Barbara's Guestbook

This is very late but seems like you came through surgery with flying colors. Continue to take care of yourself. You are still as beautiful as you ever were. Together in the journey that leads to eternal life on earth and forever more, Joy "Handwerker" Champion

Hi Barb thanks for the update, glad to hear you are doing well. It takes at least 5 weeks to feel stronger, I am starting 5th week post of, can walk for 35 minutes easily, slower on inclines which hopefully will improve as time progresses I was also asymptomatic, hardly any symptoms other than slight out of breath when walking up steep trails, but I'm in my seventies so had to expect some slowing down, even hiked slightly last July with son at 12,000 ft. elevation in Colorado mountains. I delayed surgery for over four years, finally decided to have it. Miraculous results and recovery, finally get to see cardiologist next week who was on vacation a few weeks ago. good luck and best wishes

Good job on all the rehab Barb! You are going to be in fantastic shape with all of this exercise! The worst is over, and I know you'll feel 100% (or better) soon. Hugs to you and Ron!

Good Morning Barb, Sounds like you're recuperating nicely. Thinking it just takes time for our bodies to adjust and heal. Send loving and healing thoughts to your heart. I believe the mind is so powerful, we can help heal ourselves. Hoping that doesn't sound to Woo Woo :-) Back from Lake Powell, so beautiful and much fun. Left the boarding up to the grandkids and the cooking up to me. Definitely a sign of age. I'd love to visit in person sometime, but respect your private time. Another thing if you would like me to run errands, I can do that with no problem. Sending my love and blessings your way. Life Is Good, Sharon

Wonderful to read your update Barb. Good news all around!! Its very easy to visualize you sitting across the table from me as I read your posts. I'll look forward to hearing more and seeing pix of family as they visit. Best to you my friend.

Hi Barb! It was great to see you on skype and have you be part of the group! Before you know it, you'll be chasing after little Wilder and running 5 Ks with Emily! All the best for healing and being patient as you body fully recovers. Rose

Hello Barb. Thank you for the post as it is helpful to read about your continued progress. I think you are doing right by paying attention to what your body is telling you and hope you will be patient with yourself as your ability to do more increases. Wishing you continued good health in your recovery process. Take care-

Hi Barb, So glad to get your update. So think of you every day and glad you are doing do well. We admire you so much! Life is good! You improving, Emily in her race, and Dean, Erin, and Wilder visiting. How special! We love you and sent continuing good wishes your way to you and Ron. Take care!

How fun to be on skype this am with the OSer's. It did seem like we were kind of all in the same room, as Fran commented. You are looking great, Barb. Your smile is perky! I am impressed with your walking and how pleasant to be able to now get into the pool. Take care, walk steadily, breath deep and have a hearty laugh with a pillow hugged to your body! Cheers and hugs, Mary

Barbara, I had my aortic valve replacement surgery on 5/15. So it's just over 2 months. My heart rate is over 20 bpm higher than before surgery. When I wake up in the morning, my heart rate is usually over 90. I don't know why. If you read my journal, you will see that I had a dry cough about 2 weeks after my surgery. Looking back, I believe I over-did walking. Like you, I was walking 25 min back then. So my suggestion to you is to cut back on walking. It seems counter intuitives, but I think your body is letting you know its limit. I have been doing cardiac rehab. They only want me to exercise/walk 40 min a day. So 27 min at 2 weeks is a lot. Good luck to you on you recovery journey.

