Hi Sara,
I am a 30 yr old female from India. I also have Congenital AS. I concieved in March and my body showed symptoms of AS. Previously used under the same ...Read more
Hi Sara,
I am a 30 yr old female from India. I also have Congenital AS. I concieved in March and my body showed symptoms of AS. Previously used under the same cirumstances there were no symptoms :(. Since then my husband was really worried about the consequences. Then I miscarried on 7 weeks.
Now the saddest thing is that my husband doesnt think that we should have a baby coz the disease might be inherited to the baby.
The doctors suggest Ballooning before I get pregnant now and valve replacement can be carried later after the pregnancy if my body shows any poor symtoms.
Now the major concern in my life is not what hassles would I have with my disease. Its to convince my husband that its gonna be worse if we decide to never have a baby fearing the risk of just 1.2 or say even 10% inheritance. :( :( :( :(
hi Sara:
Ouch! Sorry to hear that you have to go through surgery again to fix the wires. Glad that it won\'t be as serious a surgery as last time. Right ...Read more
hi Sara:
Ouch! Sorry to hear that you have to go through surgery again to fix the wires. Glad that it won\'t be as serious a surgery as last time. Right now I am 8 weeks post surgery and my sternum is still tender, so it is hard to think of having to go through any kind re-opening of that wound. Good luck and wishing you a quick recovery!
Hi Sara,
So sorry to hear about the wires popping out. I hadn\'t heard about this till now. I hope all will be finalized friday and that\'s it for you so you ...Read more
Hi Sara,
So sorry to hear about the wires popping out. I hadn\'t heard about this till now. I hope all will be finalized friday and that\'s it for you so you can start to really heal well!
I\'ll be thinking of you.
Sara,
I will be praying for you. Glad to hear you are off meds for the most part. Baby aspirin doesn\'t count. I remember you writing me to encourage me. My ...Read more
Sara,
I will be praying for you. Glad to hear you are off meds for the most part. Baby aspirin doesn\'t count. I remember you writing me to encourage me. My mitral valve was replaced by dr McCarthy April 2nd. You were less than 2 weeks before me. I used to read your posts to see what I had to look forward to. Next week I get an event monitor to wear for a month to be sure the A-Fib is gone. Dr visit early Nov and hopefully get off Coumidin .
Hi Sara,
Glad to hear the great news...
I had a friend who had his wires poke through his skin....HE CLIPPED THE WITH PLIERS !!!!!
JOHN MADONNA
LAS VEGAS ...Read more
Hi Sara,
Glad to hear the great news...
I had a friend who had his wires poke through his skin....HE CLIPPED THE WITH PLIERS !!!!!
JOHN MADONNA
LAS VEGAS NV
I\'m so glad I found this! I\'m a 25 year old mom to a one year old. Next month I will be having a aortic valve replacement. My biggest worry is not being able ...Read more
I\'m so glad I found this! I\'m a 25 year old mom to a one year old. Next month I will be having a aortic valve replacement. My biggest worry is not being able to interact with my daughter while I\'m recovering. How did you handle this?
Sara Bloomfield Hi Kayleigh - thank you for your comment and my apologies for not responding sooner! It sounds like ... Read more
Sara Bloomfield Hi Kayleigh - thank you for your comment and my apologies for not responding sooner! It sounds like you have already had your surgery at this point and I hope you are feeling well and on the road to recovery! It's hard to believe your body can go through so much. The best advice that I received is to go easy on yourself during your recovery. You will have good days and days where you just need a nap and a tv :) Listen to your body and you will be back to your old self before you know it. My daughter surprisingly handled it great. She became very close to my mom who was taking great care of her. I also had the chance to sit with her, read her books, etc. Not holding her was hard, but the time did go by quickly.
Hey Sara, Nice to her from you. Congrats on the big move. Hope it all goes just as you want. Its nice to be close to family. Like you just have mild pain mostly ...Read more
Hey Sara, Nice to her from you. Congrats on the big move. Hope it all goes just as you want. Its nice to be close to family. Like you just have mild pain mostly just all those nerves. I am doing really good at the Y. I think I have a water cow valve. Cause if I miss swimming then the pain (tightness) settles in. Anyway hope you have a good move and take care dont overdo.
Linda H and Elsie AVR 9/19/1
Hi Sara,
Happy to hear you are doing so well but as everyone keeps saying\" don\'t over do\". It is much easier say than to do. It will be nice to be closer ...Read more
Hi Sara,
Happy to hear you are doing so well but as everyone keeps saying\" don\'t over do\". It is much easier say than to do. It will be nice to be closer to family.
