I just stumbled on this link, 4 years after its start. My heart surgeon in 1962 a Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla. was Dr. Robert Litwak! I was 11 at ...Read more
I just stumbled on this link, 4 years after its start. My heart surgeon in 1962 a Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla. was Dr. Robert Litwak! I was 11 at the time with atriel septal defect and 3 veins on the wrong side of the heart. They used a then revolutionary Teflon tube to lug the hole and drain the veins. No problem since. Litwak went to Mt. Sinai a couple of months after my surgery.
Linda:
I too had the magic of Dr. Litwak effect me in 1963. My pediatric cardiologist was Dr. Steinfeld who I always looked up to as my second father. We ...Read more
Linda:
I too had the magic of Dr. Litwak effect me in 1963. My pediatric cardiologist was Dr. Steinfeld who I always looked up to as my second father. We are both very lucky people. I hope that you are able to get that same excellent care as you had in the past. All the best!!!
Eliot Carmi
linda hussey wow eliot amazing!!! your the first person ive came upon that had dr litwak for a surgeon so many yea ... Read more
linda hussey wow eliot amazing!!! your the first person ive came upon that had dr litwak for a surgeon so many years ago-have u filled out a journal? i am so interested to see if you have had any other problems with your heart-please contact me-im on facebook. linda freitas hussey. thank u
I feel for you Linda, I think I would be getting a second opinon. I would think going to rehab would be to much stress on you. Hope you get everything done ...Read more
I feel for you Linda, I think I would be getting a second opinon. I would think going to rehab would be to much stress on you. Hope you get everything done like you want it to be and will soon be over.
I to am in the same boat. Think I will hear something from doctor then he says it could be 5 months to 5 years. Good luck to you.
For the long haul
Linda H
Hi Linda, at times like this, one word comes to mind \"Shit\" (excuse my french). It just seems to sum it all up completely. I know you are frustrated. Is ...Read more
Hi Linda, at times like this, one word comes to mind \"Shit\" (excuse my french). It just seems to sum it all up completely. I know you are frustrated. Is there a seonc surgeon you can see? DVB has good advice, push for more answers. Those close to you love you and probably just don\"t know what to say. Breath deep, take it slow and figure out if the rehab is key to your recovery. If it is, unfortunately, you know what you need to do. Try to stay strong. Tomorrow is another day.
-Mitch Friedman
Hi Linda: Sounds pretty frustrating. The business about rehab vs surgery may have to do with risk. Ask to see the evidence (studies) that show that people ...Read more
Hi Linda: Sounds pretty frustrating. The business about rehab vs surgery may have to do with risk. Ask to see the evidence (studies) that show that people in your circumstance have better outcomes when they undertake a few months of rehab prior to surgery instead of immediate surgery. My cardiology team was happy to point me to studies. Having confidence in the science behind the course of treatment is important when it comes to knowing that the course set by your doctor is right. Take care Linda -- DVB
I will be pulling for you, hope things work out and you find a \"peaceful\" place soon. Mass General is a great facility!
Linda Dixon
linda hussey Linda I was very peaceful as I said. When I saw the specialist a month ago she's the one who said tha ... Read more
linda hussey Linda I was very peaceful as I said. When I saw the specialist a month ago she's the one who said that don't worry that once I'm seen by surgeon that he is quick to schedule surgery and it would probably be a week or 2 after and I literally leaned on those words and that gave me peace that once I got to surgeon things would start happening. Then it was the specialists idea to through the last minute curve .i feel like ive got knocked down to the very beginning of this very hard journey.i fully understand everyone's journey is difficult but what adds to my stress is I am a re operatipn
Linda, I\'m sorry you seem to be getting somewhat of a run-a-round. I don\'t know who you are seeing, but have you considered going to one of the major centers ...Read more
Linda, I\'m sorry you seem to be getting somewhat of a run-a-round. I don\'t know who you are seeing, but have you considered going to one of the major centers such as Cleveland Clinic, where you can actually see ALL the different specialists in one trip? They have a teamwork approach there. I know how frustrating the waiting is, I have waited since October myself, but my wait was because my surgeon did not have an opening until March 13th. My case is not nearly as complicated as yours, pretty straight forward, I can\'t imagine the roller coaster you have been on. It isn\'t any of my business, but maybe you can consider the Cleveland Clinic. It is not difficult to be seen there, you can refer yourself, don\'t need a doctor\'s referral, just need to send them all of your test results. Check out their website, they give you all the details. Hope you get some answers soon, I know the waiting is awful.
