Rosemary's Guestbook

Hi Rosemary, I had surgery just a few days after you, and I have dizzy spells now and then too. Not sure if it is my arrhythmias ( I still have a lot of palpitations) or low blood pressure or what. It is a little worrisome, but like you, I don\'t really want to go have more tests done. I\'m hoping they will gradually go away like all the other aches and pains. After four months, I am just ready to start being normal again! Deb Ziegler

Rosemary, Was just reading your journal. Great to hear you have done so well overall. I am a chiropractor in Orlando, Florida. I can offer you two suggestions. One for dizziness. It could be you have what is called \"cervicogenic dizziness\" or if you have feeling of yourself spinning or the room spinning, it could be \"cervicgenic vertigo\". Basically, dizziness or vertigo coming from mechanical problems with the neck. This responds amazingly well to chiropractic care. See this link below for some info and Google further for yourself. http://www.livestrong.com/article/70918-cervicogenic-dizziness-treatment/ Also, for the scar/chest pain etc, try seeing if the chiropractor you may see also uses \"cold laser\" also know as \"low level laser therapy\". I will be using this on my chest and scar post surgery to heal faster. If you go to You Tube you can search cold laser and watch some of the news video reports from around the U.S. Search \"cold laser ML830\" The ML 830 model if the one I use in my offices but there are many models on the market. Good luck to you. Jeff Shebovsky, Orlando, FL

Hi Rosemary, It is good to learn that you are doing so well now! You had some rough times, but time and healing does make a difference. The scar tissue should get better with time. That has been the case with other surgeries that I have had through the years. The best is yet to come. Take care! John Lund

Duh rosemary. I see I had posted you in nov of last year. My apologies for not recalling but going thru your Posts I saw it & Thot well when she sees I am a blonde she will understand. :) Either way so glad u r doing well & your boobs are still bigger than mine ! Ha ha.

Hi. Just came across you & realize we re in the same \"era\" so to speak. Loved ur pix. I go in on feb 9 for AVR & seeing your positive posts have really helped me thx so much We love your city & country & while not sure well get there again so appreciate the opportunity we had there. Even got to Hamilton island On any event. Continue on your successful healthful journey & I wanna be like u ! But your boobs are bigger & I\'m hoping for a mini stern. Well see. Thet say healing time is the same. Enjoy and I\'ll be back yo u I\'m sure. Nancy Friedman st Louis. Avr. 2-9-12. Agggggggg.

Thank you for that post. I am at 6 weeks and feel pretty darn good. Your post makes me look forward to even better times. Keep up the great work and keep us posted. Jane

Thank you Rosemary for your response, it helps me. What s support group this blog is! Indeed pre op is quite anxiogenic, I\'m living with the countdown for months now, and in a way, I want to have it done soon, to get over it once and for all. And to know that you can \'get away with it\' with time ans a little bit of makeup, boost your moral :) Thanks again Rosemary.

Thank you Rosemary for posting photos of your scar. I will have a sternotomy in one month for a mitral valve repair and was wondering about my post op look! Now I know and frankly, while I would prefer not having any :), it\'s ok to have one. The most important is to have a good surgical outcome!! I wish you a very nice Christmas and a good recovery. Christine

Hi Rosemary, I have been there and done that as well. I was really surprised at how good I felt a few weeks back, even posted it in my journal. I did too much and my body (and mind) let me know it. I am trying to do better now. Still pushing myself a bit, but also taking time to rest, even nap in the afternoons when I can, and do better with my sleep time and getting good nourishment. Definitely need some patience during this time. I am glad you are doing better now! John Lund

Hi Rosemary, I am 2 weeks since my surgery. I went to a Christmas party at a neighbors house. I thought of you right away. What\'s with my voice? It kind of feels like I have to give a really big cough, but of course I don\'t want to because it hurts. I spent more time clearing my throat than talking. I think most people thought I had a cold. It was fun to be out doing something normal. I feel asleep sooo fast after that. Keep inspiring us. Jane

Hi Rosemary, Getting back to work is a good milestone, even on a part time basis. It is another step in the recovery process; even if it is a bit of a challenge returning to normal work activities. Take your time as much as possible, you are still recovering, and it has not been that long since your surgery. I am getting ready to go to my rehab session now. Best wishes for your continued recovery! John Lund

