Mary's Guestbook

Little Sis Mia, Wow! We counted up together and have both reached one year - what a precious gift to celebrate! I send you my deep love and admiration and gratitude. You are such a faithful Heart Sister, and so often your words and greetings have buoyed my spirits! Yes, I am sending you hugs and Butterfly Kisses and Eskimo Pies! And they will continue to come as we count up now in years instead of days! Bless you, my precious Mia, and may your generous heart continue to serve you well as you spread joy in so much of what you do! Always, in love, Ginger :o)

hi Mary hope you are doing fine i am still going to cardio rehab 3 and enjoying it it seems not every one comes all the time just when they can i guess they have busy lives but Smitty comes almost all the time he has been coming for 22 years makes me wonder if i will be doing the same 20+years down the road ha ha your heart brother steve (popeye)

Mary, let me know how you felt about cardiac rehab? I'm having my evaluation tomorrow and then will do M/W/F 4:30pm beginning next week. I'm hopeful for quality nutritional advice and counseling, etc. along with the exercises.

Mary, let me know how you felt about cardiac rehab? I'm having my evaluation tomorrow and then will do M/W/F 4:30pm beginning next week. I'm hopeful for quality nutritional advice and counseling, etc. along with the exercises.

Hello Mary, I had mitral valve repair on Dec. 26th, almost 4 months ago. Like Dan D., I have also chatted with Duane Beeman a few times & he mentioned you had the same surgery he's going to have: right anterior thoracotomy vs. sternotomy. I chose a mini sternotomy. Was your incision under your right breast? How long is the scar? Even though my surgery's over & done (thank you, Lord!!), I'm still curious how the recovery was with the approach you had. My scar is quite low & just 3.5". My sternum still let's me know when I've overdone it, so I need to be careful making certain movements. Are you 100% healed or do you still get "twinges" now & then? Thanks for taking the time to answer my many questions. I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend, Jenni

Hi Mary, Duane Beerman suggested I reach out to you about your aortic replacement procedure. I'm scheduled for aortic replacement surgery via mini-sternotomy by Dr. McCarthy at Northwestern. Duane said he's scheduled for a "right anterior thoracotomy" for replacement of my aortic valve that is considered minimally invasive and entails a three or four inch incision on the right upper portion of my chest to access the heart. They do not remove any rib nor do they crack the sternum in any way. He said you had the same procedure. I was not aware of this procedure or offered it as an option for replacing my valve. What is the reason you had this procedure as opposed to OHS? Thanks so much.

Mia, my sister, Just wanted to take a minute to let you know you are in my heart, mind, and prayers. Keep that wonderful positive attitude of yours and I know you are lighting up the world as you shine on all of the little people that you work with! Love and hugs, and yes, butterfly kisses and Eskimo pies, Ging

Mary: I meet my cardiologist on Wednesday of next week. Marc Sakwa and Eric Hanson are at the top of MY list. As far as my posts, I try to bring a little different approach to this thing. As a fighter, I had to channel fear and redirect it. You look at it it, you assess it, then you laugh in its face. You can fool yourself into NOT being afraid with a little practice. If I'm brave about this, maybe it will help somebody else be brave as well. If I can do that, I've accomplished something.

My sister Mia! Just taking a chance to send a warm hello and kisses and Eskimo pies! You do so much to communicate with people behind us on the Journey, and I am very proud to be your Heart Sister! Bless you and may you continue to be one who spreads encouragement, love, and joy! Your Heart Sis, Ginger xoxo

Mary. I'm going to have some answers soon. My cardiologist is Kraft out of the Beaumont system. I've been hearing that Dr. Eric Hansen is a great surgeon (also working with Beaumont). Nobody on the site talks about Beaumont but I know some pretty bright people who speak very highly of Beaumont's cardio program

Hey Mary. I'm in Sterling Heights also !! Thanks for the note. I'm not much of a "praying" guy but that doesn't mean I have any objection to it ! I'm probably just going to put my game face on and do what has to be done. Not much of a decision actually. I plan on being around a lot of years.....

Hello Mary. I posted last night and it didn't go through. That is the second time recently and it hasn't happened on any other time I have posted. Sorry, don't know what happened. Hope your healing is progressing and the "little ones" aren't wearing you out much but just adding to your re-hab options! I am headed out this morning for a walk as it is one of the fog-free moments of this day! I will write longer soon and want to hear how you are doing too. Be Well and thinking of you too.

