David's Guestbook

David Moore  I was just thinking about you today. Happy Anniversary to you as well. Time sure does fly by. We are doing well. David lost his job this year so he decided at 64 to just retire and sent me back to work. "Yippee". LOL!! Well, with a heart surgery that cost $250K one of us needs to provide insurance. We are very grateful and blessed as well. Staying COVID free but no vaccine. Not sure what it would do to David's artificial valve. So, just being smart, carful, lots of supplements, and prayer. Glad to hear that you guys are doing well. Give my best to Stephanie. - Cheryl (and David too).

Susan Lynn  Happy Third Anniversary Dan and David! I remember your surgeries like they were yesterday, too, and was thankful for your lovely wives for keeping us posted on your progress. Wishing you many decades of good health and future celebrations!!

Dan Baltazor  Thanks Susan!!!
Cheryl, Dan got fully vaccinated last Spring without any issues. He got the Pfizer Vaccine.

David Moore  Sorry for the delay.... Happy Anniversary Dan & Stephanie! David and I have also been reflecting on where we all were two years ago and how grateful we are to have been given the gift of life and healing. We are also thankful that God placed others like you guys in our path to share the journey with. May God continue to bless and keep you both. - Cheryl

Joey Hardee  Wow, Dan! 6 months. Hard to believe. You and David are true heart warriors in every sense of the word! Inspirations to all in the waiting room.....and Cheryl and Stephanie are true examples of love and care. Thanks to you guys!

Susan Lynn  David and Dan - the dynamic duo - I can't believe it's 6 months! Happy Anniversary to both of you!

David Moore  Thanks to everyone who has wished us a Happy 6th Month Anniversary. Dan, we are blessed with many of the days we don't think about it from a side effect aspect but every night during our prayer time I thank God that He granted me another day of living life with the love of my heart and soul. It was truly a gift to me and I know Stephanie feels the same about you as well. We also thank Him for you guys and for His amazing gift to you and to others on this forum. We also thank Him for the opportunity to share His gospel and His hope and peace with those that have read our posts. I pray tonight that He is walking ever so closely to those in the waiting room. I have to say this was truly an opportunity to exercise our faith when in the past we may have taken it for granted. May God continue to bless you and Stephanie with health and happiness. Cheryl - And David too!

Rob Sparling  Yes, agree with Susan. The two of you had us checking in frequently, to say the least. So glad things are going well! Happy Anniversary!

David Moore  Hello Jeremiah - Thank you for thinking of us. David is doing EXCELLENT! He returned back to work full time on January 7th and hasn't missed a beat - literally. He has been doing his cardio and has gotten his resting heart rate down now to about 71-72. He was able to skip formal "rehab" because he was doing his own and doing so well by the time his appointment rolled around they didn't think he needed it. He is still taking Carvedilol (beta blocker + BP) plus his regular BP medication. He is having no pains. Just a random "twinge" once in a while. He is sleeping thru the night and eating well and finally putting on a few pounds.

We look back over these past 2-1/2 months and are amazed at how far God has taken us and what He has brought us through. It has been an amazing journey of faith. I told someone the other day that I wondered why God did not miraculously heal David all at once. I realized that if He had then we would not have needed to do the daily faith "workouts" that we did as we prayed our way through day by day. We built some strong faith muscles that would not have been there if we had just a one and done miracle. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone else but me. However, the visual of lifting weights and building muscles is the same thing we did with our faith. Not to mention we had some excellent men of God on this forum "spotting us" through the whole journey - before, during, and now after. We give God praise for you and the rest of our HeartValveFaithFamily. God bless you. We continue to pray for you as well. - Cheryl

David Moore  Hello Jeremiah - Thanks for checking on us. David is struggling with a low grade fever that keeps popping up every day and makes him just feel wiped out. We finally got in to see his general MD and he took an X-ray and did some blood work. We are waiting on the results. Probably due tomorrow. Surgeon's nurse said in a MyChart note that it was the breathing and that he needed to be diligent with his spirometer. He's up to two miles a day walking laps around the house. It's been too cold to go outside to walk. Open heart surgery is for sure not for wimps. You guys are truly warriors. Praying that you are doing well in your recovery and that God protects you from any secondary issues. - Cheryl

Dan Baltazor  Sorry to hear about David's struggles. Hope they can get it resolved soon. Recovery definitely has it's hills and low valleys. Dan struggled with severe hot then cold issues but it wasn't a fever. We also went to his primary care physician. As hard as it is, the issue resolved faster the more he walked and did his spirometer. Hope David gets to feeling better and can ditch the fever. Prayers. -Stephanie

