Sandy's Guestbook

My story is similar to yours, severe aortic stenosis was not able to have TAVAR valve was to calcified had open heart surgery on 3/10/22, replaced valve and had right coronary bypass Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC. All is good,recovery went extremely well. Wishing you a speedy recovery and the best of luck!

Hello Sandy trust you recovering well post surgery.# 22March 2022.

Soon you be spoiling your grandkids  for an icecream treat ..and yourself. 

Take care.yeah I lov th comfort of a small cushion against my chest .when driving or am a passenger.

My 7 grandies a curious granmas knobby chest where I had open heart surgery 17 years ago..

Take care recover well.

Merle Wildschut



 

Hi sandy ,
I was told to wrap something around the safety belt ( a towel / scarf ) to cushion my chest between the safety belt and my sternal wound . This helped a lot !
I loved getting back into my car and starting driving again but it does feel a bit scary , your sternum feels vulnerable . 
You ‘ll get there . Little steps , one day at a time .

A fellow younger ,female post op ohs  , she wore one of the surgical braces and found it gave her much more of a feeling of security . She was a bit squeamish about the actual sternum and how it would heal . The support looked a bit like a streamlined life jacket . I wouldn’t have been able to tolerate it due to perimenopausal symptoms / hot flushes . It made a big difference and made her feel more confident .

Hi sandy ,
You are doing really well with your walking !
everything will start to become easier , just keep pacing yourself and listen to your body .
I gave up on bras for about five months post op , I just couldn’t tolerate the thought of having anything against or near my sternum . I used to just layer up and have a scarf around my neck and over my chest , nobody noticed . It was going into the autumn season so easier to do.
Take care and well done , you ‘re doing great !

Hi sandy, Wishing you all the best wishes for your surgery . I hope it goes well and that you have an uncomplicated recovery . Be kind to yourself . Pace yourself and listen to your body.

Almost there and over with Sandy. Thinking of you! You will get through this. You are stronger than you ever imagine! Plus you will have a one on one nurse caring for your every need in the ICU. Ask for anything you need or want, anything.

Sandy, I had a full sternum incision and was told that the pain from it would be very tolerable. It is hard to believe, but this was the case. ( except when sneezing, grab your heart pillow!) It also healed faster than I imagined, which made it even better. Do know that with the full sternum bone incision you will lose considerable blood. Your hemoglobin will be low. This plus the surgery on your heart itself will make you feel more tired than you ever imagined. I wish I had know this before the surgery, so I was more accepting of it. I was told nada about this. — My cardiologist afterwards said he did not want to worry me. The surgeon said little too. —-I am telling you so you will expect it; realize this is normal. Most of all, Know that you will quickly gain more energy each day. You will heal; you be stronger than ever coming out of this; you will be proud of your courage; you will love your family even stronger; and you got this.❤️

Hi Sandy- I've followed your story with interest and hope that you've reached some resolution. I have to say I'm puzzled by the surgeon asking you to make the decision regarding mini vs full sternotomy. I have the same diagnosis that you have (BAV with severe aortic stenosis). I've known about the BAV for almost 20 years and was stunned to see the significant change in my echo in early January. My cardiac Cath was normal so was offered both TAVR and SAVR but opted for SAVR b/c there is limited data on TAVR for BAV in younger healthier patients. The surgeon I'll be working with offered minimally invasive SAVR and the only mention of possibility of full sternotomy was that it would be necessary if I had coronary artery disease or aortic root enlargement. Those were normal so it seems that I am headed for a mini on 3/10 (fingers crossed nothing unexpected pops up.) I am so sorry that you are dealing with added stress at an already difficult time---I can offer that I prefer the mini b/c of quicker recovery time, less blood loss and time on CP bypass and overall less invasiveness. I hope that you can get some clarification from your surgeon on why he/she would ask you to make this particular choice. I am thinking of you and hoping for the best possible course of action for you. I will be about a week behind you so we can trade experiences as we traverse this unsettling and unexpected path.

Sandy, I can’t figure out how to reply to your most recent post but I am so sorry you have so little support from your medical team as far as answering questions and helping understand everything that is going on. I shared this with George already so you may have already looked into this, but posting here too. The AHA has an online support community you can join and see if anyone has posted similar experiences -there may even be a group specific for this condition. http://network.heart.org/

Sandy, so glad you listened to your body and sought answers when you were not feeling like yourself. I know this has been a trying time , to say the least. We are here for you and George and cheering and praying for you.

Hey Sandy, As one of the newest members of our patient community.... Welcome!!! Thanks for sharing your story with all of us. Fyi, you are in GREAT hands with Dr. Harrington and her team. If you need anything, please let me know. I'm here to help! https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/surgeons/dr-Katherine+-Harrington-Plano-Texas.php

Hey Babe, I know you are having a tough time right now trying to figure out the best doctor, best hospital and best procedure to get you through this time in your life. I just want you to know that I will be with you, right by your side, to support you through the entire process. Stay positive, you got this. Love you,