michelle's Guestbook

Welcome, Michelle. My lifelong migraines stopped at menopause (5-6 yrs before surgery), but a new and different version cranked up after valve surgery. Mine was done a couple weeks before yours. I'm still prone to getting the auras and sometimes the pain follows, sometimes not. I also still get a certain visual anomaly in my right eye, as well--that phenomenon began a day or two after I was released. The first episode was new and frightening, so they insisted that I have a full-scale workup while still in Cleveland where I had the surgery and later saw a local neurologist, to be sure that nothing more serious was going on. I'm glad you found this site. Best to you!

Yes. I have a history of migraines since I was a teenager. Thankfully , they lessened in severity since then. I only get an occasional “optical migraine” or aura. No headache or nausea anymore. After my ascending aneurysm surgery 2 years ago, I had very frequent optical migraines for many months. They also have all but disappeared. This is very common post open heart surgery. I know we are at an increased risk for stroke, so I keep my cholesterol and BP in an optimal range. I also try to stay in shape to ward off Alzheimer’s, which runs in my family. I am also a nurse (CRNA) for 40+ years, so I know how hard it is to “know too much”. But, I try not to worry about all the “what-ifs “in life. Wishing you all the best- Marie Myers