Erica's Guestbook

Erica Eberl  Laura, my husband goes back to work on Monday and I am so not ready. I started to have extreme back pain this past Monday. I definitely was not expecting to have new pain 3 weeks post op. I hope that it gets significantly better by Monday. My Dad is coming back in to town to help, so that will be good. Glad to hear you're doing well! I hope I will be back on the feeling good train soon!

Laura Brase  I'm glad your husband has been able to be with you for such a good amount of time!! Have you started rehab? Family was a blessing to have during this time! I pray that you can get relief from your back pain soon!! XX

Erica Eberl  Thanks, Laura! I am glad to hear you are doing so well! Yes, my husband is in the Coast Guard and while being a military family can be hard at times there are definite perks. He was able to take 4 weeks of leave, so I am very fortunate for that. As far as know, I my discharge info said I can't start rehab until 6 weeks post op. I plan on looking into it sooner. As far as the back pain I have heard that a chiropractor can work wonders, so I am going to get an appt asap as long as my doctors approve.

Erica Eberl  Susan, the anxiety is definitely getting better. I had my post op appt today and for the most part everything looks good. Still dealing with pain, some days are worse than others. Just trying my best to take it easy and to keep up with my walking. How are you doing?

Susan Ericsson  Same as you, good days and not so good. Pain really rolls in at dinner time and sticks around. Fatigue hits mid afternoon. Or I should say it clobbers me. Wow. Trying to move around and do my walking. Find it hard to concentrate on reading or tv. Thinking about you a lot.

Erica Eberl  Thinking of you as well! The recovery process is definitely a lot slower and difficult than I expected. For some reason I thought I would be out picking apples and going to the pumpkin patch with my kids by now :0 That was definitely not a realistic expectation. But that's okay. All in due time :)

Susan Ericsson  I know all about those unrealistic assumptions! My surgeon's asst actually asked me if I'd been pumpkin picking, so perhaps we are not alone!

Erica Eberl  Thanks, Tammy! My actually diagnoses did not happen until a few months back. It was the first time I was referred to a cardiologist. After all these yrs of just thinking and being told I had a harmless murmur, to the time I was told it was just an "abnormal aortic valve" "that might need replaced in my 70s- 80s" I was not referred to a cardiologist or informed about BAV or aortic stenosis at that time either. It took a Dr., Dr. Tan(my life saver, who is not my primary care doc) to listen to heart at a drs appt for possible pink eye and a persistent cough. She insisted I get another echo, even though I told her it was not serious(which is what I had been told previously.) I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe if I had been diagnosed years ago I would not have had my 2 beautiful children or had some of the experiences I've had in my life. I'm very thankful to be alive, to have the privilege to watch my children grow up and to be here for them. Things could have been very different, if it weren't for Dr. Tan.

Erica Eberl  Good luck, Tammy! I can't tell you that's it's not a rough road. But, I can tell you, you will get through this and be all the better for it!

Eleanor R  I know you are so glad the day has come, no more waiting, just get the show on the road. Best wishes to you and your family, and looking forward to hearing about your own experiences soon. Eleanor