Sandra's Guestbook

Sandra, your case is complicated, as mine is. Two years after my bovine AVR replacement, I started having symptoms of shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. At first a Cath revealed re stenosis, was scheduled for surgery..... but my symptoms improved and we are still waiting. Since then, it has been determined that the valve area and root need to be extended, as the blood flow is not sufficient. Another opinion showed my valve is working ok for now, so it's easy to second guess these symptoms .. Hopefully, it may be something else going on for you. I feel ok most days, and still worry about the best path to take. I do worry about waiting too long. Hope you will get checked out soon. I will be praying for you and that your doctors discover the best solution for you.

Hi Sandra! My aortic valve was replaced in Oct 2013. The surgeon told me that I had a very healthy heart, inspecting it physically with his hands. He told me that my old valve had been weakened since birth and the new one would last for an average of 15 years. My cardiologist tells me that the medical community is making great strides in replacing valves ( I had my chest opened up) and by the time my valve needs to be replaced it will be a simple replacement through the groin. I used to lay awake listening to my heart beat and wondering what was in the future for me. Today, I don't even think about it. I do not take any meds (I got off all meds as soon as I could as I worked in pharma for 30 years and did not want to depend on drugs to keep me going. If something is abnormal with my blood test, I take care of it myself naturally and with exercise. The only issue that has come up was some atrial fib which lasted from the tennis court to the grocery store and to the doctor. I was not adding electrolytes to my water on the court. They put me on amiodorone and coumadin and I got off them in a week. I think that exercise is the key to recovery. I am 71 and I play tennis four times a week and I am active outdoors, yard work, landscaping etc. I have a lot more energy today then I had three years ago even tho I was playing a lot of tennis then too, plus riding my harley a lot. As you are a nurse (I was a independent duty med tech during the Vietnam War) you are aware that the treatment plans we get from our doctors can be modified by the patient in concert with the doctor. It is our responsibility to take the helm and get off our meds. If a doctor goes to the rx pad it is time to pipe up and ask, hey, what other ways can I correct this? Supplements and a proper diet with a lot of exercise should do the trick, but we have to work for it. The biggest change in my diet is that I always have 'one' instead of 'two or more) of whatever. Like no seconds! I use garlic, fish oil, asa, and CoQ10 and a lot of flax meal. Meats and veggies are all organic and I have replaced eggs with 'Egg Beater' and for milk I use Carbmaster. I never drink milk with meals anymore..always water. When I play tennis I hydrate up with SmartWater for the electrolytes. I also drink a lot of homemade smoothies with a lot of acai, bluberry, blackberry, berries of all kinds, plus protein and vitamin B, Iron etc. My note to you is so long I forgot what prompted me to respond! Sign of just 'old age' not anything to do with my heart! lol. I really appreciate the doctors and nurses in our medical community. They work tirelessly every day to make us feel better. I hope you are doing fine and it is good that you are helping others along the way!