Joy's Guestbook

Joy,

First off, I want to say I am so sorry for the hardship you are going through, I truly appreciate the gravity of how you are feeling right now. Please keep doing therapy if at all possible, cry if you need to (but limit it to a specific time of day and then let it go), keep on coloring and doing the things that keep your mind off of things. I have many adult coloring books also, diamond painting, paint by number and some good shows to watch on netflix that help me keep it together on tough days. I too am very alone most of the time, but please know you are thought of and to never stop fighting for the care you deserve and need.
Also my Etsy shop helps me by keeping my mind on new ideas for my shop. I have trouble keeping to a walking regime, but do have a fitbit and make sure to get a certain amount of steps every hour (it reminds you to get up and move)
Much Love and Big Hugs!!!

Kim

Hi joy , 
It must be a relief to find out that you weren’t having a heart attack . You sound to have a good doctor . Look forwards to going to the gig / concert and meeting your friends , it will be fun . 

Hi joy ,
Write down how you are feeling on a pad of paper . Get all your feelings and worries out .
Push yourself mentally and go for short walks to somewhere green or near water , it helps . 
Eat well , drink enough fluids . Avoid stimulants and alcohol .
Do something for someone else to take you out of your self and your comfort zone .
Count your blessings , rather than worry about the other things .
You are alive , have a husband and a caring employer . Those are things to feel blessed and happy about .

Hi joy , we are all still here to tell the tale .
 You will be okay , we all needed the surgery and had it done because it kept us alive . 
You will go through many emotions and feel grief / anger / worry for the way you hoped your health might have been and for how it actually is . We have all had to face it and once we have come through the surgery we all know that life does go on . Take things one day at a time .

Hello Joy. I also felt that way and at 51, they kept saying your a baby still. I recommend you do tons of research and know the different valves. A gentlemen on this site told me after I had decided which valve I wanted to be confident and don’t look back. That is exactly what I did. I myself chose the bovine simply because of how far they have come and how frequently they are used in the US and in other countries with great success. I was a little skeptical of blood thinners the rest of my life which led me in that direction. One great thing you may or may not be aware of is the bovine valves that I researched can take VIV (valve in valve) procedure in the future. The procedures are simple and only requires overnight stays. I know so many people now that have had AVR and I want you to know it is going to be ok. The worry is most often worse than the surgery or at least it was for me! I was discharged day 4 and feeling much better pretty quickly! Walking will be key and I feel in my ❤️ you are going to do great! The statistics are so favorable for these surgeries now I am beyond grateful they are available to those of us with AVS. God bless you on your journey!