Hi Trent-
Did you go on a lake vacation? We just returned from a week at the beach. I too have numbness, and on my right side. I can relate where you say you can't believe it was you on that table. I felt very blessed to have just spent our 18th annual beach vacation with our immediate family and closest friends. I heard last night on tv 'we are all only a heartbeat away from death'. Had I have heard that some years ago it probably wouldn't have phased me, but it really hit hard when I heard it. Hope you continue on your road to recovery.
Karen Campo
Trent Viavattene Went to a bachelor party at the lake and practiced some "moderation" as suggested by the cardiologist (and did a pretty good job at it).
Trent Viavattene Went to a bachelor party at the lake and practiced some "moderation" as suggested by the cardiologist (and did a pretty good job at it).
Glad things are going well, and that you had a good time at the beach. We have not had a chance to take a vacation (when we had the time, I wasn't down the recovery far enough to make any long journey's), and now my wife is starting back up at school for the year. But thankfully there will be many more years to take vacations.
Things are getting back to normal, and I have to remind myself what just happened to me.
Trent V
On July 28, 2012...
Thank you very Trent for journaling. I have the same condition as you had but I am on the waiting and evaluating options "Adam is a blessing to all of us " and so are all of the HVJs who share your journey. I will meet my surgeon on the first of August. I have watched all the videos about mitral valve repair however first hand accounts take the wonder and fear our of the process. The wait is definitely more difficult I am ready now. I will keep you as well as the rest of us in my prayers. God Bless you and your family.
Trent Viavattene You are most welcome, if you have any questions (no matter what) this is the place to ask.
Trent V
On July 28, 2012...
I have to laugh...I am 8 wks and despite the scrubbie thing in the bath and using the pool I too admittedly have a lingering tape residue...
Take it easy going back to work. I did 7:30-2 last week and 7:30 - 3 this week and that coupled with a couple/few days of cardiac rehab does leave me a bit tired.
So funny you mention the tape residue.....I just found some this morning! My surgery was 6/4!
I felt like I was sprayed with a tacky glue that would not come off with soap, water and vigorous scrubbing. It drove me crazy for a good 3 or more weeks.
Let me know when and where and I'll be there. You probably know this, but there is a former valve patient (whose husband is also a valve patient) on valve-replacement.org that posts many messages about Dr. Ryan's fine reputation. Just a thought as a lunch invite.
Hope rehab is going well. Will have to compare notes one of these days on progress. :-)
Great idea! Too bad Kansas is a little out of range! It sounds like fun! I'm glad to hear you are doing so well. Are your incisions healed up? I enjoyed reading your last update! Keep it up.
Holly P
Thanks, and still not completely water tight on the incision, but shouldn't be too much longer. Ready to get in the pool with the boys.
Trent V
On July 20, 2012...
Trent. Glad things are going well. looks like a couple of great kids depending on you to keep up the good healing work. Yeah I find it odd that some people get put on Coumadin and others not. I wasn't put on Coumadin, but a few weeks later had a series of TIA strokes and had to go in for a TEE. They thought I might be throwing clots off the hear sutures or the ring in my heart. Wound up being what they call a Low Flo stroke. Blood pressure being too low. So onto Coumadin I went just in case. I just got off that. Also in my case I did not have to go to Rehab. Don;pt know why not? Guess they thought I was active enough not to need it. BTW I climbed a small Mountain yesterday afternoon. 3 months after surgery. LOL.
Anyway. Stay strong for those kids. You have something important there to live for and there is no better reason to get well.
God Bless.
Paul G.
Trent, glad things are going well for you and you are in rehab now. It's a great place to be, use it to your advantage, knowing you can push yourself and still be "safe"!!! It's nice of you to stop by and say thank-you to staff....when you're feeling so much better! I wish I could do that, but have to settle for sending a card! Take care.
Holly P
Hi Trent..
Great news things are going so well!
