Guestbook of Kimberly Eisenhut

My Guestbook

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

3 days ago

Grace Mason posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Kim,
Headaches are awful and energy draining too! I hope iron supplements help to alleviate your headaches and get your iron levels up too.♥️

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

4 days ago

Fidel Martínez Ruiz reacted to this

Richard Munson posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Hope you are recovering and not stressing out over not feeling 100%. It takes time. But, it does get better.

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you HVS step dad❤️ The daily headaches and anemia have me feeling much worse than I would , ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you HVS step dad❤️ The daily headaches and anemia have me feeling much worse than I would , but going to start taking iron supplement every day. Getting daily blood tests for a while also to track it. Head has been hurting more than my chest.

Richard Munson My real life wife takes iron for anemia. I suggested pumping iron. Cheaper

Kimberly Eisenhut Richard, what is the cause, if you don't mind me asking?

Janet Gaffney I’m so sorry to hear your head is pounding. It’s like adding insult to injury. I’m thinking of ... Read more

Janet Gaffney I’m so sorry to hear your head is pounding. It’s like adding insult to injury. I’m thinking of you; I hope your head feels better real soon! Did they tell you how long it would take to feel better with the supplements? Did they suggest any dietary additions (like lentils, spinach or dark chocolate)?

Richard Munson Still no diagnosis after extensive internal testing for bleeding.

Kimberly Eisenhut Janet, I see you will be with Dr Malaisrie team. There really is no timeline for this. My pain is not ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Janet, I see you will be with Dr Malaisrie team. There really is no timeline for this. My pain is not bad as far as my incision site, it's the terrible swelling on my right side where they did mini thorecotomy and these intense headaches . I'm only taking tramadol when needed now and gabapentin when needed for nerve pain maybe once a day now instead of three times a day.
Richard, I'd think there'd be a better way to look for internal bleeding for anemic patients. I may ask for a stool test to check for blood in stool. I do know I've never been anemic before, but surgery has most of us having very low red blood cells counts for months sometimes . I'm eating well and started iron supplement today. Best to take on empty stomach in morning and wait an hour to eat. Eating eggs, spinach, fortified cereal along with orange juice helps absorption I guess also. My numbers from yesterday's bloodwork were still very low. Going again tomorrow for bloodwork and hoping they come back better👍❤️ I'm trying my best and praying things start trending up for my bloodwork and swelling at least goes torn a little.

Richard Munson I keep suggesting stool test but sometimes you just need to shut up.

Janet Gaffney Oof. Hang in there. I’m in Harvard. Give a holler if I can do anything for you.

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

4 days ago

Pamela Gregory reacted to this

Kate Watson posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Thinking of you, Kimberly. Hope you are hanging in there!

J Alexander Lassally Hey Kim - I saw your post about blood labs. They are typically really off and a train wreck for sever ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally Hey Kim - I saw your post about blood labs. They are typically really off and a train wreck for several weeks - but in time they (all) normalize. Anemia included... It was pretty remarkable from week 2 to about week 5 how the body starts to sort itself out !!! Keep going. A little practical encouragement.

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you so much, I've been really panicky today because of my numbers. It's so scary.

J Alexander Lassally Yes-- it is. I remember my entire lab panel looked like a malfunctioning car dashboard - amenia inclu ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally Yes-- it is. I remember my entire lab panel looked like a malfunctioning car dashboard - amenia included, but magically it does resolve. Eat well - give it some time... Don't panic. These are all of the things no one really tells you to expect....

I think by now you can relate to how I am a critic of the information gaps out there for younger patients...

Kimberly Eisenhut Yes, it would be nice to know what to expect and not see these results and just be told it's normal . ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Yes, it would be nice to know what to expect and not see these results and just be told it's normal . An explanation would be great!

J Alexander Lassally For sure. I guess to the surgical teams it is normal because it happens all of the time. They just lo ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally For sure. I guess to the surgical teams it is normal because it happens all of the time. They just look at it and nod (knowing)... Where the gap really lies in my view is in the cardiology and primary care areas who are supposed to care for us after we survive surgery !
A lot of cardiologists are pretty clueless about the rigors of the surgery - as are regular MDs! I just had my yearly physical and felt like I was educating my doctor... Perplexing...

Back to you - just repeat the labs frequently to make sure it is trending right

Kate Watson What is going on with your labs? I didn’t see that post.