My surgery is not yet on the horizon. I\'m still about the same as the past 6 months after my Mar 20th appointment. The echo showed a very slight change in the left ventricle and the doctor\'s note mentioned that if the change progresses in October\'s
appointment then I guess the surgery may be sometime at the end of thr year or early 2014. It will be the waiting game as we all talk about.
Happy Mother\'s Day to you as well.
Lynne
Sara Bloomfield Lynne - the waiting game is tough. Just know that while you are waiting, the doctors are getting mor ... Read more
Sara Bloomfield Lynne - the waiting game is tough. Just know that while you are waiting, the doctors are getting more experience and developing new technologies to make your future surgery even better! You are going to be fine - even if you end up needing a full open heart procedure like I did. It will give you an excuse to buy some new clothes - at least that was my story! Have a great weekend - please keep me posted on your progress if you feel inclined. Here's my email: sara.reitz@gmail.com
dear sara,
im happy to read your latest journal and happier for your big move to relocate to be closer to family. God bless you always... don\'t forget to ...Read more
dear sara,
im happy to read your latest journal and happier for your big move to relocate to be closer to family. God bless you always... don\'t forget to take it easy.
i\'m finally scheduled for my open heart on june 27 at new york presbyterian. i hopw you could whisper even a little prayer for me.
sincerely,
nini
Sara Bloomfield Nini - I will most certainly keep you in my thoughts and prayers. It's true what they say, waiting i ... Read more
Sara Bloomfield Nini - I will most certainly keep you in my thoughts and prayers. It's true what they say, waiting is the hardest part. I now look back on the past 6 weeks in a bit of shock that it all happened and that I'm moving forward again. Stay strong. You will be on the other side before you know it.
So glad you are doing well!! You give me great courage!! I am going to compete with you and see if I can get on my feet as fast as you have!! I have my cardiac ...Read more
So glad you are doing well!! You give me great courage!! I am going to compete with you and see if I can get on my feet as fast as you have!! I have my cardiac cath tomorrow. Then we will schedule my surgery for hopefully the first week of June. You give everyone hope in knowing you are doing so well. I feel much better knowing that you have done so well. I also will get through it and feel much better!! Please do not over do!! You are a superwoman to us, but you have your limits!! Please take care of yourself!!!
Lisa
Sara Bloomfield Lisa - you will be amazed at what your body can recover from! I know that everyone is different, but ... Read more
Sara Bloomfield Lisa - you will be amazed at what your body can recover from! I know that everyone is different, but for me, the more I moved, the better I felt (even though there was a some pain in getting there). I think a little pushing is a good thing as long as it's within limits, right?! :) I hope you smoke me and recover even faster. A cardiologist at Cleveland gave me some great tips to recover quickly - he said 1. was to get up and move as quickly as possible and keep moving as much as you can. 2. was to use your spirometer (breathing device) like your life depends on it when you're just out. Getting your lungs cleared is a key. I followed those 2 things very closely so I do believe that they helped.
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers as your surgery approaches. The anxiety is very tough. For me, the hardest part was the lack of control. You just have to trust in your surgeon - afterall, this is what they do each day (as crazy as that seems)!!!!
Glad to hear that you are doing so well even though you still have to be careful. I hope I will be able to do the same when my turn comes (sometime in June). ...Read more
Glad to hear that you are doing so well even though you still have to be careful. I hope I will be able to do the same when my turn comes (sometime in June).
Good luck with your move!
Chris K
Sara Bloomfield Chris - I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. You will be amazed at what you are able to recov ... Read more
Sara Bloomfield Chris - I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. You will be amazed at what you are able to recover from! It definitely gives you a new perspective. June is a good month to recover - you can sit outside and enjoy the weather a little bit. Take care of yourself these next few weeks.
Hi Sara,
Sounds like you\'re making great progress!
My Mitral Valve repair was done Robotically 6 weeks ago but I can still relate to much of your story. I ...Read more
Hi Sara,
Sounds like you\'re making great progress!
My Mitral Valve repair was done Robotically 6 weeks ago but I can still relate to much of your story. I too walk morning and night. I can also relate to your being tempted to pick up things that are too heavy. I have the strength to do whatever I wish but it\'s really tough to remember that my heart and internal works need a great deal of healing.
I\'ve learned also that even if I stay away from weight more then my 5 lbs. limit reaching and stretching and repetition can also stress my chest area.
I wish you continued success along your journey. Keep up the good work!