I had to go to the local hospital today to pick up some reports to take to CC next week. They just opened a new cardiac rehab unit, so I peeked in the room to see how everyone was doing.
They all seemed to be having a great time, just like members have reported here....they were enjoying themselves. I am sure you will enjoy your rehab as well, once you get past the initial "butt kickin"..haha..Looking forward to my own "butt kickin days"..
Continued success on recovery, Trent
Connie T
Trent, glad to hear you have an echo scheduled with your cardiologist. I am sure everything is perfect with your repair. Let us know how it turns out. Take care, Denise K
I did have one echo maybe 2-3 wks post-op and see cardio again today. I am actually hoping they do a repeat one as well.
Perhaps it is just paranoia, but while I feel good for the most part steep inclines and stairs are still tough. You occassionally hear about someone's repair/replace that began to leak again and that sticks in the back of my mind.
Good luck at today's appt and hopefully we'll both have positive news to share later today.
I will split an ECHO machine with you (and several hundred other members) if you want, so we can have a scan anytime we feel like it... ;-) ... Read more
Hey Trent, glad to hear you are doing so well! Good for you. My surgeon ordered a one month follow-up echo that I was able to get done locally, and then sent the DVD to him at Mayo. I would call and ask for one to be done sooner than 6 months! Take care and keep walking!!
Holly P
Go Trent! I am sure your cardiologist will relent and order one sooner if you insist.. He may need to get a pre-authorization from your insurance company to do one since you just had one done before you left the hospital. My cardiologist ordered one for me so he would have a post-surgery base-line echo, but had to get it pre-authorized first. I have not gotten the results yet. Good luck!
So glad to hear your check-up with your cardiologist went well. 6 months does seem like a long time to wait for an echocardiogram. CC did an echocardiogram the day before I was discharged from the hospital. I hope your doctor approves one sooner for you. Take care. Denise K
Trent Viavattene They did one before I left the hospital, and that showed everything looked good. However, I was hoping they were going to do another one for good measure. ... Read more
Trent Viavattene They did one before I left the hospital, and that showed everything looked good. However, I was hoping they were going to do another one for good measure.
I can be persistent enough (pester them long enough) and we will end up doing one before 6 months.
On July 9, 2012...
Push for that echo Trent! You deserve it. It will be very reassuring to see the lwakage is gone. Great to hear that you are doing well.
I am doing find with the wound vac. Just a little annoying to be sitting in public and having the pump make the sucking noise! Hopefully 2 weeks or less to be back to normal. Will keep in touch.
hahahaha,
My first sneeze didn't come out like a sneeze. I think it had to do with the damage the breathing tube did. it was more like a cough than a sneeze.
Mine didn't hurt either (had a thoracotomy too).
Hi Trent...
Wow...I am so impressed...You seem to being doing so great. Love the pic with you and Thomas, you sure coulda fooled me that you had OHS just a few short days before. My surgery is scheduled 7/17/12, and because of your posts as well as others...I am certainly encouraged & not afraid!!..... Thanks for sharing....it means so much to us newbies.
I hope you will soon be able to return to your career. My son is an Air Traffic Controller at SoCal Tracon..... I know how important career is to you!... Continued Success on recovery..... you seem to be "flying high" :-)
Connie T
Sneezing yeah fun. I'm a sun sneezer, so anytime the sun gets in my eyes I had to hold onto something. As I had robotic surgery it was more in my side than anything else. Don't know how the full sternum folk do it. Good to see you posting to the HJV site, so the rest of us can laugh at your sneezing pain! LOL!
I've found that in the case of an unexpected sneeze, crossing your arms over your chest and grabbing your shoulders helps. Unless you're driving, in which case, you're outa luck!
Selma
Instead of ahhhh Choooo it is now... Ohhhhhh S*#t. Sounds like something you say at work. :) Glad your doing well. Hope you're enjoying spending some time with the family. DWoz
Hey Trent-
Glad to hear you are doing well. Yeah, the sneezes are scary if they catch you off guard, but once you control them a bit you dont even need the pillow. Take care, enjoy your 4th and keep us posted.