  Thanks Cheryl.
So sorry to hear about David's setbacks.
I've had a few of my own but I just gotta keep fighting and keep pushing forward by God's grace.
For me the breathing has been easier than the walking.
My wife and I went for a walk yesterday (we live in the Mid-Atlantic region and it's cold here right now so trying to limit my outdoor exposure so I don't get sick)
and I was unsteady quite a bit. Still don't have full strength in my legs.
Working my spirometer though. When I was in the hospital and a nurse told me what could happen with my lungs if I don't do my breathing exercises that was all I needed to hear. Me and that spirometer have gotten close.
I'm really praying that things will level out and stabilize with your husband Cheryl. Although I don't know him, I do believe he's a good man and that God will raise him up and use him as a testimony of the healing grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Cheryl, please make sure you get your proper rest when the opportunity presents itself.
Being a caregiver is hard work. Most people only think about the patient but the caregiver needs prayer, support and encouragement as well.
Peace and blessings to you and David. And may the Lord God overwhelm you with His peace and amazing love and grace. In Jesus Name. Amen.

David Moore  That's Rob. David wanted me to let you know he used to live in Jackson, Michigan. I'm so glad he lived there BEFORE he married me. Ya'll got some really cold weather up there - and SNOW. Down here we shut down Atlanta if we see one little flake. Ha, Ha. #AtlantaSnowmagedden. Thanks so much for your comments - they are very encouraging to him

David Moore  Thanks Sara. Believing for a great outcome. David is already looking at the finish line. God bless, Cheryl

David Moore  Hello Molly - This is Cheryl. Because of David's age and the severity of his stenosis they think it is a bi-cuspid. Won't know until they take it out what he actually has. Regarding the MI approach, I wish David would have taken more time to see other doctors but he loves Dr. Gott and he doesn't do that procedure. Dr. Gott is awesome regarding bedside manner and really has tried to make us comfortable. We still don't know what valve we will get or what type of closure we will get because I have "let it go" and David just wants to be on the other side. I know whatever happens, "GOD'S GOT THIS" and all we have to do is trust Him and then do the work. David's already mapping out his 5-10 minute walk around the house and counting steps. He is already practicing is breathing techniques. Today was first of three baths with the antibiotic soap. We are closer to a healthy heart day by day. Thanks for the encouragement.

Rob Sparling  Cheryl, os awesome that David is planning the walking route in the house and counting the steps. He is getting a jump on everything! Great to see. The mental commitment to the future will propel him forward. A tailwind!

David Moore  Thanks so much Rob for the encouragement. You are truly a God-sent blessing to us. May He continue to bless you. Cheryl

David Moore  Thanks Diane - This is Cheryl - I did just finish reading his Journal. Wow, his journey was amazing. David is beginning to feel bad so I'm not sure he will wait until he could get in to see Chris' doctor. I sure wish they had that procedure here in Atlanta. Hard to believe they don't - especially when it's so much "easier" on the patient than traditional methods.

Diane Maher  Perhaps to alleviate some of your worries and concerns you have expressed about David’s upcoming OHS, you might want to scroll down a few posts below and click on Dan Vechiola’s journal, He has written some very inspirational posts about his OHS that you both may find informative/reassuring.

Rob Sparling  Hi Cheryl/David. I too suggest reading Dan V.’s journal. He is one of the many inspirational stories here — a person who through bis experiences helped me get a grip on my own.

Question: minimally invasive has obvious upsides but so does a full sternotomy. A full sternotomy messes with one’s head more than anything else. Why not give surgeons all options if it means a higher probability of success. And in certain cases a full sternotomy might. Only the docs can say... But philosophically I prioritize the quality of the fix more highly than the discomfort, pain and scars. Am I weird?

Chris Purvis  Agree with Rob that is why I choose my surgeon. He has done over 15k and the stats on his performance are off the charts. #QualityOverEverything

Rob Sparling  But just to add....if you want a specific procedure done a certain way there is an expert out there for you somewhere...perhaps at a different institution. Make what you want happen and make it happen the way you want it to.

Dan Vechiola  I agree as well. Research and find what is best for you and go get it. Most of us on here have gone that route. And as I learned from Chris Purvis early on "you are the engineer of your journey train!" Hey Chris! haha

Willie Radl  I agree with the others here about being the master of your own destiny!! I will also add that I found talking with the scheduling nurses/secretaries to be very helpful. Basically, my story was I went to Mayo because they post all these things on their website about minimally invasive, etc, but then when I met with the first surgeon he only offered full sternotomy. I called back and said that I went to Mayo because of all the minimally invasive procedures etc. they talk about and the scheduling nurse was like "oh well Drs. A,B, and C will do this. Drs. X,Y, Z do that etc." Eventually, I was able to get the procedure and surgeon I wanted, but yes you have to do some leg work and make sure you are driving the direction you want your care to go.