Kimberly Eisenhut My red blood cells are really low and some other stuff, but I'm being told it's normal to be anemic a ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut My red blood cells are really low and some other stuff, but I'm being told it's normal to be anemic and red blood cells be low. They are having me get daily bloodwork for now to track it. At this point the anemia is causing such bad headaches and just feeling so tired . I reached out to surgical team and they said "you can take 325 mg of iron supplement if you want". Shouldn't I have been taking it from beginning ? I would think so.

Kate Watson I didn't think you'd have lost as much blood as open heart surgeries, but I guess anemia can happen w ... Read more

Kate Watson I didn't think you'd have lost as much blood as open heart surgeries, but I guess anemia can happen with any of these procedures. I was very anemic when I left the hospital even after a blood transfusion- my hemoglobin was very low and my surgeon's team was also like "you can take iron supplement for a week." Well as my career was a registered dietitian for a long time, I know that supplementing iron for a week isn't going to do anything. My cardiologist had a "blood building protocol" she wanted me to try so I've taken B12, folate, and iron for the last 2 months and my numbers are mostly normal by now. I know that it's awful to have anemia on top of everything since it makes you even more tired and weak. It just takes time for your body to build up those red blood cells again. And I guess the treatment will depend on how severe it is and what other labs are affected. Have you checked with your primary care on this part? I did meet with mine about it afterwards since the surgical team didn't seem to know much and I wanted to be sure it was being tracked. In my case by the way, they didn't want me getting daily bloodwork after discharge because of how anemic I was, so they didn't want to keep taking more blood out of me. Are the levels trending upward for you yet?

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

5 days ago

Pamela Gregory reacted to this

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Hi Kim ,
You are doing great

Little steps .
One day at a time xxx

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you Ruth Joy. I needed this tonight 💖 love you all more than I could ever convey here🥰� ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you Ruth Joy. I needed this tonight 💖 love you all more than I could ever convey here🥰🫶

Pamela Gregory You are doing really well Kimberly! I had really bad lab work for a while too. Give it time and stay... Read more

Pamela Gregory You are doing really well Kimberly! I had really bad lab work for a while too. Give it time and stay the course with any recommendations they have for you. Calm breathing exercises really helped me in some of the trying times

Pamela Gregory You are doing really well Kimberly! I had really bad lab work for a while too. Give it time and stay... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you Pamela, this anemia is worse than the chest nerve pain from my mini thorecotomy. I'm having ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you Pamela, this anemia is worse than the chest nerve pain from my mini thorecotomy. I'm having debilitating headaches . Getting blood work daily for a while to track it and starting iron supplements today. Really hope it helps. Doing spirometer and walking would be ok if my head wasn't pounding every afternoon, all afternoon ! Sheesh

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

6 days ago

Aaron Bader posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Sending along continued good vibes for your recovery and hope each day is getting just that little bit easier. Glad to read that little bit of compression... Read more

Sending along continued good vibes for your recovery and hope each day is getting just that little bit easier. Glad to read that little bit of compression is helping. You're doing great!

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

9 days ago

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Dear Kim ,
Elevate your arm slightly on a pillow if you aren ‘t already .
I hope that it is settling down xxx

Kimberly Eisenhut Ruth Joy, I've been doing that, but not helping . Team told me to wear wide band sports bra and put s ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Ruth Joy, I've been doing that, but not helping . Team told me to wear wide band sports bra and put small ice pack in it on and off. So far, it's actually feeling better having the slight compression. They also said sometimes with mini thorecotomy and everything going through same side , main incision, chest tubes and just trauma in same area can cause this. Makes sense as we have so much tissue, muscle, tendons , nerves going through chest. I'd tell anyone having mini thorecotomy to have sports bra, ice packs and just know about possible nerve pain afterwards. It's manageable of course with meds, but takes some experimenting and patience.
I appreciate your suggestion and well wishes . Sending hugs thanks to all my friends here ❤️

Richard Munson Glad to hear my hvs step daughter is better. A little nerve pain beats a heart attack any day. My sho ... Read more

Richard Munson Glad to hear my hvs step daughter is better. A little nerve pain beats a heart attack any day. My shoulder still hurts 4 years after my surgery. It was raised in a bad spot for 6 hours on the operating table. No complaints though. Happy i never had to wear a sports bra.

