Mary's Guestbook

Hi Mary, Tomorrow is your big day. All the best to you for an easy road and a quick recovery! Looking forward to hearing how you are doing in the next few weeks. All the best to you.

Mary, I also go to the same hospital. Same surgeon recommended to me. Although it has been yet to be determined who will be my surgeon. I look forward to hearing what a huge success your surgery is.

I had a St jude valve put in 1996. Ive been doing great for over 20 yrs now and no probs Mary. Dont stress too much about the warfarin. I did the first few years and it was for nothing. Get an at home monitor and just try to keep your levels in range. Its not near as scary as it sounds!! good luck!! James

Hi Mary, I read your story and I too had radiotherapy for Hodgkin disease in 1989. Wind forward to 8 weeks ago and I had a heart murmur diagnosed which was causing mild symptoms but nothing I was worried about, it was by chance that the murmur was identified and as I have severe aortic stenosis I am now scheduled to have the valve replaced tomorrow with a mechanical valve. I am 49 and really not ready for this, it's been a rollercoaster. Keep in touch Andria

Hi Mary yes this journey has been the scariest of my life..I have been lucky enough to very health up until I found out I had a bicuspid valve and would need surgery at some point in time, which was 5 years ago.. at the time I put it out of my head as I was told , "its be awhile, if at all" so a while was five years.. Last year at this time I was getting ready for a trip to Ireland to celebrate my husband and my 30th wedding anniversary and month before I had my check up with the cardiologist with my echo.. thats when I got the news that it was time to start thinking of surgery.. let me tell you it was like a ton of bricks had just hit me.. What? you said it would be a while? thats when I started doing research and found this site.. There are so many wonderful people on it that have gone through the same thing and have answers that most surgeons don't give you as they just tell you what you need to have done and you get "you'll do great" really? can you guarantee me that? how do I deal with this all these fears of "heart surgery". I'm 55 and when I was a kid, heart surgery was a BIG deal. So, like most I started reading the stories and finally joined and Im so glad I did.. I've met some wonderful people I've emailed with and spoken on the phone with all who are willing to share their stories and help alleviate any of my fears.. I went into surgery pretty prepared as to what might happen but also knowing that the surgeons and nurses are trained personnel and they do this EVERY DAY.. I was as positive as I could be going in and kept telling myself that The Lord let me know about this issue so I could fix it and put me in the position to have it fixed and He would be with be along the way.. If you need to talk to someone Id be happy to do that, email me at formia0711@gmail and we can exchange numbers.. take care.