Cheryl's Guestbook

Adam Pick  Go Cheryl! Go! Cheers to 10 Years! I hope you saw this post! https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2020/02/27/reunion/

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Adam, we all saw your post and very gracious remarks. Your ears must have been ringing red with all the times you entered our weekend conversations. We are all so proud to be members of HVJ and there is no doubt how much HVJ played in our healing - abundance of information, overwhelming support from our peers and the formation of new friendships. Fran too, was present in spirit. Thank you for your kindness. Awesome and amazing - you are a superhero. We feel like a bunch of proud grandparents watching as HVJ grows and grows. You keep ticking - so many more need your brilliance.

Adam Pick  Thanks so much Cheryl. I loved waking up and reading this with my morning coffee. You just made my day, my week, my month, my year, the new 2020 decade. Yes, you are the "grandparents" of our community. Thanks for everything!!!!!!!

Adam Pick  Hey Eric! Great seeing you and Cheryl here! HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing how time flies!!!!!! So wonderful to hear you are doing well!!! Keep on tickin!

Mike Roskowinski  Happy 10 years.... How amazing is this life that we can get these things fixed and live so much longer. I cant believe that I am already going on 6 months myself. Time does truly fly...

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Theresa, so nice to hear from you. I trust you are well and enjoying life to the fullest. I miss Fran - I really do. We kept in touch and I personally found her a wealth of support and great information. Fran was a retired nurse. My husband and I were fortunate to be able to travel to Florida to meet her and her husband along with a few others from Adam's site and to this day we all remain good friends. Fran's husband, Pete, will be meeting with us in February to celebrate our anniversaries and remember with love, his dear wife and our friend, Fran. I will certainly let everyone know you wrote and sent your best wishes. I am really so proud of Adam and the work he does here. His passion became the life-line for so many - thousands now. What a pioneer he was/is. You take care and I will look forward to seeing your 10th anniversary post. Stay well.

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Shainy, Thank you for your well wishes. I waited years for my repair to be done and of course, when you go in, you are hoping for a repair but have to be prepared for a replacement. I remember how frightening it was to know surgery was coming, so I tried very hard to be positive while at the same time, preparing for the worst. That's just the practical side of me - (trying not to leave a mess for the family)! I have been on this site for just over ten years and am totally amazed at the number of patients and caregivers that have passed through here with successful stories. I spent my pre-surgery time controlling the things I could, such as what I was taking to the hospital, putting music on an Ipod (I was afraid to take my phone), meals, etc. etc. I don't even know if we had robotic surgery here in Canada at that time. The progress in this field is absolutely amazing. You have everything to celebrate - just keep that in mind. This surgery is a true gift - honestly. Stay strong - and before you know, you will be counting your post-op days/months and then years. Good luck.

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Ken. Thank you for the well wishes. I will look forward to seeing your posting next year when you celebrate ten years. Yes, I agree, that Adam's site here was a real inspiration, comfort and support for me. Just being in contact with others going through a similar situation and reading the daily advances in heart valve surgery was so helpful in my recovery and mental wellbeing as well as physical. Of course, when I see where you are writing from, recovery has to be more fun in a sunshine state! Cheers.

Cheryl Irvine  Awesome Adam! The work you do here is a genuine life-saver to everyone on your site and those who read your book. The resources and information stored here is truly amazing. I am always excited to see what new addition you have made to things and will continue to drop by now and then. I just have to look way up, kick the base of your pedestal and say "hi".

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Crystal. I'm glad you wrote. It's always nice hearing from HVJ friends. I'm doing really well - staying active - trying to keep up with my teenage grandchildren - even helping teach one how to drive! You need a strong heart for that. My husband and I continue to meet annually with a few others we met here. We have all become fast friends.

How are you managing? Your grandchild will be four now? Do you ever look back and wonder about the quality of life without the surgery? There isn't a day goes by that I don't thank my maker for my gift of a second chance and a quality one at that. Open heart surgery is definitely a life changing event and I'm not sorry to have been included on that list. What amazes me though is how many times I've seen doctors for this or that at walk-in clinics and when I tell them about my mitral valve surgery I in turn amaze them because I have yet to run across a doctor at a walk-in that knows of another valve patient. That's almost scary when you think of it.

The work Adam has done here on this site never ceases to amaze me. The site has grown so much - even the journaling continues to improve with updated ideas from the ever growing community here. I don't know what I would have done without the support and information I received here. I have bought and gifted several of Adam's books to friends.

Have you experienced a full recovery? Do you take any heart related drugs that you didn't have to take before the surgery?

It was good to hear from you Crystal. Thanks for writing.

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Ricki

Thank you for your very kind comments. I have followed your recovery as well. Wouldn't it be great if we could expand our reunion group? Keep it in mind for next year. We'd love to meet you. Hope you are keeping well.

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Theresa

We all inspire each other here and you have always been there for me as well. I received such warmth here - such support. I strongly feel my HVJ friends helped me with my recovery. It would be really great if our little group could grow. Let me know if you wish to join us next year. I pray you are keeping well yourself.

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Theresa

I have no idea how I missed your anniversary entry because I subscribe to your journal. I was in Florida and then South Carolina for two weeks late February (and no, to my regret I didn't get the opportunity to meet Peggy and Duane even though I wasn't all that far from them) and once I returned I have been really busy and can only think I may have deleted the notice in error. Anyway, I am so happy you are feeling well. Your entry was really lovely to read and very uplifting. Thank you for thinking of me as you obviously saw I could use a pep talk!

I spoke with Duane today, first time ever, and we had a great chat. I was knocked off my feet but after some very cheery notes of encouragement, I`m back in my shoes. Sometimes reality checks suck, don`t they?

I too check in every so often and those I met here remain near and dear to my heart as I continue to enjoy sharing their joys and feeling their pain and disappointments. I still say no one I know can relate to whatever we are experiencing as closely as our friends here. Stay in touch. Be well. Again, thank you dear friend.

Cheryl, Ontario

Cheryl Irvine  Hi Penny

I won`t write you another lengthy e-mail but I just saw this clever entry tool and wanted to try using it to say hi. I hope your trip back up to Scotland was uneventful and dull as heck! Thinking of you.

Cheryl, Ontario