Theresa's Guestbook

Hi Theresa! Thank you so much for your well wishes! I came home from Mt Sinai on Saturday evening. I have to say that the surgery was so much more than I could have ever imagined. I don\'t think that there is anyone who could prepare you for it. I did decide to do the mini sternotomy, as it seemed to be the safest and best access to the mitral valve and also give the best repair. Dr Adams and his team are absolutely wonderful! I can\'t thank him enough for fixing me and for also being such an understanding and compassionate surgeon. Since I have been home, I had a visiting nurse come on Monday and it turns out I was very dehydrated which made me feel not too well. So, I stopped the lasix and also stopped taking Percocets(they put me in a fog) and drank Gatorade for the rest of the day and now I feel so much better! My incision is only sore when I cough thankfully. It is amazing how true it is that each day you feel a little better. Hope you are feeling well! Gina

Hi Theresa, Thank you so much for the information. My surgery is scheduled for Monday, June 18th. I had my pre op testing done yesterday at Mt Sinai. I think I am going to opt for the mini thoracotomy. How big was your incision? Were you in the hospital 5 days? Thank you!! Gina H

Hi Theresa! Thank you for your response. I am happy to hear you are doing well! Dr. Adams was wonderful! He was so thorough and obviously an expert in his field. In my situation he said he can use either approach and explained both. Did they have to break any ribs? If you can, can you email me at ginamn3@comcast.net. I would love to hear about your experience! Thank you!! Gina\"

Theresa, I just joined HVJ this week, as I am getting ready for surgery next month. A few weeks ago I made a list of all those I could find the last few years with MVR, and I have been reading your journals. More and more I am running across stories about repair, rather than replacement, and I wonder whether or not you were ever told that repair was not an option for you. I do not have prolapse (nor did I read you did), but did have rheumatic fever as a child (and I don\'t think you did). This seems to be the reason the replacement is being looking at instead. Needless to say, I would prefer a repair! Any insight you can give me on this based on your own experience would be appreciated. I know we aren\'t medical people but we sure can help each other out! Thanks! Vel Turner

Hello, Theresa -- You were kind enough to check in on my Guestbook and invited me to read your journal. As soon as I got here, I realized I\'d already done so....I put in a search for Mr. Sinai and ended up reading the entries of several folks who\'d had their surgery there. It\'s very inspirational to read success stories such as yours -- gives me a lot of hope. Congratulations on your anniversary! Best, Selma

Hi Theresa Some how I didn\'t get the email telling me you had written in your journal! Big time congratulations. We who have been there will continue to count our blessings daily. So glad to communicate with you by email. Hopefully we can meet some day. Keep smiling. Fran

Hi Theresa Congratulations on your second anniversary. I\'m so happy you are keeping well and are back to living a full life. I too never fail a daily time of prayer where I give thanks that I\'ve been blessed with a new chance to live a full and heart healthy life. I see Susan told you of our small HVJ reunion in Florida a couple of weeks ago. What a blast! We will always have a lifetime connection with the wonderful support group we met here and will count each other as friends always. Someday we hopefully can meet more of our friends here. We\'ll soon get some pictures posted. Stay well and stay in touch. Cheryl, Ontario

HI Theresa, Long time no talk to. Congratulations on your 2 year Anniversary! Richard had his the end of January. We have thought of you often, but Richard does not write much on the journal now --- but he certainly still stays in touch with what is going on in it and reads and tells me, and actually asked me to send Congratulations to you tonight! I thought you might like to know that we went down to FL in Feb and on Feb 18th we met with Duane and his wife Peggy, and Fran and her husband Peter and Cheryl and her husband Pete! \"4 heart valve\" journal buddies through their time leading up to and through their surgeries. I am sure you know Duane, and also Cheryl (from Canada) and Fran from FL, and, of course, Richard. It was pretty amazing and I must say it was a most heart warming (no pun intended) weekend and we all got along very well and enjoyed one another\'s company and the spouses were just as nice and wonderful as the HVJs we had been corresponding with these past few years. We all even went to Duane\'s Church on Sunday - again an amazing time,spiritual and reflective and yet fullfilling of the promise of good hearts and friendship. Richard and I wish you continued good health as you are a pleasure and were always so thoughtful and enjoyable to correspond with in the journal. Richard\'s wife, Susan

Hi Theresa, Congrats on 2 years! Wonderful! I am having surgery next Wed March 7th at Mt. Sinai with Dr. Stelzer (Ross Procedure). Hope you continue to do well for a long time to come. Jeff Shebovsky, Orlando