Jennifer's Guestbook

Hi Jennifer- Hope all went excellently today and that you get some sleep tonight so you can be ready to start heading for your recovery! We are thinking of you today and will be sending out prayers for things to run smoothly for you from here on out! Take care now.

Jennifer- Wishing you a pleasant night tonight and that your surgery tomorrow goes well. It will be a wonderful feeling to wake up and know this is over and you will be into recovery and back to living out a good life! Take care and know the prayers and thoughts of your Heart Brothers and Heart Sisters go with you tonight as well as tomorrow! Bless you.

Hi Jennifer, I am a 41 year old that is going in for my 2nd OHS to replace my mitral valve. I have 4 kids. The first time through I had 3 kids ages 4,5, and 18 month. I posted an entry on my journal that showed what I was able to do when and how fast my recovery was. My next surgery is Sept. 4th. We should stay connected. i am eager to hear how things go for you. Wishing you the best!! Janea

Just copied my insights for you 4 weeks Post Op. I was in rehab 6 weeks post op. Hope this is of some help and encouragement. Four (4) Weeks Postoperative Robotic Surgery Summary Journal posted on August 12, 2014 I thought I would share some thoughts of this procedure based on my current recovery. 1. It is amazing with regard to physical function and capability four weeks post op open heart surgery. Although I still lack stamina with physical activity, I still think it is amazing what these health care providers have done to repair my mitral valve. 2. The robotic approach and various incisions was more painful than I anticipated. My wife reminded me that various physicians indicated there may be more pain but a shorter recovery period. Still not remembering those conversations. 3. Your personal health prior to mitral valve surgery is critical in providing you with more options. I was in good health with the exception of the mitral valve which opened opportunities for alternative surgeries. 4. Have your loved stay with you the first night on the floor. The transition from the ICU unit to the floor can be difficult and you need your advocate, I do not care how good a hospital that your are in. 5. Make sure have a sleeping mask and ear plugs for the potential noises from the machines and patients in ICU. Allowing you body to rest and heal is important. 6. No matter where you decide to have your surgery and who you choose as a surgeon, you and/or spouse must be well-educated and your strongest advocate. There may be some bumps in the road and you and your loved need to know the best options to challenge the nurses and /or physicians. Go to the local hospital librarian and review the literature on the subjects. I had to challenge my cardiologist and spouse about what procedure that I wanted to consider as they were "old-school" median sternotomy fans. 7. No matter how sharp you are, you will be taking some powerful medications. Many of these medicines dull your senses and response time and many of them make you tired. Although it may not adversely affect your decision(s) it certainly delays your decision making processes. 8. You are going to have some excellent nurses and patient care technicians and some mediocre nurses and patient care technicians. Set the expectations high for the mediocre crew so your needs are best met. You will quickly notice the difference between the high performers who are proactive and the "I have four other patients" and need to get through the shift. 9. It would have been great to have had this surgery locally in the St. Louis, MO region but the reality is that no hospital in the region would come close to the Cleveland Clinic expertise. That said, being remote to the Clinic provides some challenges in follow-up care even with a primary care physician and cardiologist. You have to be prepared and proactive to get the physicians to address the proper issues (as minor as they might be), especially when the option may be a >10 hr drive time to the Clinic. I still believe this remote surgery (away from home) was the best option for me and my family, but it required a lot of help and planning to ensure kids were cared for, parents could attend surgery, post recovery travel was planned. This work/planning needs to be done before the surgery or your caregiver needs to be able to complete these activities as part of their follow-up.

I noticed you are having surgery at Missouri Baptist. Missouri Baptist was my hospital choice here in the region. My surgery was done by A. Marc Gillionov at Cleveland Clinic. You can find Dr. Gillinov on this web site.

Hi Jennifer: I am from St. Louis. My cardiologist is Dr. Stuart Higano. I did my rehab at Heart Care Institute 1020 N Mason Rd St. Louis, MO 63141 It is a very flexible program. They offer nutritional counseling as a part of their program, but I bypassed that because like you I was in good shape and understand nutrition and eat well. I focused on aerobic and weight training. I would highly recommend going through a program like this as part of your recovery. I would be happy to further discuss the procedure. I did have robotic surgery so there may be some differences, but there are certain items that will not change (pain after surgery, getting comfortable to sleep, get lots of pillows, wound care, management of pain, lots of napping, need a care giver). It is an excellent procedure but different than the sternotomy approach. I am also a very data driven person so I do have some research references supporting the information. I can be contacted at 314-399-5008 (mobile) if you have any questions. Michael

Hi. Just wanted to say hello from Ballwin. I have 3 kids 4,7 and 13 at the time of surgery 18 months ago. I had an aortic valve replacement and aneurysm repair at St. Luke's in Chesterfield. I was 45 at the time of surgery. Let me know if you need anything autenclare @gmail.com.

Hi Jennifer, I just read your story and want to wish you all the best on your upcoming surgery and recovery. I'll be keeping you in my prayers. My surgery was 9 months ago and it wasn't as bad as I anticipated it would be. You'll do great! God bless you!

Jennifer, Good luck with everything, it seems like we are in much the same boat. I am 46 years old, with 3 children at home and headed for a Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement next week. From everything I hear, the minimally invasive approach really improves the healing time and shortens the hospital stay. Here is hoping! Naomi

Jennifer, Good luck with everything, it seems like we are in much the same boat. I am 46 years old, with 3 children at home and headed for a Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement next week. From everything I hear, the minimally invasive approach really improves the healing time and shortens the hospital stay. Here is hoping! Naomi