Civita's Guestbook

Richard Munson  I’m a 200 pound german but not a Shepard and i only bite my own nails. Hope he got to visit scotland with you. Or did you leave him in masshole. 

Civita Fahey  I had to leave him at home with master. dont think he'd appreicate the plane ride.. or at least the other wouldnt. 

Civita Fahey  Exactly Richard!  We are lucky enough to be post OHS and should inspire others. I know when I was in the waiting room, I was terrified and seeing posts of people who had gone ahead of me was so calming.. I knew I could do it too. This site and the wonderful people who are on it were and are life savers! yes we live in a lousy state, but, we have beautiful foliage?? at least this year. hahaha. 

Kimberly Eisenhut  Richard, Thank you for the chuckle today, I needed it! 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoy the pranks tomorrow :)

Civita Fahey  No, but I wouldnt put it past him.. he runs to the Tv when he sees any animal.. I'm afraid he's going to knock it down one of these days..

Amy Steele  Civita! What beautiful pictures! Sounds like it was a great trip. So glad to hear that you're doing well and are able to do the things you want to do.
I just passed my 6th anniversary a couple of weeks ago, but have been waiting to post an update until after my cardiologist check up next month.

Civita Fahey  Amy!  how are you?  I've been thinking about you.. I lost your email and wanted to see how you were doing.. I hope all is well?  civita 

Richard Munson  I might be venturing in an area i know nothing about but my nancy has osteoporosis and has been getting a yearly infusion of something and just went for her yearly bone density scan and it has improved. Beyond that i know nothing as sgt shultz used to say. But i could get more details if wanted. It never improved her disposition however. 

Marie Myers  Civita, Sorry to hear about your fracture! Am I remembering correctly that this is a second fracture for you? I know my bone density is not great, but have been lucky avoiding fractures so far…

  Lol Richard, you never fail me. I’m sure Nancy’s disposition is just fine. I hope she doesn’t read this. 

Rose Madura  Civita, I didn't see your post about another fracture. I hope you are recovering well. I have osteopenia and last dexa in May, it was worse. I talked in depth with my cardiologist regarding calcium. He suggested I do some research on calcium supplements with both Vitamins D3 and K2. Those two vitamins together help the calcium to absorb in the bones rather than soft tissue (like heart valve). So I found some in Canada that I ordered. We'll know in 2 years if it improves my bone density. I'll keep you posted. And Richard, I'm sure Nancy has a great disposition.

Civita Fahey  Thanks Ann you are so kind.. , Rose, ,, that's interesting, I will definitely look into that. my dexa scan showed osteopenia also. This was a hairline fracture on my wrist, thanks to my Cairo. I lost a tug of war.. I was holding on to his collar to take off his leash and he saw something that he though was interesting and boom, he was off.. Why I never let go of the leash I don't know!, but, I ended over him and my wrist was still in the leash.. I'm surprised it wasn't any worse. Marie, yes, this is my second, thankfully not the same arm, as that is held together with pins and plates. I went to the same hand specialist as I did before and he said "when I saw your name on my list, my BP went up".. he actually remembered my case from 4 years ago.. Richard, I'm sure your wife's disposition will change after a few more infusion hahaha.  I think I need to be more careful otherwise wrap myself in bubble wrap! ... 

Richard Munson  We can only hope and pray on her disposition. She is actually pretty good for a little person. After 55 years of marriage it all runs together. Just between us, she is as great today as the day i spotted her studying in the school library in 1962. Still blond, still natural, life is good. Your story reminds me of a similar situation 3 dogs ago. Nancy walking yukon our 100 pound male malamute when he spotted a squirrel. He dragged her about 50 feet on her belly but she refused to let go of the leash. When she walked in the house i thought she had been in a fight with a grizzly bear

Civita Fahey  yes, Idk, why we keep holding on.. they are so strong.. Cairo is about 95lbs and as strong as an ox. all I can say is it could have been worse. Congrats on 55 years of marriage.. my husband and I will be celebrating 37 years in Sept and my parents 62 in August..See marriage does work when you work at it...

Richard Munson  If perfection is what you seek, marriage is not the place for it. People give up too easily. Three cheers to my wife for putting up with me all these years. I am not the easiest guy to live with. I know you’re all shocked. Lol. 

Richard Munson  If perfection is what you seek, marriage is not the place for it. People give up too easily. Three cheers to my wife for putting up with me all these years. I am not the easiest guy to live with. I know you’re all shocked. Lol. 

Civita Fahey  Thank you Ruth.  yes, he is already the center of attention. We missed our two shepards so much, we knew we couldn't go on without another one. 

