Kathy's Guestbook

Kathy Sansone  Hi Rob,
Yes I did go home that day, it was a Saturday and I had the surgery on Tuesday. It was a day earlier than they had told me previously. And the next appt on the 27th is for the surgeon to check me over. They will do labs, EKG, echo etc to make sure everything still looks good. Then I'll just be in the hands of my local cardiologist and shouldn't have to travel to Duke again

Kathy Sansone  Yes bummer on the weather....better to be safe. I go back September 27. Things here are ok ...still in a bit of pain throughout the day and night. Is your energy level back to normal yet? I left you an email.

Kathy Sansone  Aww thanks Dan! I'll be thinking of you as well! Good luck on your surgery, stay positive! We will all get through it ♥️

John Lant  Good luck tomorrow on your surgery. Our prayers & thoughts are with you and you will be just fine afterwards.

Marjorie Murphy  Kathy Prayers for a successful surgery and smooth recovery. Soon you will be on the recovery side and all of the worry behind you.

Kathy Sansone  Bill it's been comforting to go through this with you! I'll keep you posted 🙂 .... Did they let you get outside food for dinner the evening before?

Bill Gillam  Yes, when you get out of CCU. You will be ready for a good cheeseburger or something. I never lost my appetite as others have on this site.

Bill Gillam  Okay. Better each day. Walking a lot but this SC heat limits you. But I get out early morning and late evening. Still have the staples so until those come out, still limited. Pretty mobile, though. Surprisingly, I am eating real well and have maintained my weight.

Kathy Sansone  That's good to hear 🙂 I'm hoping the weather cools down so I can start walking when I get back home. Yes I am here now! Just got scrubbed and my IV placed!

Kathy Sansone  Hi Rob! Thank you! Good luck when your day cones as well . Glad you found this community. It's been amazing for me! Very supportive

Richard Buckley  Good luck,Kathy. My story is similar to yours,except for I hadn't been told anything about MV prolapse until this spring. I'm 65 and have no symptoms, I don't think. But,like you, I am questioning whether I'm missing symptoms. Am I more out of breath after climbing stairs? Is that a pain I feel? My surgery is a week after you, so good luck.

Kathy Sansone  Yes Richard it can certainly mess with your head! Thank you and good luck with your surgery as well ♥️

Kathy Sansone  Thank you so much Beth! I appreciate you reaching out and the kind words :-) I keep saying to myself, I just need to get on the other side of this and put it behind me! Glad you are doing well after your surgery <3

Lynne Nind  Hi Kathy, like Beth I am on the other side (27th October 2016) and must say the worst part is the waiting and anticipation. I was due to have both valves replaced but because of complications they only replaced the mitral. The aortic valve is still stable at Mod/severe but guess I will have to go thru it all again one day. I must admit that I'd rather not but now I know what to expect I am quite comfortable with it. Good luck and I will be thinking of you. 🌷🌺

Kathy Sansone  Thank you Lynne! Good luck to you as well when your next surgery comes :( True, at least you know what to expect, but I'm sure it will still be difficult. So thankful for the support on this community.

Kathy Sansone  Yes I went up there today to meet him! I'm feeling relieved... I know he is the person to do this,.... but also nervous now waiting. Are you still set for the 20th? You'll need to fill me in on everything!

Bill Gillam  My visit to Duke was just awesome. I had no idea how large that place was until we drove in. At first a little intimidating. Then, after we parked we entered the second floor and saw an information desk in the middle of the lobby. I asked where Dr. Glowers office was. Amazingly, the attendant asked my name and says, yes he sees I have an appointment and points me in the right direction. From that point on I felt so relaxed. Everyone was so friendly. After meeting with Richard, his PA, we met with the Doctor. I knew then I had found my doc!

I'll tell you one more quick story on him. A friend of a friend of my wife's here in Columbia shared her experience with Glower. She had such bad regurgitation because one of her leaflets actually tore in half. Dr. Glower repaired it! Had to call for a special ring during the surgery which took a little time. After the operation Glower told her husband, "That was a doozy! " I talked to her on Saturday. Very comforting!

REPAIRING these mitral valves is such an art! We are in good hands.

Anna Jones  You can review surgeons here too. You are able to filter the list by each state: https://www.checkbook.org/surgeonratings/Heart-Valve-or-Bypass-Surgery/NC

Kathy Sansone  Hi Tammy! Just seeing this now, I'm so sorry! Thanks for reaching out. I live about 20 minutes outside Charlotte. What was it that made your valve situation complicated? My doctor has recommended Dr Barry Chan as my surgeon. I have heard great things about him but I'm unsure about the hospital he is affiliated with (Piedmont Medical Center). It's mainly just things I have heard so maybe I am being paranoid. I am meeting with him in 2 weeks to see what his approach will be.

Tammy Seigel  Kathy, My valve was a Barlowe's valve where every part needed repair-both flaps and cords. It was "floppy" all over. Because of that my cardiologist recommended I go out of town to a surgeon who had experience with high volume repairs.
I actually spoke to Dr. Chan who had only recently arrived at Piedmont from Novant. He said he could do the procedure less invasively, as did Cleveland clinic (both without seeing me, just based on my films and reports.)
Dr. Chan was recommended by two people I respect and who think he is highly qualified.
My concerns were two fold:
1. After my research I just felt better about having the work done by hand through my sternum.
2. I learned that the surgeon is only one part of a successful surgery. The facility and a team with high volume experience improves outcomes. I was not confident that Dr. Chan's new team had that experience. I was also aware that Piedmont historically did not have a good reputation. I've heard it is changing, so that bias may be old news.
I suggest you become a good detective and ask lots of questions of people you trust in the area about Piedmont and also ask Dr. Chan to address the issues around his team and their experience. I know he's been working on developing a stronger team and since we spoke may have done so.
I found Adam's book really helpful and also Peggy Huddleston's: Prepare For Surgery, Heal Faster.
Hope this helps and doesn't make things more confusing. Trust your gut and make a decision where you have the utmost confidence, bottom line, that's the most important part.
Best of luck!
Tammy

Kathy Sansone  Thank you Tammy! Would you mind sharing your email address with me? I'd love to chat some more if that's ok. Thanks :)