Guestbook of Joseph Minnucci

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512 days ago

Angus Butler posted a note for Joseph that says:

Hi Joseph, your story and success through two surgeries has been inspiring. Congratulations

I’ve been told by two surgeons now that I should ...Read more

Hi Joseph, your story and success through two surgeries has been inspiring. Congratulations

I’ve been told by two surgeons now that I should have surgery in the next couple months to replace bicuspid aortic valve and replace ascending aorta because of aneurysm. When they say it’s an elective surgery I feel like I want to wait and prepare physically and mentally like you did. I need to look into what my refraction rate is but I’ve been told I have moderate to severe regurgitation of 30%. Left ventricle enlarged and ascending aorta measured at 4.9cm . Angiogram revealed no blockages in any arteries . Because of this and feeling really no major symptoms I’m thinking of putting this off until spring 2025 . You mentioned your heart doubled in size . Did they give you ascending aorta measurement? I appreciate any feedback !

thanks,

Angus

Joseph Minnucci Hi Angus, thanks for the support! Yes, the cardiologist did tests and measurements after the initial issue was detected. I don’t have the data from my first surgery handy. When they first detected my issue, both GP and cardiologist were concerned, since it showed up suddenly with no previous history. Since I did not have any symptoms, or underlying conditions (diabetes, plaque, cholesterol), I wanted to wait for surgery and worked with my doctors to monitor my valve instead. My first followup test was 3 months after the initial test, and thereafter we tested every 6 months. The testing showed the valve slowly degrading. I used the time to research hospitals, doctors, different types of valves available etc. I didn’t put a time frame on when the surgery might be needed, but relied on the testing and recommendations of my doctors.

Hope this helps.

... Read more

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4606 days ago

Hi Joe. I may need a third opinion on whether or not to get surgery. Any recommendations on local nyc cardiologists? Also, did you have any symptoms? Damian ...Read more

Hi Joe. I may need a third opinion on whether or not to get surgery. Any recommendations on local nyc cardiologists? Also, did you have any symptoms? Damian

Joseph Minnucci Hi Damian,

I worked with Dr. Peter Rentrop in NYC. Understand your concern on not rushing into surg ... Read more

Joseph Minnucci Hi Damian,

I worked with Dr. Peter Rentrop in NYC. Understand your concern on not rushing into surgery, I felt same way when I was told I needed to schedule it. I ended up delaying surgery and monitoring / testing every 6 months before making the decision to have the surgery.

Joe

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

4629 days ago

Hey Joe. Great journals! Glad to hear you enjoyed Lake Placid. I\'m in NYC and will need surgery in 4-6 weeks. When you say you looked at surgeons \"ratings\", ...Read more

Hey Joe. Great journals! Glad to hear you enjoyed Lake Placid. I\'m in NYC and will need surgery in 4-6 weeks. When you say you looked at surgeons \"ratings\", where would those ratings be published? Also, did you consider the Ross Procedure at all? Cheers Damian Kudelka

Joseph Minnucci Hi Damian, I had reviewed from online sources, doctors as well as other patients. I asked for recomme ... Read more

Joseph Minnucci Hi Damian, I had reviewed from online sources, doctors as well as other patients. I asked for recommendations from my cardiologist and primary doctor. Online, I did searches for patients who had surgery in previous 2 years. An excellent starting point is the Surgeon listing on Heart Valve Surgery Blog.

I did do research on the Ross procedure, but it had seemed to have fallen out of favor. Consensus was it had higher risk and mortality rate than the mechanical or animal tissue valves. The higher risk, didn't offset the benefits for me.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me any other questions, and good luck with your surgery!"

Joe

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

4754 days ago

It is scheduled for the 19th. As much research as you did and decided on the cow valve; then that relieves more of my anxiety. Just need to find out which one ...Read more

It is scheduled for the 19th. As much research as you did and decided on the cow valve; then that relieves more of my anxiety. Just need to find out which one the Dr is planning. Thanks again, you\'re a big help. Don

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

4754 days ago

Thanks so much for the response. Joseph, it helps relieve some of the anxiety visiting with others that have been throught this. Two Drs I met with chose ...Read more

Thanks so much for the response. Joseph, it helps relieve some of the anxiety visiting with others that have been throught this. Two Drs I met with chose minimal invasive technique. Told them, just wanted them to do whatever they felt best to get everything done correctly the first time; did not want issues afterwards. The anxiety at times is very great and other times, I feel like, no problem, just get it done. Will try to find out today from the Dr what type of valve he may use. Thanks again and so glad you\'re doing well. Don

Joseph Minnucci I found discussing online with people helped anxiety as well. I also found doing a lot of research t ... Read more

Joseph Minnucci I found discussing online with people helped anxiety as well. I also found doing a lot of research to make the decisions and understand what was going to help, calmed me. The valve choice is a big one, and I wanted to be part of the decision, which was why I not only talked to doctors but read as much as I could as to pros and cons. When is your surgery scheduled for? Joe

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

4754 days ago

Thanks Joseph for the reply. I\'m also concerned about the mechanical and shying away for the same reasons. I\'m 66 but not sure how long the cow valve will ...Read more