We are here to support you and whatever decision YOU make.
Take care and good luck,
Linda Dixon
linda hussey i am being seen by mass general hospital-which is 5th in the nation for valve replacements. another q ... Read more
linda hussey i am being seen by mass general hospital-which is 5th in the nation for valve replacements. another question i asked the surgeon was how many people like me has he operated on and he said 40% of all of his surgeries and reoperations on people like me which i do need that extra experience. right now im just working on raw nerves -i really liked the congental heart defect specialist dr bhatt until she handled me in that manner. instead of her sayin yu dont need surgery u need rehab and ill re assess she should have said ...before your surgery ... u need rehab and had me done it a month ago. seriously-as i said im working on raw nerves-i probably will soften regarding her cuz i really did like her before this but i will definetly set some ground rules such as be up front with me dont patronise me and dont give me small bits of info at a time.
Linda,
I wish you all the best today when you meet with the surgeon to sort out your choices. Sounds like you\'re doing all of your homework. Take care
- Jim ...Read more
Linda,
I wish you all the best today when you meet with the surgeon to sort out your choices. Sounds like you\'re doing all of your homework. Take care
- Jim Smith
Hi Linda, sounds like you are ready for the meeting with your surgeon. You have your questions, the right attitude and as a health care professional, you know ...Read more
Hi Linda, sounds like you are ready for the meeting with your surgeon. You have your questions, the right attitude and as a health care professional, you know you are your own best advocate. Good luck tomorrow.
All the best,
-Mitch Friedman
Forgot to sign the last message.
Stephanie Dennard
linda hussey hi stephanie- i had no problems from after my surgery at 4 yrs of age until 2 yrs ago at the tender a ... Read more
linda hussey hi stephanie- i had no problems from after my surgery at 4 yrs of age until 2 yrs ago at the tender age of 52. i saw a cardiologist every 2 yrs took my antibiotics pre dental proceedures and that was it. had 3 children that i gave birth to. i was a normal teen ager and did everything everybody else did including smoking cigarettes- which i smoked 40 somethinng yrs.
linda hussey had no problems until age 52 when i developed aflutter went to hospital with a heart rate of 266-had ... Read more
linda hussey had no problems until age 52 when i developed aflutter went to hospital with a heart rate of 266-had cardioversion-where they shocked my heart to slow it down and that worked for a week then i was getting that flutter back -at 130-150 but still uncomfortable-had cardiac ablation for 6 hrs and i was told i had so much scar tissue that it was messing up my normal conduction system of my heart. the ablation didnt work for long and i was placed on a antidysrhythmic med called tikosyn along with the lopressor which worked really well and i only got the flutter once in awhile. i went for a routine echo back in nov and it showed my pulmonic valve got worse and also tricuspid and i also have regurg going through the repair i got for the hole in my heart-my cardiologist feels i have a 80 percent chance of needing surgery and i have an appt with a surgeion march 5th.i have been really lucky. back when i had surgery back in 1961 not a great survival rate like today. my mom found a surgeon she liked in miami-we were living in fla at the time- at jackson memorial hospital-he was head of cardiothorasic surgery there at the time and performed floridas first ever open heart surgery- in that hospital in 1956 .he got a promotion to mt sinai hospital in nyc at my mom followed him there. gave up her job and ran to ny just because of me. anything else i can help u with let me know-how old are u?
take care
linda
I am from: middletown, Rhode Island