Civita Fahey  Oh Lea! how are you.. I will send you an email.. I have been thinking of you as the Patriots are playing in Houston this season coming season.. I may need to take a trip there!

Civita Fahey  Hi Linda.. things are going well! I see your posts that you are also doing well.. its good to hear.. I'm coming up on my 2 year anniversary, I cant believe how fast that goes. I feel well and am back to normal life. I have recovered from my crushed arm in Sept, still not totally 100% but, I can function normally so I guess it is what it is.. Hope you feel back to normal too? nice to hear from you. best Civita

LINDA ROBERTS  So good to hear from you. I am glad you are doing well. If you are ever in Tampa or I am in your area, we need to get together.

Civita Fahey  Hi Mark.. I totally understand that :"cloud over your head". I was having echos every three months and I was always anxious about what the results were. I will be honest with you, I thought I was not symptomatic, but I was.. I was having some trouble with walking fast, having to take deep breaths but not actually being able to, and same thing if I went up the stairs, but I kept thinking that it was just my needing to lose some weight.. I was in denial. I was boxing 3x a week in class and was fine, but my body was used to it. When I went to the surgeon I finally chose, he asked me if I was short of breath and I said, "well, define short of breath". I'm not gasping for air.. He smiled and said ok.. how do you do when you walk up a hill I said, well I don't really walk up hills, and he said why, "because I get short of breath". so that actually woke me up and said.. hmm I am having symptoms.. he said they were mild but, having the surgery sooner rather than later would be best.. you don't want to have an emergency one.. so he gave me a 6 month window, which gave me the chance to have it in the spring.. and I'm glad I did..No one wants to have OHS,but if its needed, its needed. As far as valves, the doc chooses it.. he went with a 23mm Edwards Magna Ease.. again saying it should last anywhere from 15-25 years, maybe less maybe more.. We really don't know.. I pray that its on the more side, but, truly, not that I want another OHS, my imagination was worse that the surgery.. They really do have this down pat, its so routine for them. He told me the TAVR would be gold standard in about 5 years so, I hope that's a way to go next time.. I know myself, I couldn't take the ticking of a mechanical one ..One of the people on here sent me a taping of hers and I knew I would be focusing on the noise and it would drive me nuts. Also, I never went to critical/severe.. I was always moderate stenosis., but the fact that I was having some SOB gave the go ahead for surgery, again, not urgent. Once I scheduled it, it was like I lost a 10lb weight off my shoulders, knowing it was going to happen and when and it would be over.. so, I hope you do get it soon, so you can feel better. As it gets closer it gets more stressful, but as long as you have faith in your doctor, just keep telling yourself, its just another day at office for them.. If you want to talk on the phone I would be happy to, I know I spoke with several people that had gone before me and it made a tremendous difference with my anxiety.. my email is formia0711@gmail. I will send my cell number.. take care.

Mark Jaycox  It's truly amazing reading your story because it's EXACTLY like mine. When I went in for my TEE about a month ago I was told there was a 95% chance they would be able to look at the valve closer and determine if it is still moderate, severe or critical. Well guess what I fell in the 5% because there was so much calcification buildup around the valve it made it cloudy and they couldn't get good pictures. The next step is an MRI next Tuesday which I'm told will definitely tell my status. The surgeon I want to do the operation is retiring next month so in a weird way I want it to show serious so I can get it scheduled before he retires. All these tests are very expensive and I'm blessed I have good insurance but it is still costing me $$ out of pocket. I'll keep you posted and I would like to talk to you if I have the surgery so thank's for the offer.

Rich Hahn  I came across this article, Cardiac Imaging for Assessing Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis, because I too have conflicting info from echo. One statement in the abstract got my attention : TAVR using a transformal approach may be superior to SAVR in patients with low-flow, low-gradient AS.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1936878X17300049

Civita Fahey  Keep me updated Mark... I was told by three surgeons in top Boston hospitals that its not so much about going to critical, if you have any kind of symptom.. if there are symptoms, its best to schedule., if truly no symptoms, they tend to wait..but, as I've said, I was in denial..I had symptoms though very mild, they were there.. remember you are your best advocate.. if you feel you need it, then get another opinion.. I work in healthcare and I got three.. the first two said, just tell us when you have symptoms, but, the last one was able to get it out of me.. he said, I would be surprised if you didnt have symptoms with the calcification that is on that valve..I asked him after the surgery how bad it was and he said.."it was time". Marie.. you're prayers through my journey were deeply appreciated.

