Sharon's Guestbook

Hi Sharon.. I'm glad that you are doing so well. I have a question if you don't mind.. I also at some point will face OHS due to stenosis from a bicuspid valve.. I have gone to two opinions for surgeons and both feel that right now without any symptoms I don't require surgery, but, I will be having echoes every 3 months to check.. My question is you seem very young, I am 54 and have been told that a mechanical valve is the better choice. You stated you have a porcine valve.. I'm really undecided , but I don't really want to face another surgery especially not knowing what its like but the thought of Coumadin for the rest of my life is unappealing also.. any insight you have will be appreciated. thanks civita

Good morning Sharon. Sorry you are experiencing things right as you are picking up steam/rehab, etc. I want you to know that I had the same reaction to Lipitor and was taken off due to the extreme muscle aches and stiffness within a week of taking it. They tried another one and within two days my cheek and right eye were swelling up so they listened to me as I said to wait until after my surgery and I have balanced out my body from those changes. I am currently taking an over the counter "cholest-off pill and continue to watch my diet. My cholesterol is not high and I am not sure what I want to do about taking statins. Still working this out. I also had a bug not once but 3 times since surgery that put me back in the ER. It seems as though we will have these bugs get to us as our bodies pull themselves together from the surgery we had. As much as it seems trite, hang in there until they sort thru this as you are looking "Fierce" with that new hair cut that shows you are ready to continue with your life and now your beautiful face takes center stage! You take it easy as you will work through this because you have a good attitude and have gone through surviving this important time in your life. You will and can move forward so be patient and let them get to the bottom of it and take great care not to send you home until they have determined you are healthy to get going again. Love your T-shirt Heart Sister. Try not to let the anxiety get to you if you can as it eats away all of the "good stuff" you are building up to strengthen your body and heart! Saying a little prayer for you this morning. Hope your day goes well today.

Sharon....Enjoyed reading your post and found it informative and calming for those people heading for surgery especially. I think your choice in the use of music before and after especially important as since my surgery I am "hooked" on daily music that is pretty eclectic but useful in the lessening of recovery process. Your attitude has a great deal to do with it and it came across in your update. So glad you have made it home. Be patient with yourself. Trust what your body tells you and take each day one at a time not expecting too much but doing your best to eat well, move often and rest when your body says it needs the time to "stop", even if they are short naps. Happy for you Heart Sister and thankful things are going well for you.

Best of luck tomorrow Sharon! Good thoughts and prayers coming your way from your heart friends! Looking forward to seeing your posts from the recovery side...you're almost there :)

Hello Sharon. I started following you when you got your reprieve. See now that it is time go get fixed. I had mine done in Aug of 2013 and it was a great surgery, great recovery and life has been even greater since. I never had symptoms, just did not know how hard I was working to do normal things. I have more stamina than I have had in 10 years. If your get a chance read my journal, I tried to describe my journey in detail. The key for me was walking starting on day 1 or 2 and they had me standing hours after surgery. If you have any questions, call me tomorrow. 317 847-5218. In all seriousness, the pain was something I took in stride and it was way less than I expected. Recovery is about small steps in sequence and steady progress. If you feel very good, keep going SLOW, regardless and it can be uneventful. We reach out with out prayers.

Hi Sharon! I am Robin and I went through Aortic Valve Replacement 2 years, 4 months, and 5 days ago. It is scary, but there are a lot of heart brothers and sisters that have walked this road before you, and we are all here to help encourage you and answer any questions that you or your family members have. There is definitely a lot of life to live after heart surgery, ( I became a grandma for the first time). Listen to your doctors and espically to your body as you recover. It will happen and will be well worth everything when you have recovered. Know that on June 2nd a multitude of prayers will be covering you and your family. Your heart sister, Robin

Sharon-- sorry, you asked me if I had been up for a walk yet after I posted my picture. In fact, I was up for a walk the day after surgery. Today (5 days post op) I walked about 1/2 mile and, truth be told, probably could have walked further since my pulse never went above 100. I apologize--I have been a tad negligent in attending to my journal! Best wishes! Bob Bemben

Sharon, did you not get the memo? Mom's are not allowed to be sick! You came to the right place, great information here. I would strongly suggest to get Adam Pick's book. It's a big help to me. I want to know everything of what's going to happen to me come my surgery and post op recovery. I'm scheduled for Mitral repair at the end of this month, April, so I can give you updates on what my progress will be. The wait is not nice, but the "family" here is great. Keep in touch with us all. God bless you.

Sharon What a wonderful Christmas gift. Now you can focus on other family events next year! All the best to you in 2014-let's hope you are stable for a good long time!

Dear Sharon, I wish you an easy day tomorrow. I will be reading your journal the next couple months, at least, as I make decisions about my own aortic stensosis issue.

Sharon You are definitely well organized. That is great to see. A lot of this is organization and execution believe it or not. I see that with my walks and PT daily during recovery. You have great progress on all fronts. Best of success with the cardiac cath. Enjoy every minute of the holidays with your family. You have a great attitude! Best.

Hi Sharon, The cath is a breeze, the surgery goes quickly and then recovery. It will be intense but not as bad as you probably imagine. So being in a good place like you are is such a blessing. And having family and friends to care for you during recovery helps physically and spiritually as well. I will be following your progress and wishing you well from afar. Merry Christmas.

Hey Sharon Looks like you are right on top of everything. I am pleased you like your cardiologist. That is a huge deal. Hope that nasty cold goes away. All the best as you head toward your cardiac cath! Best.

waiting is the hardest part! I have had 2 open heart surgeries and did fine. (same dx as you) for me, surgical pain is manageable and for me the hardest part was slowing down and not able to go as fast as I did before. That only lasted a couple weeks then I started enjoying my time off from work. it is 4 months since my last surgery and im as good as new... replacement parts and all!!! keep posting and getting support.