{"id":31912,"date":"2020-06-17T11:31:53","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T16:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/?p=31912"},"modified":"2020-09-19T08:46:40","modified_gmt":"2020-09-19T13:46:40","slug":"mom-son-patient-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2020\/06\/17\/mom-son-patient-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Mother & Son Share Special Heart Surgery Bond Thanks to Dr. Marc Gillinov!"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is nothing better than an extraordinary patient success story.\u00a0 For example, this story of Kathy Chelton, Carter Chelton (her son), and Dr. Marc Gillinov (their surgeon)<\/a> made me smile from ear-to-ear.\u00a0 Here is what Kathy, from Liberty, Missouri, wrote to me:<\/p>\n

My 18-year old son, Carter, was released from Cleveland Clinic today!\u00a0 Dr. Marc Gillinov performed his mitral valve repair surgery<\/a>.\u00a0 It went very well!<\/p>\n

Dr. Gillinov also performed mitral and tricuspid valve repair surgery for me in 2017.\u00a0 Not the mother\/son bond I wanted, but here we are!\u00a0 Dr. Gillinov is amazing, as is the well-oiled machine here in Cleveland.<\/p>\n

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\"MotherKathy, Carter & Dr. Marc Gillinov<\/p>\n

 
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We visited the clinic for his evaluation on March 9, 2020 the first day of my son’s college spring break.\u00a0 We learned at this visit that his mitral valve needed to be repaired because he had 3+ mitral regurgitation<\/a> and his left ventricle was somewhat enlarged.\u00a0 Never would we have dreamed that one week later the country would be on lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>!!<\/p>\n

My boy was quite the trooper through quarantine with the parents and one friend who stayed with us for eight weeks at our lake home. Carter finished his semester online while we worked on renovation projects. Then, we waited for surgery day which was scheduled for May 27, 2020.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Dr. Gillinov had a family emergency.\u00a0 So, our date was pushed back two weeks.\u00a0 Once again, my son took it in stride.<\/p>\n

The night before surgery… Storms rolled through Cleveland followed by the most beautiful rainbow that appeared to end at the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.\u00a0 As his mom, I truly felt like God had given me a sign that everything was going to be okay. Deep down, I knew it would be okay because I knew Carter was in the best of Dr. Gillinov’s hands.\u00a0 Dr. Gillinov reassured our family that he would take care of Carter just as he would his own child.<\/p>\n

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\"HeartCarter & Kathy Chelton (Mitral Valve Surgery Patients)<\/p>\n

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Surgery went well. Carter had some rough nights after surgery.\u00a0 But just a couple of days later… If you didn’t know Carter had open heart surgery, you really wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at him.\u00a0 Oh, the beauty of being 18!!<\/p>\n

My son had the same nurse practitioner, Julia Ehlers, at discharge that I had during my stay at the Cleveland Clinic.\u00a0 I can’t say enough good things about Julia!!\u00a0 She’s fabulous.\u00a0 We discovered during my stay that Julia and I both had a connection to Missouri.<\/p>\n

It it so comforting to “feel at home” with the same staff at the Cleveland Clinic while being so far from our actual home.<\/p>\n

To Dr. Gillinov and Cleveland Clinic… You hold a special place in our now-repaired hearts!!!<\/p>\n

Love,
\nKathy & Carter Chelton<\/p>\n

P.S.\u00a0 Adam:\u00a0 One thing I forgot to mention… I have followed your newsletter<\/a> ever since I had my surgery.\u00a0 When all of this coronavirus stuff started and they stopped elective surgeries, naturally we wondered if his was considered elective or not.\u00a0 Then I got your newsletter that had the interview with Dr. Gillinov<\/a> that addressed this exact question.\u00a0 It made so much sense – not “elective vs non-elective” but “essential vs non-essential”.\u00a0 That was so helpful and much appreciated!<\/p>\n

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