Hi Mia! Thanks for your notes. You are very thoughtful. I have been trying to post in my Journal a couple of times a week. The past week was particularly tough with Jim on call and lots of surgeries and calls to the home when he was down in some OR operating that does not get cell phone or pager reception. So I get woken up at 3 AM with various people wanting to know where he is. Sometimes I say something like, "If you want to talk to him, I suggest you call the OR area at QQQQ Medical Center." Then I ask them not to call back. The next night the process is repeated. I guess I could just not answer, but I don't want them to continue ringing our home phone. The good news is that I am in my second week of cardiac rehab and it is going great. I like the people. The staff has now learned what I can and cannot do because of my brain damage. I think it is really good for me, and they are careful to monitor throughout, check BPs and even O2 Saturation routinely, and tweak up time and resistance each time I come in. The crowd is almost all male, with just a few females who appear to be quite a bit older than me. No problem there. I did have to explain twice to the staff that my coronary arteries are clear and are the same ones I have had all my life. I do not feel a need to go to their classes on how to avoid cardiovascular disease, because I had a bad valve and it has been replaced. The dietician did an interview my second day there after having me fill out two questionnaires. I have lost 15 pounds on my own since surgery, and that includes the five weeks when I was relatively immobile with vertigo and nausea. So glad my family doc lowered the dose. Hope you are enjoying yourself and continue to get better and stronger each day, Love and hugs, Ginger

Hi Mia, I just want to say hello and let you know that I'm thinking of you. I had been composing an email to send to you and got a little sidetracked and never finished it. I will though. But in the meantime I am sending you this note so you won't think I've forgotten you. I hope you are having fun at work now and that you aren't overworking. Take care Mia...I will talk to you again soon. ~Karen

Hello Mia. Terrie here. Just want you to know that I have been thinking about you since I got home from the hospital and have had trouble sitting down too long at the computer up until recently so my posts to people are not getting to where they once went easily. Bottom line you take care and continue well in your recovery. If you want to contact me off site feel free at: tsyvertsen1@sbcglobal.net) Take care as I have to go to get ready for an appt. Love, Terrie

Little Sis Mia, Have seen posts from you here and there but wanted to send congrats on being over a month out! Feels pretty good, doesn't it? I start cardiac rehab in another week and am taking Tylenol before bed because I seem to wake up in the night aching if I don't and figure it's a small price to pay for a good night's sleep. And sleeping seems to be getting better. I am still dealing with the vertigo, but figure it is the blood pressure lowering effects of the metoprolol on top of the head injury vertigo. The latter seems to take any additional stress as an excuse to show its face. I am hoping my BP will adjust to the med so this doesn't last the entire 3 months my cardio says I will be taking it. Guess time will tell. Sending butterfly kisses and Eskimo Pies! Ginger

Hello Mia, Terrie here. Thought of you often today as it was warm out and from early on there were Butterflies and dragonflies dancing around in the back yard under our peach tree. The iris's have long since died back but their leaves are still in evidence and Kat loves to hide behind the lot of them and jump out and catch Hunter as he sniffs along in the garden. Our large purple butterfly bushes are both in blossom still and it is an awesome sight of activity especially with the bees and dragonflies bringing u the rear of the ever eager hummingbirds that grace our small cottage like garden area. I am hoping you are at peace tonight and feeling really well about your progressing recovery. Boy are we not glad this is behind us.! I think of you everyday(and thank your sister also for writing, I was also touched by her thoughtfulness) You take care Lady and be good to you. WE ARE DOING GOOD! Love, Terrie

Wow, you are doing well, and cleared already to drive. I am still waiting for that myself. My surgeon said after 4 weeks, but his PA and nurses said more like 6. I am kinda afraid so I haven't driven yet, afraid of the looking behind, over my shoulder, etc. I am six weeks out so I will start this week, and am looking forward to the stress test Sept. 2nd which will, hopefully, clear me for cardiac rehab. Good to hear of your progress, keep healing. Eleanor

Hello Mary, How are you today. I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you. I was wondering if I could get your email address again. Have a Great Day. Olga.

There you are Sister Mia. I couldn't find you. I forgot your name was Mary. I remember you gave me your email address in one of the responses on my guest book on the previous format of the site but I lost that so I couldn't email. Have you heard anything more on Terrie? How about Popeye (Steve). I sent him a card. Hopefully, he's feeling our love and not feeling alone. I hope he is no longer so frightened and that he's doing well with his recovery. Well, now that I found you, I'm going to read your posts to catch and I'll comment more later. Karen Pineda

Hi Mary - so glad you are doing well - I love reading your posts and loved to find out that you're a teacher too. I bet you can't wait to get back to those little ones!

I was glad that someone (finally) heard my heart murmur. It was the physician's assistant, in December of last year. I don't think he has heard it even today! Anyway, that started the ball rolling, and I'm glad that the surgery is done. They called it "elective" which reminds me of tummy tucks and face lifts, but the alternative was "emergency", which I am glad to have avoided. I think I might be cleared to drive in another week or so, I'm now at four and a half weeks. No pain meds for quite a while, no need, but I'm still cautious with sudden upper body moves, and when I am not, I hear about it from my chest muscles. Actually the left side is now waking up and stretching itself a bit too, which feels kind of comforting in a symmetrical sense. No pain, just twinges. They had a hard time finding pain meds that worked for me, so my ICU stay was not pleasant because of chest tubes lying on a nerve apparently, but other than that, it was a very easy surgery and recovery. I hope to start cardiac rehab and test what I can do, under supervision which is the best. Keep healing, and keep up your good posts.