I'm happy to see you are recovering well. I have Mitral Valve Regurgitation and I am looking at a right thoracotomy using the Da Vinci. Might be a full sternotomy if my Tricuspid valve needs repairing. I hope my allergies don't kick in after the surgery and I get sneezing fits!!! LOL.
Sounds like things are going well for you. That's great news. Isn't it amazing to hear your heartbeat sounding "normal?" Mine always went thump-WHOOOSH thump-WHOOSH. Now it goes buh-bump, buh-bump just like it's supposed to. Carry on!
Selma
Trent Viavattene I know, right? I can tell a difference in just feeling my pulse and the absence of pounding heart beats. Now I can barely feel my heart beating on my chest, ... Read more
Trent Viavattene I know, right? I can tell a difference in just feeling my pulse and the absence of pounding heart beats. Now I can barely feel my heart beating on my chest, and that kind of freaks me out sometimes.
Just like normal folk!!
Hope, all is going well on your end.
Trent V
On July 2, 2012...
Hi Trent - so glad to hear how well your recovery is going. I agree with you - it was not as bad as I thought either, but definitely would not want to go through it again! Take care! Denise K
Trent Viavattene Thank you sir..need to grab lunch this week or next.
Trent V
On June 27, 2012...
Trent,
I'm really happy for you. Surgery done and home! Sounds like everything went well and even better than expected.
I have to agree that the waiting stinks. We have a vacation planned in mid July and after that my surgery. It is hard having it hanging over my head even though I want that time with my family.
I will pray for your continued healing. I'm glad you were so pleased with Dr. Ryan. He is an excellent surgeon-we feel like we couldn't go wrong with him or Dr. Oswalt.
Take good care and keep us updated when you feel like it.
Mollie
Trent Viavattene Agreed, Oswalt or Ryan I would feel lucky to have either one.
Make sure you have a good neck/travel pillow. That helped me. ( my only words of wisdom I am telling everyone).
Trent V
On June 25, 2012...
Glad to hear you are home and doing well. I am 4 weeks post surgery and feeling surprisingly good. Down to alternating ES tylenol and ibuprofen during the day and taking a vicadin at night to help me sleep. Hope to stop the vicadin this week. Take care and listen to your body - don't over do! Denise K.
Ha.. that last message was from me.. D Woz... LOL. I guess this isnt quite like the phone where I can ramble on and you eventually say.. oh, Donna.. I was trying to figure out who you were. :)
Thank you for your updates Trent. I may be facing the same surgery. Will know more in the fall. Sounds like you did not have your chest opened up. The local cardiac surgeon where I live is working on repairing MR with a small incision. Hoping it will be perfected before my turn comes. Your posts encourage me and help take away some of the fears I have had. Praying for your recovery.
Ellen
The only advice that I can give you is you want to have a surgeon and a surgery center that performs these types of procedures on a daily basis. I ... Read more
The only advice that I can give you is you want to have a surgeon and a surgery center that performs these types of procedures on a daily basis. I am not knocking your local guy in any way, but I feel that my outcome was better based on the fact that heart valves are the primary type of surgery my surgeon performs and the place that I went is 100% dedicated to heart surgeries. As I was told many times "these people do this EVERY day".
Your gut will tell you what is right in the end, but i would definitely get other opinions before your determine your surgical need and route. The words "minimally invasive" are not true, as at the end of the day this is till heart surgery. Sternotomy or right-thoracotomy (what I had) will be used to perform whatever gives the best access to perform your procedure...so be confident in the solution of the base issue and then worry about route they are taking.
If I can help in any way, just let me know.
Trent V
On June 22, 2012...
Glad to hear that the tubes came out. Best of luck with your recovery! Did you make it home today?
Trent Viavattene Yes, made it home and trying to integrate back into life.
