Eleanor's Guestbook

Hi Eleanor. Just a quick note to let you know I'm thinking of you. I can't believe it's been a year already. I hope you are doing well dear heart sister. ~ Karen

WOW ELEANOR ONE YEAR WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN BUT IT SEEMS TO GET A LITTLE BETTER EACH AND EVERY DAY SOME DAYS UP AND SOME DAYS DOWN BUT FOR THE MOST PART UP GLAD YOU ARE KEEPING UP WITH EXERCISE I KNOW I WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP IF IT WAS NOT FOR YOU AND TERRIE TO ENCOURAGE AND PUSH ME A LITTLE TO KEEP GOING LOVE YOU GALS MY ANNIVERSARY IS AUG. 19 BOY TIMES FLIES WHEN YOUR HAVING FUN WELL I AM GOING TO REHAB AGAIN TODAY FOR MORE FUN HA HA YOUR HEART BROTHER STEVE (POPEYE)

Eleanor, You are one of the people I feel blessed that God made sure we connected. I appreciate you so much and have not been on site lately, so decided to find some of my soul mates and what you are up to. None of us have done much consistent posting, but I like to think that is a good sign -- we are doing better and not having to dwell on surgery, we are moving ahead with recovery. So I send my highest regards and respect and wish for you all things good. You are a remarkable woman and I feel honored to be able to count you as one of my friends. With love and hugs, Ginger

Hello Eleanor- Just read your February 8th. post and can feel all the energy you will be armed with this spring out in the garden again! I too want to get out and see some new color out in the yard (especially in the front where it is as it was when we moved in 2 yrs. ago in Jan. I only planted two roses and then got busy painting the house before surgery was scheduled. Isn't it great getting back to some normalcy? While we are spoiled with warmer weather than most this winter I am really going to be happy to see the sun come back due to all of our fog here in Manteca lately. I just finished biking 4 miles on the recumbent bike out in my garage/art area. I did 5 miles yesterday while talking to Ginger on the phone. I am trying to keep a good record of my exercise as the viruses in Dec. upset my "chest wall" area and it is just now feeling good. I did something to aggravate it besides all the coughing! How is your incision doing? I still get caught off guard if I have a deep sneeze as the center is still tender. Thanks for keeping up with all of us you are a real Heart Trooper, always around the site at the right time helping the community when it needs it most. Take care my friend-we will be out getting our hands in the soil soon and watching things grow! Hugs, Terrie

Hey Eleanor. Good to see you around. I sort of have been like me for a long time in that I like to know how things work and take responsibility for my health. Talk soon.

Hi Eleanor, great news that you are doing so well, I am also, completed the cardio rehab, fun and social group, just resumed some yoga which is energizing, walk 45 min. at least 4 times a week, attend fitness three or four times am planning a trip to Hungary to visit critically ill sisterinlaw, she unfortunately is unlikely to survive liver cancer, so it is not a happy time hearing of her sad state I am so fortunate to resume normal household chores, lifting bags of groceries, etc. I plan to visit my cardiologist next Tuesday, saw her post surgery. It is going on 7 months, unbelievable how fortunate we are , especially in my case delaying the inevitable surgery for close to four years take care Geri

Eleanor thanks for your sharing your story, very interesting to me as I seem to be one of the older dogs in the pack. My trip started at age 18 and at age 74 my cardioligist at cleveland clinic said the time for intervention has arrived. I was biking this july in the heat for 14 miles and felt great and did 9.3 METS on the stress echo in Nov. without shortness of breath. At his time I stopped working out hoping the mvp behaves untill surgery. In conclusion my life has been great,scuba diving,black diamond trail sking, biking, racing my hobie cat 16 on the bay etc. Hope to get back on the bike in warm weather. Regards Bill

Eleanor, I can't thank you and all other contributors enough for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this extraordinarily helpful website. I only hope that anyone about to go through valve surgery is able to find this site. My date for aortic and mitral valve repairs or replacements (and more recently discovered, the need for a bypass) is about 3 and 1/2 weeks away, on January 16, 2015, in Clearwater, Florida. Like so many others with no recognizable symptoms, I was quite surprised to learn of the need for major surgery. I have an endless list of questions. The information provided on this site is truly helpful.

Eleanor, Thought of one more thing I wanted to share with you. You probably recall that my initial dose of metoprolol was much too high for me. I was experiencing very bad vertigo with loss of appetite. Saw my cardiologist three weeks after surgery, gave him my log of BPs and HRs and weight daily to peruse, and his comment was that he would probably take me off of it in three months. But he gave me permission to drive and start cardiac rehab. Drive with massive vertigo??? Let alone start rehab??? But I dutifully called in to see about rehab schedules. That night Jim said something that was, I'm sure, gentler, but in essence said "Are you nuts??? You can't possibly start rehab with this vertigo. IF you were able to drive over safely, your balance issues along with the rest of the vertigo would set you up to vomit before you accomplished anything." Thankfully three weeks later my FP looked at the same daily records and said what I was expecting. The BPs were too low to adequately perfuse (oxygenate) my brain, and this was the problem. What did I think? I told her I thought the dose should be cut in half, to which she replied, so have you cut the dose? (She knows my career history of medical research and of teaching and rounding with FP residents to teach pharmacotherapy and handy drug info.) No, I don't change doses without permission. Okay, start with the dose tonight! In three days I was so much better. Last week I went in for my first post-op Echo and my second appointment with the cardiologist. My valve is doing great, I was driving and going to rehab, and now my BP was high enough to stop the fuzzy brain feeling and drastically reduce the vertigo. Earlier I would have been asking to taper off of the metoprolol. But I am doing fine on the lower dose (6.25 mg twice a day) and both he and I were now happy with my vital signs. So no mention was made of tapering off -- instead I got a positive remark about doing so well. Maybe you can come back in a year!! Hallelujah! A year suits me just fine. If I find I am having problems, he expects me to call. No problem. :o) Thanks for the helpful advise when I was so sick from the med. This lower dose might be helpful to you, also! Have a great Christmas season! Lots of love, Ginger

The beta blocker, when I was trying it a number of years ago, made very tired as well. It was so uncomfortable for me I went off it. I know sometimes we don't have a choice and need to be on certain meds, but hopefully the reason for you will go away soon and you can be taken off.