Grace's Guestbook

Thanks so much, Pamela and Deena you were both so supportive of me in the many months before and after my surgery which was actually September 12😊 While I did recently celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary🥂, I think maybe the heart valve anniversary we may actually be thinking of, because of Adam's recent heart valve newsletter, is Rose Madura's. We recently met up and celebrated her heart valve anniversary together.💕

I agree with you completely about Adam's blog. This is where I heard about a Ross procedure for the first time. My original recommended path when it came time for surgery was tissue or mechanical. I was highly opposed to having to take blood thinners for the rest of my life so when I learned there was another option available besides tissue I dived in researching it as much as I could, as well as, got additional opinions. Dr El-Hamamsy was my 4th surgeons opinion and I was able to set up my video consult with him pretty quickly. He listened to my concerns and answered all my questions and he was just so easy to talk with and genuine. I was seriously considering Ross at this point and I knew immediately after I talked with him I wanted him to do my surgery. I had read a lot online about how he was not only a qualified surgeon but he also completed a doctorate in the study of the aortic valve and it's dynamics. I felt really confident in his ability to give me my best outcome. Not to mention he does Ross procedures several times a week, so lots of experience! Leemor Selitto, his office manager, helped me get all my paperwork in order and gave good advice for places to stay and eat while we were in town. Roberto Galao Malo his doctor of nurse practitioner was amazing after surgery and was available to text any time with questions or concerns. I could text him now, 3 years later and I think he would respond within hours. After my surgery they said call anytime, you are family now. They were exceedingly kind but most of all great at their jobs, his whole team. My surgery went with no hiccups, "boring" an attending physician said to me😄. I was thrilled to be boring! My recovery was really good with a few small hiccups. I had fluid buildup in my lung a few weeks after I returned home, which our local hospital was able to resolve and I was able to get reassurance from Roberto that everything that was being done was what they would be doing too. It was so nice to have that reassurance after major surgery! Post surgery I only vaguely remember the nurse telling me they were removing my intubation tube. I don't remember the tube at all, just being roused enough to remember being told they were taking it out. Later when I was more alert it felt like a small but heavy child was sitting on my chest, is how I would describe the after feeling. I didn't have any pain upon waking and it was managed extremely well the entire time. I was only taking Tylenol and Pantoprazole, for any pain, within days of surgery. The narcotics they gave me post surgery made me itch, so we switched to Tylenol and found I didn't need the narcotics anyway after a few days which really surprised me despite knowing there are not a lot of nerves over the sternum. I was discharged on the 5th day and I stayed in the hotel close to the hospital after surgery until I received the all clear to fly home 9 days after surgery. In the hotel I was able to walk up and down the hallway for exercise if the weather was rainy but otherwise I took short walks near the hotel and used my spirometer expressly as told, to help make sure my lungs would be clear and I'd be given an ok to fly. So that is a quick summary, but if you have more specific questions or worries let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Since we had never been to NYC, we decided to go a few days early and see some of it. Altogether we were there two weeks, but the time between surgery and going home was 9 days. The flight home was not difficult at all. Someone on this site had recommended booking wheelchair assistance for the flight home so I did and it was great. I didn't need to ride in a wheelchair but it was nice in case you get tired, you can sit. What was great about it was neither I or my family had to wait in the long security lines. Once I was seated in the wheelchair the attendant took me a different way through security which essentially avoided the line and my family was allowed to go with me, as well, as they were my support persons(my husband and son) I had a direct flight so that was helpful too. You have less stamina immediately after surgery, so I would definitely recommend requesting wheelchair assistance.