Hi Rosemary, I had a consult with a plastic surgeon yesterday about my sternotomy scar and thought I\'d pass along what I learned, which is basically that unless your scar is abnormally bad there isn\'t much they can do to improve its apperance. There are some things you can do now, since you are at 8 weeks and the sternum is healed and there is no danger of breaking the incision open. Probably the most effective is self-massage, gentle circular motion to help free up the scar tissue and promote circulation. This is most effective when the skin is warm, like after a shower. Also I saw some improvement in the texture of the scar by applying vitamin E (puncture a gel capsule and squeeze the oil onto the incision and massage it in for a few minutes. I do this at bedtime since the oil is messy and can stain your clothes). At 8 weeks it was raised and now at 6 months it\'s flat and can\'t be felt with my eyes closed. I don\'t think it improved much beyond month 4 and the plastic surgeon said I have gotten all the benefit from it I\'m likely to see. Another product he recommended is called Scar-away, I think. It\'s a liquid product that contains silicone and is painted onto the scar. Like vitamin E it can flatten our the texture of the scar and is most effective early on like at 8 weeks. Aside from flattening out the scar, he said the scar (especially the redness) will continue to fade for about 2 years so patience is important. If your scar is red or purple, highly raised or keloided, steroid injections or laser treatments can help. But if your scar is \"normal\" the best treatment appears to be time and patience. Now, I am off to find some of that patience! Hope some of this is helpful for you.

Life is great Rosemary...we are the lucky ones. So glad to read about your continued good recovery. I am at the same stage as you in the recovery and I am very near back to normal...except for just a bit if stiffness/soreness in the chest. Keep up the wonderful recovery! JH Mattingly

Hi Rosemary, You are brave for posting pictures of your sternotomy scar. I am very unhappy about mine and don\'t even want to look at it myself. I have struggled for 6 months to figure out why this is such a problem for me. I had wanted robotic surgery for the shorter recovery but didn\'t qualify. The recovery is long behind me so that\'s not it. The scar is ugly but I can cover it with makeup. I think what bothers me is that the scar contradicts my self image as a fit, athletic person. My heart now functions better than ever, so if I didn\'t have to look at the scar I could forget about the surgery. If you have any insights I\'d love to hear how you feel about this. Regarding health insurance in the US. I have excellent insurance; my out of pocket expenses are capped at $5000 and I have not been denied anything whatsoever. I have two grown children with their own health insurance and they haven\'t been denied anything either. Of course there are problems with our health system as there are in just about any country you can name, but with so many foreigners coming here if and when they can, the standard of care is unbeatable. As with any topic, you can find horror stories if you look for them, and Moore definitely does. He is probably the last person I would look to for objective reporting. He has his prejudices and I have mine, for what it\'s worth.

Hi Rosemary, The traffic is usually light on my journey to work and back, although some of the roads are not that great. I put in 8:00 hours, but my bosses are great in letting me off on the days I go to rehab; it is in the opposite direction from my house than work and going both places on the same day would be challenging. Getting there at 7:00 AM is a bit of a challenge. My trips to the rehab center and elsewhere on those days do get me into heavier traffic. Take your time going back to work, you will be there soon enough. The first day I went to work, it seemed like it had not been that long since I had made that trip. John

Hi Rosemary, It is good to learn that you are learning how to do things that help with your pain; that should make things a lot easier for you. It is also good that you are getting more independent by going shopping on your own. I started off with short trips also. Now I am doing 50 mile round trips to work two days a week, and more than that on my my rehab days. You will get continue to get better, whatever is bothering you; just listen to your body and give it the rest it needs and check with the doctor(s) if needed, but you know that. I speak from having the experience of having done a bit too much last week. I agree with Joe\'s statement about the insurance coverage; there are people that have good coverage, but there are too many that do not have good coverage. My previous comment could have been better. Things are getting worse with our declining economy. John Lund

Hi Rosemary Glad to hear that you are sort of getting back to normal. Hopefully you are on the home stretch. I hope to be down in Sydney in January and if you are ok with this I would like to catch up as I am having my aortic valve replaced sometime in the new year and I am sure you would have lots of advice for me after your experience. If not I understand My email address is: jennifer.ismay@mn.catholic.edu.au Regards Jenny I Newcastle Australia

Rosemary, Luckily I have a good job with good insurance, but there are many who do not. On this subject you will get differing opinions depending on who you talk to. I have friends, neighbors and relatives that are not in as good a position. It is the haves and have nots. Only the haves can respond to you. Take Care, Joe Gimbel

Hi Rosemary, Sicko and Michael Moore should not be taken very seriously. He made a lot of claims that are, at least, questionable. True, there are problems at times, but I think that happens anywhere, not just in the USA. From what I have read, the vast majority of people in the USA are satisfied with their healthcare system. Although, it is true that not everyone has health insurance for various reasons, and improvements could be made. I personally have not had any problems with insurance coverage for my treatments this year. John

Hi Rosemary, It is good to learn that you got a good report from your surgeon! Getting to drive again is a great milestone also. Just remember to take your Vitamin P; push yourself, but listen very closely to how your body and heart responds, they are still recovering and will be for quite a while. Better to be a bit cautious than to over do something; especially if you are starting back into the commercial area. The best gift you can give to others is to heal yourself. Take care, John