Barbara- Thank you for continued postings of your recovery in progress. It is uplifting to hear you are doing so well and lets us all heading for surgery have a taste of life after the wait is over!!! I can understand how your emotions would be released in the ways you spoke of(relief, joy, fear & love) as your body and mind have had to pull it together in order for you to focus on your recovery. There was so much emotion leading up to it I am sure that you are like a balloon left to release the pressures a little at a time and find your ground. Best to you and thanks again for sharing as it has done a lot of good for us who wait.

hi barb thank you for your post in the HSJ your words are a big help to me i do worry about the after surgery time mostly because i live alone and have no friends or relatives to help i think i am going to try to get rehab for a week right after surgery which might get me back to doing for myself this site has been a big help thank you for letting us know how you are getting along steve

Ron, Thank you very much for your response to my question on why Barbara chose to have her surgery in California and not Tucson. You took quite some time in answering my question and I appreciate it. I will be looking for my options too and likewise want the best. You have been so helpful and I'll do my homework too. I pray Barbara goes through the healing process without much hurdles. Again, my deepest thanks

Keep it up Barb! Sounds like you are making great progress. The note you sent to Tom was most appreciated. He goes home tomorrow afternoon with a walker and recovery instructions. Hope I'm as helpful as Ron. Take care. Nancy

Hi Barb, Sounds like you are doing great! I know you are glad to be home. Tell Ron and Emily Hi for us. We are headed to the peninsula this week to fish for red salmon on the Kenai, we hear they are 'in'. We have been lucky so far to get halibut this year too. Tak care, love Ralph & Sharon & Family

So glad to see that you are doing well. Your journal entries are so very helpful. I haven't had surgery yet and not sure when I will, but I'm told it is coming as my Aortic Stenosis is starting to progress more quickly now. Thank you for sharing your experience and again, so glad that you are doing well. Best of luck to you. I wish you a very successful recovery.

Dear Barb, I am on the same page as you regarding journal entries. I had one good phase when I was 20 but since rhenium It had been random days scribbled on various pieces of paper. I am so glad to hear that the recovery is going well. I had never realised how long and hard the Post Op phase was. It is very Insightful indeed. Take care and I hope you will be back to full fitness very soon. Take care, Alex and Ann

Hello Barb. I agree with Bob in the "thanks" for your entry about getting up and down after surgery and the great suggestion of practicing. Thanks to you I have made it a point today just to see how it might be and found there is quite a difference in each location of the house. (My dog Hunter was especially fond of the game of musical chairs) I played! If gave me an opportunity to find my strengths and weaknesses as even though I had been biking 5 miles at least most days for the last year and 1'2 my knees still aren't extremely happy at standing from a sitting position. But it was also good of you to continue posting as it is often times reassuring to see the progress each of us goes through from beginning to time after the surgery and what people have done in their times of recovery to get back in the "swing" of things. Makes us especially aware that each person has to be patient and go with what they are able to do on a daily basis pointing out that we each heal differently and how much the mind-set can make such a difference. I have to say from your Family to your Friends and of course our community here on site it shows how these connections are important to us all. So continue to heal and enjoy your walks and all the beauty that surrounds you and your mountain landscapes! Each new step and every deep breath is precious! Take care Heart-Sister.

Barb, thanks for the journal entries about your pillow and how to get up out of your chair. Very good. Did you buy a powerlift chair? Anyways, keep up the good healing work, you sound very positive!

Barb, Glad you are home, wading, and walking. I remember how badly I wanted to get in Curt and Peg's pool after the hip replacement. When I let my mind wander it went to that pool with little inventions of how to keep the incision dry. Hello to Efficient Ron. Does he cook like you do? I guess that's a silly question, as no one cooks like you do. We are not in the Sound because there's a gale blowing and the 9 foot seas were upgraded to 10 or 11. Joyce

Delighted you are home and relate to the pillow. I have a precious ugly doll pillow that my grandchildren gave me to press against my belly when walking after last surgery! It is a treasure! Home is a big step! Hooray! Each day new strength... Gentle hugs, judy Lehman

There is no place like home, as Dorothy said while clicking her red slippers! You must be saying this , Barb , as you snuggle your pillow. Glad your home to familiar surroundings. Have a deep breath sigh over this accomplishment! You are doing so incredibly well. You know Alaskan energy flies your way every day. Hugs, Mary