Civita Fahey  Hi Amy I just read your update.. I missed your anniversary. Happy Valvaversary.. Glad that you are doing well after all you went through. Thank you I am recovering.. I had reconstructive surgery on my arm and elbow, a plate and a several pins.. I did a really good job on breaking it. .I have a bionic brace I need to wear for about 4-6 weeks and I go to PT 3x a week.. its helping a lot as I am now typing with two hands and at first I couldn't even hold a pencil.. its not fun not being able to use your dominant hand, but, it is what it is.. it could have been worse..the heart is all good thankfully so onward and upward.. glad to see your update. keep in touch Civita

Civita Fahey  Hi Amy I just read your update.. I missed your anniversary. Happy Valvaversary.. Glad that you are doing well after all you went through. Thank you I am recovering.. I had reconstructive surgery on my arm and elbow, a plate and a several pins.. I did a really good job on breaking it. .I have a bionic brace I need to wear for about 4-6 weeks and I go to PT 3x a week.. its helping a lot as I am now typing with two hands and at first I couldn't even hold a pencil.. its not fun not being able to use your dominant hand, but, it is what it is.. it could have been worse..the heart is all good thankfully so onward and upward.. glad to see your update. keep in touch Civita

Civita Fahey  Hi Amy I just read your update.. I missed your anniversary. Happy Valvaversary.. Glad that you are doing well after all you went through. Thank you I am recovering.. I had reconstructive surgery on my arm and elbow, a plate and a several pins.. I did a really good job on breaking it. .I have a bionic brace I need to wear for about 4-6 weeks and I go to PT 3x a week.. its helping a lot as I am now typing with two hands and at first I couldn't even hold a pencil.. its not fun not being able to use your dominant hand, but, it is what it is.. it could have been worse..the heart is all good thankfully so onward and upward.. glad to see your update. keep in touch Civita

Amy Steele  Yikes! Sounds like you did a spectacular job breaking you elbow!! Glad to hear that you're on the mend, but it sounds like you have quite a bit of PT ahead of you! Keep us posted...

Civita Fahey  Julie I truly appreciate your words! It’s so nice to know we make a difference to those having surgery after ud even if we don’t hear directly! Thank you for your prayers and I will always pray for all my heart brothers and sisters.

Civita Fahey  I can understand the traveling thing.. its a lot.. would love to meet up if you have time on your visit.!

Marie Myers  That would be fun! Will talk to my sis since she will be driving. We are going to be in N. Reading for a couple days with her grand daughter. Maybe we can get together then.

Civita Fahey  Great! North Reading isn't far from me.. my phone is 339-224-8689.. or my email is formia0711@gmail.com.

Marie Myers  Sounds like a plan! I will be in touch. Maybe we can post dueling "Smiling Scarfies"....I think I just made up a new word for this site....

Civita Fahey  Hi Carolyn, I am really happy with my choice.. the surgeon chose the Edwards Magna Ease 23mm. I dont feel it at all. I only take one baby aspirin per day, otherwise no other meds for that. I am taking small dose of metropololol for some palpitations I am having but that isnt for the valve. I know its a hard decision, and I went back and forth many times, but after speaking to my surgeon we decided that for me, the tissue was the best choice. I know that I will eventually need it replaced, but, after going through the open heart surgery, its a doable thing.. Its no walk in the park by any means, but not the horrendous event that my imagination created. I'm hoping that by the time I need one again, OHS will be a thing of the past for valve replacement. This valve is one of the ones that supposedly lasts 10-20 years maybe more.. no one really knows, so I am crossing my fingers I get at least 15.. I know personally being the obsessive type, I couldn't stand to hear the clicking.. one of the people on this site was nice enough to send me a taping of her mechanical valve and I could hear it pretty clearly, and for me that was it .. I would be worried about whether it was ticking right etc. I hope this helps you.. you will make the right choice for you.. let me know if you have any more questions, i would be happy to talk. best civita

Carolyn Newell  Civita Fahey No kidding on the April 24th surgery!! I sure appreciate this info. THANK YOU! I'm a fairly active person play tennis and golf and the thought of a mechanical valve just makes me cringe. It's such a hard decision and tough choice either way but I'm learning towards the tissue. What is my next step? Would I need to call my surgeon and ask if they do the Edward's valve? Actually my very first cardiologist recommended this valve to me. He said that would be his choice and he went on to have his valve replaced after he retired. Did you have the mini incision or the full and what was your recovery like?

Carolyn Newell  Also, Civita, can you send me the video of the mechanical valve that you received? I too am concerned about the sound of it ticking away.