John
hi sara! i was with a smile while i read your latest journal! God is good but please don\'t break the dr\'s rule anymore! lol. 21 pounds weight of your child ...Read more
hi sara! i was with a smile while i read your latest journal! God is good but please don\'t break the dr\'s rule anymore! lol. 21 pounds weight of your child is reaaaally too much for you to lift. as God says, \"take care of yourself because i\'m taking care of you..\"
come monday is my appointment with my heart surgeon, dr. leonard girardi at new york presbyterian to plan and finalize everything for my surgery on my pulmonic stenosis and pulmonary artery aneurysm... i wish you could include me too in your prayers.
may god continue to bless you and your child and your whole family with good health, first of all, and happiness and peace.
sincerely,
nini
Hi Sara and Bessie,
I\'m very glad you have had the surgery and are starting to feel better. I laughed at the spending spree. I did that one night early on ...Read more
Hi Sara and Bessie,
I\'m very glad you have had the surgery and are starting to feel better. I laughed at the spending spree. I did that one night early on when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and was not sleeping from pain and medications and thought I knew what is was doing. I was able to send some of the stuff back. Funny what we do sometimes. Interesting about all the back and neck pain. Guess I\'ll save up for in-home massages. Take care and carry on.
Lynne
Thank you for the note. I decided to consider the shopping spree as 'surgery gifts' to myself, and am actually wearing one of the new tops that I purchased right now! Despite the fact that I was on heavy pain meds, I was quite pleased with what showed up in the mail :)
In seriousness, I believe that in home massages would be some of the best spent money. I had 2 massages and probably should have had a 3rd, that was all that was needed. I'm still a little bit stiff, but much more manageable than before and getting better every day.
When is your surgery? I will keep you in my thoughts!
-Sara
Hi Sara, my name is Stefanie. On April 13, 2010, I had my aortic valve replaced by Dr. McCarthy. I can\'t believe it has been almost 3 years already. I wish ...Read more
Hi Sara, my name is Stefanie. On April 13, 2010, I had my aortic valve replaced by Dr. McCarthy. I can\'t believe it has been almost 3 years already. I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery. I so know how you feel right now. Hang in there!
Sorry for the slow reply, I haven't been online much lately! I visited Mayo, Cleveland, and Northwestern. I thought it would be very hard to choose, but when it came down to the selection, I just felt that Dr. McCarthy was the right choice for me. I had a certain comfort level with him that was different from the others, and also, I wanted to stay close to home. I would like to say that his responses were different from the others, but they really weren't. I just felt a connection to him and I trusted my heart (literally)! Good luck in your search, I know that can be difficult and stressful. Please feel free to ask me any questions if I can offer additional information.
You just make me smile when I read your posts. You are such a brave awesome person. You have given me the confidence to get through this. I am praying for ...Read more
You just make me smile when I read your posts. You are such a brave awesome person. You have given me the confidence to get through this. I am praying for you to be stronger and better everyday!! Thank you so much for your posts. We are all your biggest cheerleaders!!
Lisa
You will get through this and you are much stronger than you think - that's what happens when you have no choice :) In honesty, the surgery was tough, but waiting was harder. I am so happy to have it behind me now. Please let me know when you have your surgery, I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Hi Sara and Bessie, We all get the blessed neck and back pain. It is from the positon they have you on in the OR. Linda Dixon got a travel pillow. I got one ...Read more
Hi Sara and Bessie, We all get the blessed neck and back pain. It is from the positon they have you on in the OR. Linda Dixon got a travel pillow. I got one and it helped some. That can last for weeks unfortunely. Try some pillows around your back as well. I didn\'t have very much pain either, but I do have some from all the nerves trying to heal. I just take a Tromodol once in a while. The incision will feel like it is shinking later. I just try and stretch gently dont overdo. Everyday will be better. Life is good.
Linda H and Elsie AVR 9/19/12
Congratulations, Sara! Sounds like you are well on your way to recovery! The low level of pain from the actual incision was a real surprise to me as well. ...Read more
Congratulations, Sara! Sounds like you are well on your way to recovery! The low level of pain from the actual incision was a real surprise to me as well. But my muscles got very sore around the incision. The little holes for the drainage ports actually hurt more over time. I think because they are just so deep. The back and neck pain can be because of the way they have to place you on the table and open/hold the chest area. For some people that can last for several weeks. I had just a bit of soreness but some folks say that hurt them much more than the incision. I think that it sometimes is because something is stretched just a little \"off\" - and after five hours of surgery that little bit of being out of place turns into almost a sprain and hurts like the dickens. Try alternating hot and cold packs on your neck and shoulder (but keep it off your incision for awhile yet).
