Jeff's Guestbook

Hi Jeff, thank you for telling us about how you’re doing about 15 years after your operation. I am so glad that you mentioned that your valve is doing great, because I have to decide what kind of valve to get, and I want an organic one for the same reason as you did to avoid the blood thinners, but the problem was to think about having to go for another operation in the future, so your comment made me think that it is the right option for me. If I can get 20 years that would be the best . Thank you

Hi Jeff, I have read your blog and it is inspiring...I had aortic valve replacement 7 months ago and feel great. But my doctor feels no one should do Bikram yoga, especially someone with a new valve (cow) and I miss it so much....I notice you do hot yoga, do you have any issues with it?

Congrats on 2 years. Just passed that milestone myself. Do you think this heart surgery thing improves your ability to see what\'s important and the will to make it happen?

Hi Jeff, Did you have to get any per authorisations before your SCUBA dives? I am hoping to go back to SCUBA When ready, just recouping from MVP repair and BTW like the bike, I have a Ducati ST4S, but I\'m grounded right now until I can manage the weight. Good to see that all is going well for you. Paul R (zipper club member and ex regurgitator)

Hi Jeff. I\'m doing great. Just back from family vacation in Yosemite. Lots of monster hikes. Today played ultimate frisbee for a few hours in the heat. Oof! Bottom line, doing much better than immediately before surgery and still improving. I\'ve got a journal now, you can check it out. -- DVB

Great update. Thanks for posting an update 1 year out. I am 5 months out and doing great but I still enjoy getting a glimpse of my future. So, thank you for that. Life is good for all of us. Be well! -Mitch Friedman

Hi Jeff- I saw your post today and went back to read your story. Although our diagnoses were leakage of different valves I can all to well relate on the misdiagnosis picture. Enjoy Aruba---it\'s a destination on my life list. Perhaps next Spring for my 20th wedding anniversary. Karen Campo

Wow, you\'re doing great. I agree completely - Adam\'s site has been a blessing for me for learning about heart functioning and condition, making new friends, and becoming part of an awesome community. - Jim Smith (valve repair 3-13-2012)

Jeff, Thanks for writing in my journal. I appreciate your feedback and words of wisdom. I am doing to the Ross but wonder why you mention at the end of your post not to do it? Believe me, I have researched this to death. The surgeon that will do it has done more than anyone else in the US and pretty much in the world. He has made his own modifications etc. I realize the pros and cons with any of these valve procedures. Would love hear more of your thoughts. You can email me directly at jshebovsky11@gmail.com Thanks Jeff

Jeff thanks so much Your posts mean a lot to me... stick with me. !! Coming up FEB 9 CAth is 2/9 and I\"m ok with that. go right into the hopital. if they find \'s...t\" then i\'ll get the full zipper ; if not; then I hope a mini. and yeah I hope it\'s a little easier. luckily we have been so busy; no time to worry. hope you can take a peek at my pix page.. so you can see I\'m just a little fat old jewish lady. NOT. !!! thanks again, love it best, Nancy friedman ride safe.!

Hi Jeff, So happy to read that you are back to living life to it\'s fullest and playing hard. Also, glad you received some muscles work (massage, right?) Make 2012 an amzing year for yourself!! Sheila Garrison

Hi Jeff. . I happened on to one of your posts & enjoyed it. Wanted to say thanks. I\'m a tad older than u. ( never mind how much tad ). :). Am going in thurs 2-9 for. AVR. IN ST LOUIS MO. Going in positive & great attitude. Great dr. Hosp etc I\'m a professional speaker & hv my first post surgery presentation 8-10 weeks out. The nurse at dr office says I should be be fine. I guess if u can go snowboarding I can go speaking !! I love your idea of giving staff the 3-5 cards !! Might do that. Anyway thank you for good upbeat positive posts. They really help. If u have any pre surgery tips that might help throw em out to me Best wishes & stay well. Nancy. St Louis mo Avr 2-9 hoping for a mini. But that will depend on what the cath shows up on 2-8. :).

