Craig's Guestbook

Hi Craig my name is Kathleen my husband Hector got the same valve as you did on April 13 th 2021 he is doing great this valve is wonderful he was up and walking around a day after surgery he will be starting cardiac rehab next week and in a couple more days he can drive again no regrets getting this valve God bless you

Lifting you up in prayer this morning. You’re in excellent hands. Be kind to yourself as you adjust and become amazed of the medical marvel of heart surgery.

Thinking of you, Craig. You’re almost there in getting your heart repaired and starting recovery. You will get there and be so glad about it. Ask for whatever you need while in the hospital. Don't hesitate.

prayers today! Craig, Dr. Svensson did my valve, some aortaplasty and five bypasses in July 2020. I can't think of anything I can't do that I was doing prior. I've read some scary stories here (and I realize it has only been 8 or so months), but I can honestly say that as far as "pain" through the entire ordeal, I really haven't had a problem that Tylenol couldn't manage. The folks at Cleveland Clinic had this down to a science for my stay at least. Keep a positive attitude best you can. My time from finding out about my stenosis, aneurysm and other problems to the scheduled surgery date was considerably less time than your monitored time, I'd guess you've done a little more thinking about it all than I had time to. Prayers to you, your fam and friends and your team.

we wish you all the best. Dr. Lars dis my surgery for aortic valve in July 2018 and am doing very well. This was my second open heart surgery and we selected cow's tissue valve. I jusy had my annual ECo and everything look very good. Stay positive, do the complete rehab therapy and you will be back to normal. PRAFUL PATEL

Hi Craig ,. I'm 60 year veteran who is physically fit and going for the mechanical On-X !! I would love to go to Cleveland Clinic since I'm originally from Akron Ohio, however, I now live in Maine, so I'm picking the best hard place in Maine.

A nice comfortable reclining chair is what I used in the living room. I had the wooden handle on the side and it was perfect. I slept in it all night, worked great for me. The waiting is worse than the recovery.

Hi, Craig...love your sense of humor! I’m sorry for your recent losses, that is very tough especially when you’re facing surgery in the near future. I also have aortic stenosis, diagnosed at age 28 during an insurance physical. I have a bicuspid aortic valve that I have managed diligently over the years as calcification progressed slowly. At 66, I am a gym rat, pickle ball player and walk 5 miles/day. The reason I’m sharing this with you is that I’m scheduled for AVR surgery at Cleveland Clinic on 1/15 with the team of Dr. Unai and Dr. Pettersson for the Ozaki procedure. The valve, fashioned from your own pericardium is supposedly a custom-tailored fit and does not calcify so this will likely be your only valve surgery. I am too active to be a candidate for a mechanical valve, due to the necessity of blood thinners. The fact that the Ozaki procedure is still in clinical trials in the US is of concern to me, as well as the fact that there is not yet long term data here, but there have been amazing results in Japan and Dr. Unai himself has done over 50 at the Cleveland Clinic with great results. So...our situations are similar, I’d love to stay in touch. My final decision has not yet been made, so if you have any other info on the Ozaki procedure, let me know! One more question...how did you choose your surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic? Thanks!

Hi Craig, welcome to our site. As you read a lot of the stories from our heart warriors, you are right about us all. I still find comfort, encouragement, love, understanding and tons of tips and information after one year post op. You are doing the right thing about researching and gathering all the information you can to make up your mind about your replacement valve. As for all the thoughts and things that go through your mind about having surgery they are all very normal. I love your sense of humor, it will come in handy for a better recovery. I’m sorry about you loosing your friend and your beloved dog, and the other things, Loss of any kind is always hard. Hang in there dear friend, keep your spirits up,read, keep yourself distracted with things you like to do. You will get through this, you will recover one day at a time and will be able to do most of everything you used to if not all. Keep us updated and let us know how things are going. God bless you

Your thoughts mirror my own in so many ways...”run the gamut of dread, anxiety, depression and the occasional calm acceptance”. Here’s hoping for longer periods of calm acceptance and hopeful confidence for us all and we navigated the storrmy waters ahead.