Thanks Joseph for the reply. I\'m also concerned about the mechanical and shying away for the same reasons. I\'m 66 but not sure how long the cow valve will last. Have you heard? I\'m new to the site and did not catch the part about calcium supplements; could you clue me in? My valve is calcified and don\'t want to do anything to mess the new one up. You look so much younger than I and thanks for the letting me know which valve you chose. My surgeon mentioned cow valve but not any particular one. Should I ask? Thanks for all the help. Don

Joseph Minnucci The valve I ended up with was rated up to 20 yrs. Based on age and activity level, my doctors felt I ... Read more

Joseph Minnucci The valve I ended up with was rated up to 20 yrs. Based on age and activity level, my doctors felt I would get about 12-15 yrs out of it. Calcium build up was one of the big failure points of the tissue valves, and the surgeon wanted me to avoid all calcium supplements. Even recommended a calcium-free Multi Vitamin (Centrum Silver). Although the valve was treated to reduce deposits, it does not eliminate them, just gives a longer life. They are constantly advancing valve types, I would definitely ask what your surgeon recommends. At the time I had mine, it had just been approved for use. Joe

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

4758 days ago

Joseph, great news; glad your doing well. Have similar questions as you did before pre op. Which valve to choose? Did you go with the pig or cow? I\'m still ...Read more

Joseph, great news; glad your doing well. Have similar questions as you did before pre op. Which valve to choose? Did you go with the pig or cow? I\'m still confused and no decision yet. Thanks, Don

Joseph Minnucci Hi Don, I ended up choosing the bovine valve. (Edwards 2800 model). The harder choice for me, was m ... Read more

Joseph Minnucci Hi Don, I ended up choosing the bovine valve. (Edwards 2800 model). The harder choice for me, was mechanical or tissue. The mechanical would last longer, but I had concerns over using Cumidin for rest of life (required monitoring diet and eating schedule and less active lifestyle), I chose tissue. At that point, the bovine valve was recommended by both cardiologist and surgeon. The main reasons were the newer technology being applied to the bovine which increased the life of the valve by preventing calcification. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, and good luck with your surgery!

Joe

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

4768 days ago

Hey Joe, Did you get an answer on your P90X question? My surgery was recent - Aug 13, 2012. I was interested in moving towards a P90X workout rather than ...Read more

Hey Joe, Did you get an answer on your P90X question? My surgery was recent - Aug 13, 2012. I was interested in moving towards a P90X workout rather than all the running I\'ve been doing since 2009. Hope all is well with you. Thanks for keeping us updated. Regards, Lee Castro

Joseph Minnucci Hi Lee, I talked to my cardiologist and rehab coordinator about the P90. Both felt it was a big jump ... Read more

Joseph Minnucci Hi Lee, I talked to my cardiologist and rehab coordinator about the P90. Both felt it was a big jump at that point to go into. Rehab trainer recommend a 'less intense' effort to build up for 6 months, and then look into moving into parts of the P90. I was primarily doing running, Yoga and biking post surgery, and they recommended starting out with a weight lifting program, working up to P90.

Joe

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5249 days ago

Hello Joseph, Glad to hear the good results of your one year e-val! excersise does lower BP and also provides the body with a lot of other good reasons to ...Read more

Hello Joseph, Glad to hear the good results of your one year e-val! excersise does lower BP and also provides the body with a lot of other good reasons to join a gym. just remember to take it slow and build up gradually. Terry Tannenbaum

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5249 days ago

Joseph, So great to hear you reached this milestone and are doing great. I remember you going through surgery, I was before you and celebrated my one year anniversary ...Read more

Joseph, So great to hear you reached this milestone and are doing great. I remember you going through surgery, I was before you and celebrated my one year anniversary on March 2. I wish you many more anniversaries. Take care, Theresa C.

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5532 days ago

Joe Minnucci, How ru? I left you a msg a month or so ago I guess u didnt get it because i know u always call me back. lol I hope you are healing well. Im ...Read more

Joe Minnucci, How ru? I left you a msg a month or so ago I guess u didnt get it because i know u always call me back. lol I hope you are healing well. Im sure u are back to your usually cocky self. Cindy

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5573 days ago

Great to see you at the Barefoot event last week Joe. I read through your journal, really interesting. Also, the videos to the right are very informative. ...Read more

Great to see you at the Barefoot event last week Joe. I read through your journal, really interesting. Also, the videos to the right are very informative. -Rob

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5601 days ago

Dear Joe, I am doing my cardio rehab at a local hospital in NJ CentraState Medical Center. I am sure Mt. Sinai has a great cardio rehab program...I have nothing ...Read more

Dear Joe, I am doing my cardio rehab at a local hospital in NJ CentraState Medical Center. I am sure Mt. Sinai has a great cardio rehab program...I have nothing but praise concerning every encounter I have had at Mt. Sinai. It is a top notch hospital. How is your heart rate? This is my only issue, it has come down since surgery but still a little high. Let us know where you decide to go for rehab. Good luck, Theresa Callanan

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5611 days ago

Hello Joe, It was a comfort to me to view your journal,and photos. As I write this, my dear friend Peggy is undergoing valve replacement at St. Luke\'s in Milwaukee.She ...Read more

Hello Joe, It was a comfort to me to view your journal,and photos. As I write this, my dear friend Peggy is undergoing valve replacement at St. Luke\'s in Milwaukee.She was scheduled for 7:00 a.m. Her husband is with her and he promised to call me when she is in ICU. She is in her mid 60\'s and this is her first major surgery. Please keep her in your prayers that she will recover as you did and be as good as new! God bless you and hope you are doing well. Diane

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5616 days ago

Congratulations on your heart surgery. I hope my recovery goes as well, my valve surgery is June 2nd.

