Tammy's Guestbook

Tammy:

Thanks for the nice comment. I’m in Lakeland, FL so not too far from where you are. I think I am making g some incremental progress at 10 days post surgery. I am still getting off and on low grade fever but nothing over 99.7. I’m sick of looking at swollen ankles and hope that will begin to taper off soon. I am trying to manage pain with Tylenol and so far I am handling it ok. I’m not good at resting so I am really having to discipline myself in that regard. I have started taking walks and usually finish them off by watering flowers and plants. Did you do cardiac rehab? Dr. Gerdisch had made a contact here for me in Lakeland but in order to start, the rehab wants me to have met with a cardiologist and have had labs and a stress test. My cardiologist appointment is not until 5/22 so I am going to do all I can by walking, stretching, etc. and who knows - maybe I’ll be doing so well by 5/22 that I will decline cardiac rehab. After my experience with Dr. Gerdisch and Franciscan in IN, I find it very frustrating back at home. Franciscan was high quality but had a much gentler pace and hometown feel. Here at home, you are just in the medical que and just have to wait your turn. I have a virtual appointment with Cindy Glentzer on Monday and I’ll see if she has any thoughts. I had actually talked to them about establishing a relationship with a cardiologist inIN that know Gerdisch and would work well with them. It would almost be worth the small hassle in order not to have to beg for care here. Stay strong and feel free to call if you ever want to chat.

Mike (813) 340-6586

Hi Tammy, just checking in to see how the operation went for you with Dr. G and staff.  Their ICU nurses are amazing and extremely competent.  Now comes the long road to healing and recovery.  I'm 2 months out from my surgery and feeling better and better with each passing day.  The first 2 weeks were tough as far as feeling weak and unsteady, but fortunately I improved rapidly after that.  I wish the same rapid healing and recovery for you.  We of the "Broken Hearts Club" here at HeartValveSurgery.com are all pulling for you and wishing you the very best!

Praying for your surgery tomorrow! I'm new here and in the watchful waiting stage with moderate aortic regurgitation and mild mitral stenosis. From what I've learned about Dr. Gerdisch on this website, he sounds super, so you're in very good hands. God's got you!

Sending you good thoughts and prayers for a successful surgery.🙏🏼🪽 I will be having surgery to repair or replace my mitral valve and possibly tricuspid. I’m getting all the pre op tests done to see if there’s anything else and to know whether it will be robotic or open heart surgery. It’s scary and a lot to think/ worry about but we’ll be fine! 💞

Hi Tammy I imagine you're either on your way to Indy, or getting ready for the trip.  Best wishes once again on the surgery and keep me posted if and when you get the chance as you recover.  (((Healing Heart Hugs)))

Hi Tammy, I was thinking about you and realized that your surgery is coming up in a few days.  I just wanted to reassure you, once again, that Dr. Gerdisch and the team at St. Francis are beyond amazing, you will be in excellent hands during surgery and beyond.  The critical care nurses are saints and went above and beyond for me during my entire stay.  I can't say enough good things about Dr. G and St. Francis.  I'm doing great, have had about dozen cardiac rehab program visits, which have helped greatly.  Best of luck with the surgery and your recovery; I'll be pulling for you!

Hi Tammy, thanks for the kind words and wishes for recovery from my Full Monty surgery with Dr. Gerdisch.  It sounds as if we're in a similar boat.  I was always active, took care of myself, look younger than my years, but on the inside (heart wise) a mess!  I've been using the breath challenger often and got a stationery bike stand, so I can at least get in a little low level cardio.  I've had symptoms for about a full year following my 3rd ablation surgery.  Hopefully Dr. G and his team can put my Humpty Dumpty of a heart back together again, as I have a lot of living I plan on doing for years if not decades.  Please hang in there and I'll keep you posted when possible.  (((Huge Heartfelt Hugs)))

Hang in there Tammy. My mitral valve repair was 1 week ago yesterday. I too had a lot of anxiety that seemed to get worse by the day. 1 week out, I can't say it's fun, but not nearly as bad as I had imagined it would be. It can be quite overwhelming to do your due diligence in order to make the best decision for yourself.

I think the most important thing that you can do is feel comfortable with the surgeon that you choose and trust that they are doing the best thing for you. A part of that is asking questions about anything that you don't understand and being satisfied with the answers that you're getting. 

It has been a daunting journey and will continue to be for a while. I haven't yet shared a lot of my experiences as I'm still getting through some things {read about "pump head") but overall I've been progressing well.  

This is a great community here, and you'll find lots of support and help. 

Don't hesitate in the least to ask questions. 

Gary