Theresa's Guestbook

Hi Theresa, It\'s been a while since we caught up with each other. Hope everything is going well in your life these days -- I know you recently had a major job shift, so hope that is working out for you. Recent big news here is that we have a new addition to our family -- A cockapoo puppy named Augie. He is 12 weeks old already and we\'re about to start puppy training classes tomorrow evening. He is one big fur ball of joy and playfulness! We\'re enjoying every new day with him. Hope to hear from you soon, Susan Murphy

Dear Theresa, I was just thinking about you and decided to \"Google\" you to see if I could track you down...the first thing I see is your journal! I hope you are doing better and continuing to improve healthwise...I can\'t believe this. I talk to Alice occasionally and will certainly pass this along. Keep in touch! Mary Johndrow

Hi Theresa, I just wrote an entry in your guestbook but it disappeared when I went to submit it, so I assume it\'s lost somewhere in cyberspace. Anyway, just wanted to congratulate you on the wonderful news about your job! It\'s so rare to hear good economic news these days, it is really great to hear when good things happen for people. Also good that your insurance will pick up the cost of Coumadin. Having to pay for that stuff makes it even harder to take. I\'ll post more later -- hope you & Theo are staying cool! Susan Murphy

Hi Theresa, Hope you are doing well and staying cool...The heat here in the KC area has been beastly all summer with no relief in sight! Day after tomorrow my husband Jerry & I are flying to Washington DC for a few days to visit with his daughter who lives there. She said DC has been unbelievably hot as well, so I guess we won\'t be in for a shock with the hot temperatures. From there we will be taking Amtrak up to Rhinebeck, NY, where Jerry grew up and where Chelsea Clinton was married last weekend. Good thing we\'ll be arriving after that big media circus! Packing for a trip has taken on a whole new dimension, now that I have my various prescription meds to keep track of. I\'ve already had a taste of what it\'s like to travel while on Coumadin.. A few weeks ago I had to go up to Wis. where my parents live, to look after my dad who\'d broken his hip (age 88). I had to get my INR level tested while I was there and called it in to the Protime Clinic here in KC. It all worked out quite well, but as we know, this stuff is just a pain in general. But I\'m thankful to be alive and actively traveling this summer. Hope you\'re doing well -- keep me posted! Susan Murphy

Theresa, Happy Birthday, belatedly! I guess I\'m so caught up in my own stuff lately I didn\'t realize until I re-read your post of a few days back that you\'d celebrated your birthday a couple of days ago. Sounds like you and Theo enjoyed the day together -- that\'s great to hear. More later, Susan

Theresa, I was just thinking of you and wondering how you are doing? Just wanted you to know if you need any support I am still here offering it. I hope your situation is better..it is hard enough physically to endure your situation, but mentally is way more challenging. Take care, Theresa C.

Hi Theresa Just stopping by to say hello and hope all is going well with you. Hope your INR has settled down. After 14 years I find my INR is dropping on the same dose I\'ve been on forever, so am needing to increase my dose of coumadin. No big deal, my body must be changing!!!! Take care. Greetings from hot, muggy FL. Fran

Hi Theresa, Yep, life on Coumadin takes a lot of getting used to. Especially in cases like ours, where we know we will be on it for the rest of our lives...or else! My INR level was pretty wacky for a while and I hated the uncertainty and insecurity of not knowing whether it was too high or too low, i.e., wondering whether I should be worrying about having a stroke (too low) vs. a hemorrhage (too high). Really crazy-making! To make matters worse I couldn\'t figure out exactly what was making the INR level go up and down so much. We all know about the dangers of too much Vitamin K, but things like stress and other medications also have an effect. My highest reading was a 6.0 once and it scared the daylights out of me. The clinic called and told me to \"avoid all risky activity\" and hold off on the Coumadin for a couple of days. Well, every activity has its risks, so where do we draw the line? I was afraid to shave my legs for awhile, but finally bit the bullet and prayed I wouldn\'t hemorrhage from a shaving nick. I have nicked myself a few times since and have not bled excessively, but it was scary in the beginning. I also began avoiding car trips because I\'d been warned of the risk of having a life-threatening internal bleed from a minor auto accident. So now I\'m at the point where I realize I can\'t live in a protective bubble, and I\'m trying to let go of my anxiety. Luckily, my lifestyle doesn\'t put me at a lot of physical risk for a bleed(and I will continue to avoid running with scissors and stay away from chain saws!). I take some comfort in hearing from people who have been on Coumadin for a long time and are doing well. Also, I wanted to let you know that my cardiologist says there\'s a new drug on the horizon, expected to be approved by the FDA in the next couple of years that will be much easier for patients to monitor than Coumadin. So, there are brighter days ahead for us, hopefully soon! Take care, Theresa, and stay in touch. I will as well. Susan P.S. That is one cute pup you have. I can tell he is a real sweetie. I\'m thinking of adopting a rescue dog of some kind soon. I really miss having an animal companion, and I know it will help with my healing and recovery.

Hi Theresa Welcome to HVJ. I think many of us here have known for years that our hearts suffered a deficiency so we had lots of time to get used to the idea we may someday need some work. Even though I knew for years, I remember the chills I got when a year ago I was told surgery was coming in a few months. I can understand what a shock it must have been to all of a sudden find out there was something so very serious wrong. On the flip side though, I feel so blessed that I was able to go through my mitral valve surgery and be \"fixed\". I consider myself lucky to have gone through the extensive pre-op testing and now I know that my arteries are clear and with work, I am regaining better than my former strengths. I believe a common misconception that many of us have pre-op is that we will recover easier and faster than what we are reading here and reality is, not too many of us do. My surgery was last Oct/09 and I didn\'t really feel like myself until this spring when I finally went on a Beta Blocker. It does take getting used to the new me. I\'ve had years of dealing with and adjusting to the palpitations and shortness of breath but post-op I expected to not deal with that again. Reality is that I am dealing with the palpitations and will the rest of my life and my palpitations now definitely feel different than before. And I am fixed. Not everyone has these particular things to deal with but usually there is something leftover from our surgeries that will either remain with us for a long time or forever. But, we are fixed. Adam\'s book talks about the emotional side of heart surgery and I don\'t think many of us pass through totally unaware of being highly emotional about what we have experienced so it\'s learning to believe in our wellbeing and being grateful for the wonderful gift of being able to continue on with life. Try and take some time Theresa and check out as many journals as you can and hopefully you will receive some comfort in finding out your recovery has been better than some here. I consider myself young but obviously am quite a bit older than you but then you are quite a bit older than Trevor and Danny. No matter what our age, we here are lucky to be diagnosed with something that can be corrected. I am one of the oldest surgeries on this site and even now, 9 months later I still feel vulnerable but as time goes on, that feeling gets further and further away. I pray you will find some answers and much peace by visiting the HVJ site. There isn\'t anything you cannot express or question here. Welcome aboard. Cheryl, Ontario

Theresa, I\'d meant to leave my e-mail address when I posted earlier: murphy1475@sbcglobal.net. Please don\'t hesitate to contact me any time. Susan Murphy (Overland Park, KS)