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5617 days ago

Congratulations on success of surgery . Your experiences and observations will be a comfort to anyone going through similar surgery. A fan.

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5617 days ago

Hi Joe Great piece Adam did on you. I see you are needing a little tweaking as well now which I\'m sure the doctors will help you get under control through ...Read more

Hi Joe Great piece Adam did on you. I see you are needing a little tweaking as well now which I\'m sure the doctors will help you get under control through medication. Appreciated the extra information regarding the calcium situation, thanks. It\'s so great to be able to share that type of information for those who are looking for answers, isn\'t it? Hope things get sorted out quickly so you can continue healing and move on with confidence. Cheryl, Ontario

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5619 days ago

Joe, These pictures were too good not to feature: http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2010/04/23/xray-heart-valve-replacement-tissue/ ...Read more

Joe, These pictures were too good not to feature: http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2010/04/23/xray-heart-valve-replacement-tissue/ Thanks so much for sharing! Adam

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5622 days ago

Joe, Great to read that you are doing so well. And, thanks for sharing your finding about the calcium issue. Keep on tickin! Adam Pick

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5640 days ago

Dear Joe, I love to read your journal every time it\'s up. Thank you for sharing your real live story with us. I am glad to hear that your recovery processing ...Read more

Dear Joe, I love to read your journal every time it\'s up. Thank you for sharing your real live story with us. I am glad to hear that your recovery processing is going well. I cannot wait to see you again. Be well and see you soon. Thank you, Master Park in NY

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5641 days ago

Hi Joe I really appreciate your update regarding the calcium issue. Thank you for taking the time to clarify what your doctor\'s reasonings were in guarding ...Read more

Hi Joe I really appreciate your update regarding the calcium issue. Thank you for taking the time to clarify what your doctor\'s reasonings were in guarding against overuse of supplements. Being on supplements already made me interested in being sure I was up-to-date on all available information. You have really been healing quite nicely and now that the good weater has arrived it will make outdoor exercise for all of us easier and more enjoyable. Wishing you continued succes. Cheryl, Ontario

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5641 days ago

Hi Joe Glad you;re doing so well. The calcium update was of interest to me as I have been taking calcium supplements twice daily to prevent bone loss. Seems ...Read more

Hi Joe Glad you;re doing so well. The calcium update was of interest to me as I have been taking calcium supplements twice daily to prevent bone loss. Seems it\'s somewhat of a gray area in the medical community. My surgery was March 18th and still have weight (fluid) gain to get rid of to help my breathing. Pain is okay. Seems to be worse lying on my back, between the shoulder blades. Siting is not a problem, just pressure on that part of my back. My bed is elevated as are the legs, so sleeping position is correct. Anyway, will get through this as so many of you have. Keep healing. Fran Z

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5643 days ago

So glad to hear that you had a wonderful follow-up visit with your docs! No more slipping and falling though, okay? Rest when you need to, \'work\' when you ...Read more

So glad to hear that you had a wonderful follow-up visit with your docs! No more slipping and falling though, okay? Rest when you need to, \'work\' when you can! I can think of some easy projects for you if you get bored or anything (grin)! HUuugs JeanK West Point Pa

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5645 days ago

Thanks for the information Joe. I will have to check out the calcuim for Richard. Wnaat his valve to last a loongg time. Glad your doctor\'s visit was a good ...Read more

Thanks for the information Joe. I will have to check out the calcuim for Richard. Wnaat his valve to last a loongg time. Glad your doctor\'s visit was a good one. Ouch on the falling down I was told that if one did damage to the chest area, that you would know it because you would hurt worse than the oepration (nurses cautioned us on that sevral times in the hospital so hopefully you did not do damage. That was one of my biggest fears with my husband along with the coughing or sneezing part. I still get nervous with him driving now because of the airbags, but I guess you have to get started getting back to life by doing things It takes time. Glad you are doing well. Richard\'s wife, Susan

Joseph Minnuccigot a new guestbook post

5645 days ago

Hi Joe, So glad to hear that Your surgeon is so pleased with your progress. Ugh- what a time to fall down! But glad it turned out OK All of us are following ...Read more

Hi Joe, So glad to hear that Your surgeon is so pleased with your progress. Ugh- what a time to fall down! But glad it turned out OK All of us are following your progress and rooting for you. when are you back in New York? Albest, Margot