Rob's Guestbook

Mike Roskowinski  Thoughts and prayers are with you Rob. Once you are in recovery it is so much better than waiting.

Rob Scilingo  Hi Jeff- do you think by just taking the beta blockers the weight came on or was it just the lethargic ness of taking them that made you gain weight? I gained close to 20lbs. I thought it was the beta blockers since I did not change anything in my diet. Then, I started second guessing myself and thought well maybe I am just stress eating. It would be very interesting to hear others takes on this.

Jeff Baker  For me I feel it was the lethargic ness from taking the meds. The Beta Blockers definitely took away some of my energy. I would catch myself zoning out and feeling in a "haze." I also started having occasional shortness of breath because of my Mitral Valve and that didn't help either.

Barbara Wood  Just my 2 cents on beta blockers - I've been on 2.5 mg of toprolxl for a little over 3 years. It took a long! time to acclimate to that small dose - fatigue, dizziness, spacey - but now I actually like taking it & given the option of going off it at my last cardio visit I chose to stay on. I've become a very mellow person since my surgery- maybe from perspective gained, maybe a side effect from toprol, & my stamina & energy level is very high- I do a lot of mountain hiking. My cardiologist loves beta blockers & thinks if a person can tolerate them well, they're a good med to take.

Rob Scilingo  Hi Barbara- thanks so much for your comments. I kind of laughed at the "mellow person" part because you 100% correct on that point. I am super mellow on them and rarely do I get upset. It is almost scary :) I went for a run today after work and really pushed through the spacey/sluggish feelings and set out to kick the beta blockers in the butt for my runs. Other than the spacey (which can be very dangerous in my profession), I actually do like the mellow part. Thanks for putting a smile on my face after an otherwise very poopy day.

Rob Scilingo  Was it elective or did your doctor suggest you do it? My doctor is making it sound like it is elective. The same Cardiologist that told me to change careers at the age of 51 since my job is so physically demanding. I LOVE my job and want to do nothing else after spending 20+ years as an executive in technology. I am trying to get the surgery since my cardiologist put a lifetime ban in my HR file for not lifting anything over 50lbs.. Literally impossible in my job. I also don't want to fear the CT-Scans every six months only to find out I need a surgery when I turn 65 or something. I am 51 now and super healthy (other than my heart) and am a runner. The beta blockers make my runs feel like I am carrying a 50lb ruck sack.

Peter Eglinton  When I learned seven years ago that I had an aortic aneurysm, it rocked my world. It was on my mind frequently for about six months, until I spoke with a cardiologist in Boston who co-authored a paper on when to do surgical interventions and other topics related to aneurysm. He put my mind at ease that it could be monitored and addressed at the appropriate time. That time was April 29, when I had surgery to repair the aneurysm and my aortic valve. Recovery has been relatively smooth, and I am enjoying getting back into shape at cardiac rehab. Hang in there!

Marie Myers  I was blindsided by the same kind of news also in 2016. Very hard to accept that I had an aneurysm that needed surgery. Flash forward almost 3 years, and I have a bovine aortic valve, new aortic root ,and new ascending aorta. It was not as difficult physically as it was mentally for me. You can get through this. If you have questions or just want to vent, this is the place. Wishing you peace and a smooth trip!

Rob Scilingo  Mike, Peter and Marie- Thank you all for your kind words. I really need to hear them as I am getting super scared to meet with surgeon and actually getting a surgical date. Anyway, thanks again for being so kind.