You will need those naps for awhile. Your body is putting a LOT of energy into your healing and in getting the inflammation cleared up. Don\'t fight it - just nap when you feel the need. It gets better as you heal - and it helps you heal faster! :-)
Best wishes and prayers for your continuing recovery!
Sherry Bradford, AVR 10/23/2012
Hi Sara, So glad you are home. When I came home I always slept with my heart pillow. By holding it tight, it helped me get up from the bed. I hope your back ...Read more
Hi Sara, So glad you are home. When I came home I always slept with my heart pillow. By holding it tight, it helped me get up from the bed. I hope your back will be feeling better soon. I know it helps to sleep propped up, but something it helps to lie flat and bring your knees up to your chest to stretch your back muscles. Check with your doctor,.
Looking forward to hearing more about your recovery. Be well. Sylvia
Sara
You are making wonderful progress...I couldnt get back ino bed for at least 4 weeks
I also had oxycodone for the incision pain..highly recommended..
God ...Read more
Sara
You are making wonderful progress...I couldnt get back ino bed for at least 4 weeks
I also had oxycodone for the incision pain..highly recommended..
God Bless
JOHN MADONNA
LAS VEGAS NV
Sara,
I have read your, and other\'s, posts with great interest. I am scheduled to have AVR with Dr. McCarthy in the next few weeks. I was scheduled for 3/26 ...Read more
Sara,
I have read your, and other\'s, posts with great interest. I am scheduled to have AVR with Dr. McCarthy in the next few weeks. I was scheduled for 3/26 but had a problem with my dental clearance.
I was especially interested in the back pain because I had a lot of back pain after I had my Cardiac Cath. I have to believe it was from lying on the table and the fact that Ihave been very sedentary for the last year. Hope it\'s feeling better.
When you were released from NMH did you really feel ready or would you like to have stayed another day or two. I live alone and am a little worried about going home.
I\'m looking at buying a recliner which, as a big guy, means I have to have an oversized chair and isn\'t a matter of going to Craigslist, but money is tight for me and if I can get by without it that would be great. How well were you able to get up from bed?
Anyway, best of wishes to you in your recovery and your future.
Dirk
I will keep you in my thoughts. You will do very well. When I was released on Monday I did feel ready (which surprised me), but my husband is quite a bit bigger than I am and is capable of supporting my body weight to help me get in and out of bed.
If I lived alone, I would probably have stayed an extra day or two. For me, the most difficult thing is definitely getting in and out of bed, although I am doing that by myself now.
I did not buy a recliner. I considered it, but just as you said, didn't want to make the investment if it wasn't necessary. For me, it was not. I purchased a wedge pillow from Brookstone that was recommended by another gal and it has been so useful for me. Last night I slept without it for the first time and used a lot of pillows, but I think tonight I may go back - just because it's more comfortable. It adjusts to 2 different levels and I also just use it a lot in bed when I'm watching tv.
With the wedge, I can get in and out of bed without much difficulty (although I do have a little pain).
I also think there is a hotel right near NMH that has adjustable beds. My husband had mentioned that and we considered staying there for a night or two. Might be an easier option than getting back home depending on where you live? Let me know if you would like me to ask him for that info!
Please let me know what date you get scheduled for. If I make a visit to Northwestern then I can stop in and say hello.
Sara, I was thinking about some things I have read and one lady said that she had terrible back pain due to her back ribs being broken or cracked during the ...Read more
Sara, I was thinking about some things I have read and one lady said that she had terrible back pain due to her back ribs being broken or cracked during the surgery. She also said it\'s not uncommon for there to be broken ribs due to them opening your chest. That may be what your pain is. I don\'t think they do anything, but let them heal, but that may be the cause of your pain.
I will have my surgery early this summer, if not before and I really appreciate all the info that you are posting.
I\'m so happy you are done with the surgery and doing so well. It makes my day to see your posts and know you are going to have a long healthy life now.
God bless you and your family.
Lisa
Fortunately I live above a massage place and have made a few trips downstairs to have them work on my back - it has really helped me tremendously! I'm able to stand up straight now and move around.
Today I did a round of our stairs (4 flights) and 2 rounds of slow walking on the treadmill - 10 mins each! I'm very tired, but otherwise I'm feeling really good.
You will surprise yourself and will do better than you think! Waiting was definitely the worst part of the surgery. I'm just glad to have it behind me now so we can move forward. I will wish the same for you. Thank you sincerely for your wishes and prayers. They have truly meant so much to me! Please let me know when you have your date scheduled.
I am from: Chicago, Illinois