Merry Christmas to you, Jeff. As for your shoulder pain....get those muscles massaged. (Thats what I do). I think it should be included to all open heart surgery pts. Besides, you play hard, right? Continue to take care of yourself. And, may 2012 bring you months of adventures. Sheila Garrison

Hi Jeff! Somehow I missed your September update so I\'m really happy to reconnect to your journal. Sounds like you\'re doing great. Isn\'t it true that rehab is magical? I followed a full course and am now pushing well beyond where I was even a year pre-surgery, with 7 and 8 mile runs and hours at a time doing field sports. I chalk it up to my newly repaired valve (courtesy UCLA) and to pushing physically post-op. Happy holidays -- DVB

Hi, Jeff Everything seems to be going good for me. I\'m getting back into swimming since jogging/running isn\'t clicking with me yet. I didn\'t get approved for cardiac rehab and I\'m feeling a bit left out because all of you HVJ people are getting approved. They said I was too healthy or something ...... Continue to get stronger! Sheila

That is great news, Jeff. So happy to read that everything went well. You will love your new found energy. Wishing you a fast & uneventful recovery. Sheila Garrison - Apple Valley, CA

Hi Jeff. Being excited is the place to be. You asked about my walking around the ward at UCLA. I went 3 miles on my last day there. If you are in good shape going in, you can do it. Besides, there\'s not much else to do except to do what it takes to recover when you are in the hospital, so why not? Recovering from heart surgery is basically recovering from an injury, nutrition-wise. As soon as possible during recovery start eating lots of protein so your body doesn\'t have to break down existing tissue to rebuild the wound. Protein gets broken down into amino acids that then are reassembled into new (and different) proteins that will make up the new tissue you will be growing. The amino acids are also used to generate the signaling proteins that direct healing. These are the proteins that are made in response to injury and physical stress - you turn them on by getting out of bed and moving. Exercise makes the biochemical signals that direct the creation of these protein pathways, which then make the healing happen. So the sooner you start moving the better! And do as much as you can handle or they will let you. You will be monitored all the time, so just listen to the staff about whether you are pushing too hard. You may also need extra iron. It is common to need extra iron after surgery. But don\'t go overboard, the RDA is probably good enough since the iron is incorporated into your new red blood cells at a more-or-less fixed rate. They will let you know if you are anemic and need iron, but it doesn\'t hurt to ask upfront. Like you say, be your own advocate. Pain: I didn\'t have much pain after the first day or two, except when they took out the tubes (which was momentary). My advice is to stay ahead of the pain with the pills. Then wean yourself off. Its OK to feel a little discomfort, but it shouldn\'t hurt all the time. Keep it to a pain level 3 out of 10. Tylenol was fine once I got home, and then only for a few days, If you are healing faster, you will get past the point where it keeps hurting sooner. Another reason to get out of bed and get moving asap. You are going to one of the top heart surgery centers in the world. They will be taking the best possible care of you. I\'ll be rootin\' for you come Thursday. -- DVB

Jeff - I\'m 6 days behind you on the assembly line - for AV replacement - so I\'m following you closely, as well as wishing you the best. And I\'m wondering what your thinking is re a recliner. Are you assuming you won\'t be able to sleep in a regular bed? I do like your idea of some kind of walky-talky and will look into that. Rob Fairchild - headed to Swedish Hospital in Seattle

Jeff, Your response below is very helpful as I get closer and closer to my decision. Most of the journals on here the person gets a mechanical value so I just needed to hear from people who are or who have gotten the tissue valve. I\'m about your age, live in South Carolina and have met with a surgeon in Columbia and also at Emory in Atlanta. The Emory dr. wants to do the tissue valve and says when the time comes for me to get it replaced, they will be doing it thru a vein. They are already doing that at Emory, but he said I wasn\'t a candidate for that yet. I agree with what everyone says on this HVJ that the anxiety leading up to the surgery is worse than the surgery itself. I\'m going to pick a surgery date and a doctor soon and get it over with. Thanks again and I will be praying for a speedy recovery for you. Julie

Hi Jeff, I am planning my valve replacement and was wondering what type of valve you are getting and why that valve? I have two opinons and they are different so I can\'t decide. I appreciate your input. I will follow your journal and wish you the best. Julie