On June 22, 2012...
Trent, Glad to hear things are going well. If there is anything I can do to help out please don't hesitate to give me a hollar.
Prayers your way. Glen Apple
Glad to hear the great update! Good for you. NO more chest tube!!! What a relief. Keep stretching your walks and using your spirometer. Sorry about the pain medicine, can you just tell them you want it every 4 hours regardless? Keeping you in my prayers as your recovery progresses.
Holly P
Hi Trent, Glad you are getting things done there, but you better watch some of those nurses they might just get you some possum stew. lol. Keep up the good work and you will be out soon and doing great things.
For the long haul
Linda H
TV, Your post makes it sound like a wonderful place to vacation. But, being up at 3 am due to lack of cocktail distribution (pain management) and having enough time and motivation to create a lengthy post seems like issue enough to cause a discussion with your “HEAD VACATION COORDINATOR”! But based on past reviews, it does seem like consistent cocktail distribution is a problem during the night shift at most vacation hot spots but that may be due to fewer Cabana Boys/Girls (or other appropriate personnel) during the night shift. As for the HOT FLASHES, I hope you now have some sympathy for the older woman in your life! However, I think that may motivate me to ask the Cabana Boy/Girl to bring me some ice water too (just cuz that may be quicker than waiting for the air to kick in). As you start to rehab it will probably be more like a less grueling version of the biggest loser but I look forward to the posts on your progress and the quality of the “Spa” experience at this resort. But I hope you get to the point that all these issues resolve themselves quickly and you get to enjoy your life of leisure. But with all that said and as good as you make it sound. I think the next time you want some time away from your wonderful co-workers you should seek a new vacation coordinator and not go anywhere that has the name Medical or Hospital in it! J/K Sorry for the rough nite and I hope the pain go away SOON! ;D - D Woz
I can't say I can relate regarding the pain med dosing. I can say that overall I 'enjoyed' my stay at Hartford Hospital, CT. The staff was fabulous. The food....???
Good news on the walking. Keep it up. Not sure if you saw my post but I started cardiac rehab yesterday and will go again tomorrow and then 3x a week. Having been down at least a month prior to surgery with pneumonia and congestive heart failure I have a lot of strength to build back up. I think your pain level will decrease with the removal of the chest tubes. Finally I can relate all to well on the last subject....was prob one of the worst parts of all this and it's supposed to be human nature...Good luck and keep posting. Karen
Trent, glad to hear you have made it through! I'm still just down the street (for the next couple weeks anyway) so if anything comes up please give me a call (972-757-4838). I'm more than willing to shoot over to run and errand or help out any way I can.
Trent, glad to see you back online. I got an out of office from you earlier. Quick question: need to understand performance constraints with Cloud servers and physical servers residing on the same network... Oh, sorry. I should probably wait another couple of days.
Been thinking of you bud! Glad to hear your surgery was a success. Sincerely - Kindle
Hey buddy, glad everything is going well. Are you up for a visit this afternoon or tomorrow? I have some goodies for you!!! Have your wife give me a call if it is OK, i don't want to barge in on you. Thanks, Otis 940-243-0924
Uploading your photo!
Did you go on a lake vacation? We just returned from a week at the beach. I too have numbness, and on my right side. I can relate where you say you can't believe it was you on that table. I felt very blessed to have just spent our 18th annual beach vacation with our immediate family and closest friends. I heard last night on tv 'we are all only a heartbeat away from death'. Had I have heard that some years ago it probably wouldn't have phased me, but it really hit hard when I heard it. Hope you continue on your road to recovery.
Karen Campo
Glad things are going ... Read more
Glad things are going well, and that you had a good time at the beach. We have not had a chance to take a vacation (when we had the time, I wasn't down the recovery far enough to make any long journey's), and now my wife is starting back up at school for the year. But thankfully there will be many more years to take vacations.
Things are getting back to normal, and I have to remind myself what just happened to me.
Trent V