

Thanks again for all the prayers!!

Well the scan came back, everything looks like it should…YEA!!!

So I called my surgeon on Tuesday, he was in Seattle, on an emergency, but his nurse was going to let him know and get a date for my surgery, she would talk to him Tuesday night or Wednesday morning….so I waited.

I called her Thursday afternoon, she let me know that she talked to him and he said he was going to look at his schedules at St. Jude and UCLA, and would get back to her on when he was open. She told me that she would now text him that I called again.

So, I have been thinking, if I don’t get a call from his nurse by 3pm, on Monday, I am going to call her, if she does not have a surgery date, the next call is going to be to my cardiologist and ask him to find another surgeon. I have waited far too long for this surgery. This is a very calm decision I have come to and will get my cardiologists feedback on it.

But fingers crossed that my next post is a date.

Talk to you soon,

Kelly