Rita Savelis  here's a video from this site:
https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2015/03/02/mechanical-valve-ticking-clicking/

I personally only hear my heart when the room is very very very quiet

Civita Fahey  Carolyn, unfortunately I don't have the clipping. it was sent on a text message and I deleted it, but, if you go on Youtube and write in mechanical valve noise, many videos will come up. I didn't have to tell my doc until the morning of the surgery, but I had made my decision before that so I called the office and let him know. I actually had a mini incision with a full sternotomy. We had planned on a mini everything since I only had the valve to replace, but, during surgery he found that the anatomy of the valve was that it was tipped a bit lower than he could see with a mini sternotomy so he did a full sternotomy but still through a mini incision.. amazing. .my incision is about 4" long. I personally had no sternum pain after surgery, except of course to sneeze or cough or move quickly.. its a bone that has been cut and put back together so like any broken bone movement will hurt. .but, to say that it hurt all the time no.. I only took Tramodol for two days in the hospital and then only Extra Strength Tylenol. ( I don't do well with narcotics, they make me vomit). As mentioned here on the site, the first two weeks are the toughest, mainly exhaustion for me. I did have anemia after the surgery so that probably added to the exhaustion. But, every day got better, I was able to walk a mile in the first couple of weeks and added on to that. Don't try to pace yourself by anyone else.. we all heal differently. There will be days when you walk 2 miles and then the next day you are beat. The problem is that you don't know you've done too much until you've done too much.. At 4 weeks I was working at home a few hours a day, as I was going stir crazy.. I took 10 weeks off since I had the time and I went back to work full time ( office) at 10 weeks. I was exhausted the first week and went home every day to take a nap! But, after a couple of weeks, it was fine.. The fatigue stays with you a while, so, you just learn to rest when you need it. Truly Carolyn, I have a very vivid imagination and can obsess over things, but, it really wasn't as bad as I had imagined it. It's no walk in the park, its a major surgery, but, its doable. You just have to take it one day at a time. All the heart brothers and sisters on this site haven't lied, we all got through it and I know you will do great.. the anticipation and waiting really is the worst part. Would I rather not have had to have OHS? Of course, but, it is what it is.. our other option isn't an option. BTW I asked my surgeon who was roughly in his late 40s early 50s, what he would do in my place and he said with all honesty, though the recommendation is that anyone under 65 go with a mechanical, he would still choose a tissue. He felt that the risk of being on a blood thinner for over 30 years would be greater than having to have another surgery.. Again, this is his opinion but I felt the same way after doing tons of research. ( this was a leading major hospital in Boston). As I've said we all come to a decision that is best for us. :-)

Carolyn Newell  Thank you again Civita for all your wonderful information. I loved hearing about your journey too. I think hearing the valve would drive me absolutely crazy. I didn't hear it in the video that was sent to me however. Yesterday was quite a day as I got my pre op papers in the mail and it said I need bypass surgery grafting just one artery supposedly as well which was a complete SHOCK to me. The cardiologist had told me my arteries looked great after my angiogram. After going back and forth with my cardiologist's office and my surgeon's office I learned that it was just a error. Don't know where it came from but it sure gave me a scare. NOT what I needed before all this. I did ask the question to my surgeon's office about when they need to know what valve I'm choosing and she said you can just tell us on the morning of your surgery as we have all of them here on the shelf. That gives me a little time to maul it over. I have heard in thinner people you can hear the ticking more. Ugg. Also my cardiologist said a mini is what he advises but I think my surgeon is very old school and only does full sternotomy. Yikes!!

Civita Fahey  Well, Im not that skinny lol.. not fat either.. of course we all want to be skinnier but I am obsessive and it would drive me nut and I would drive my family nuts lol. .. Wow, I would have been upset thinking I needed an extra surgery that I wasn't told about.. sometimes staff really doesn't pay attention to what they are doing.. I know I work in healthcare.. but, I'm happy you don't have to anything else.. I really wanted to have a mini if I possibly could. I went to a couple of different doctors and then found the Brigham and Women's Hospital that they specialize in it. Of course, if it couldn't be it couldn't be, but though I had a full sternotomy, I still only have a mini incision.. I also am just getting rid of the keloid that I got on my scar. most people don't get them, but, I guess being of European descent ( I was born in Italy), we are prone to it as we have more collegen in our skin.. Who knew.. (my doctor said, thats why you dont have many wrinkles hahaha) but thankfully, they finally found a tape that is flattering it out.. it was kind of red and painful for a while. In long run, its just cosmetics and as long as our heart is fixed, it makes no difference.!