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

9 days ago

James Peltier posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Stay strong girl

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you James. I must admit , it's not what I thought. Pain gets rough and swelling is crazy. Guess ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you James. I must admit , it's not what I thought. Pain gets rough and swelling is crazy. Guess going through the right side between ribs is not a picnic either. Chest tubes went through all the same muscles , tendons, nerves. Nerve pain is no joke, I have new respect for people with nerve pain now 🥴
Otherwise, I'm doing ok. Day by day, little by little . Not something I can rush for sure💪❤️👍

Rose Madura You have a great attitude and that will make your recovery so much easier. God bless you.

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Ruth Joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Xxx

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

11 days ago

Deena Z, Sue Maize reacted to this

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Kim , you are doing great

We know that you are recovering now .
It all takes time and energy .
Put your energy into getting stronger .
Messaging can be put... Read more

Kim , you are doing great

We know that you are recovering now .
It all takes time and energy .
Put your energy into getting stronger .
Messaging can be put on the back burner for a while …..
We are still here and are very happy to hear from you

Xxx

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

12 days ago

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Dear Kim ,
Welcome to recovery

You are doing great

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you Ruth. Sorry I haven't posted. My daughter did first post op post for me. Struggling a littl ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you Ruth. Sorry I haven't posted. My daughter did first post op post for me. Struggling a little, but moving forward,so can't ask for more . I'm grateful❤️👍

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Candy Wilson, Michael John Smith reacted to this

David Buchanan posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Hey Kimberly

hope you on the journey just like me .

it is day 6 and have improved so much

hang in- every day gets 10% better

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Dear Dawn and Kim ,
I hope that you are both doing okay .
Welcome to recovery Kim

Look after yourself too Dawn

xxx

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Jodi Tooke, Michael John Smith reacted to this

Michael John Smith posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Wishing you a speedy and full recovery and many, many fulfilling, healthy years ahead.

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you, on step down and making progress. Mini Thorecotomy is not what I thought, but can't compl ... Read more

Kimberly Eisenhut Thank you, on step down and making progress. Mini Thorecotomy is not what I thought, but can't complain. My regurgitation is now trivial to mild, so it worked. 👍Update when I don't have a crushing headache. Maybe all the meds.

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Jodi Tooke reacted to this

Janet Gaffney posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Hey there!

Rooting for you! ❤️

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Rose Madura, Michael John Smith reacted to this

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

You are doing great

xxx

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Deena Z, Rose Madura, Fidel Martínez Ruiz and 1 other reacted to this

Richard Munson posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Good luck kimberly. As elvis used to say “ i’ve got a good luck charm, hanging on my arm”

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Kimberly Eisenhut reacted to this

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Hi Dawn ,
Look after yourself too and try not to worry

Kimberly Eisenhut I'm trying. I'm naturally an anxious person just like my mom. Can't wait for it to be over!

Melinda Donahue ❤️

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Kevin Carmelengo reacted to this

Corey Potter posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Best wishes today! I know you have been nervous, but you will do great and you will finally have this behind you.

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Rose Madura reacted to this

Ruth joy posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Morning Kim ,
After your surgery , keep in touch with us all so that we know that you are okay , but post less .
You need to put your energy into recovering... Read more

Morning Kim ,
After your surgery , keep in touch with us all so that we know that you are okay , but post less .
You need to put your energy into recovering from surgery .
Good luck for today

xxxxxx

Melinda Donahue Speedy recovery. One day at a time.

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

David Buchanan posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Best of luck for surgery !

Kimberly Eisenhutgot a new guestbook post

10 days ago

Fidel Martínez Ruiz reacted to this

Anne Riches- photo taken August 18th 2025 on holiday Orlando, Age 67years xxx posted a note for Kimberly that says:

Wishing you the best of luck for your operation from London, UK, you’ve got this!! I am 18 months post Aortic valve Surgery and I am a new woman!!!! I have ...Read more

Wishing you the best of luck for your operation from London, UK, you’ve got this!! I am 18 months post Aortic valve Surgery and I am a new woman!!!! I have my life back, my positive attitude saw me through my recovery my surgeon says, and I promise it really wasn’t as bad as I thought. I had my chest opened fully and no pain only needed Paracetamol no morphine, my scar can hardly be seen which was my biggest concern lol!
just Listen to advice take things slowly and listen to your own body! All WILL go well. God Bless xx
Cardiac Surgeon: Mr Neil Robert’s @ BARTs Cardiac Centre, London, UK.