Yvonne's Guestbook

Hi Yvonne sorry to hear your recovery is moving slowly. If you think your meds are slowing you down don't hesitate to discuss with your doctor as there are many different brands that get the desired result but they all have different side effects. I would say educate and advocate for yourself when it comes to meds. Ask a lot of questions about each including why you are taking it and how long you can expect to take it. I was sent home with multiple drugs and i would still be taking them all (surgery 04Jan22) if I had not reached out to ask why I was still taking them. As soon as I spoke up surprising I didn't need them all....lol... Now I am down to just a couple and feel much better. I was tired and unmotivated at the 7 week mark as well but kept my daily movement going no matter how hard it was because it is so important for your recovery. If you are experiencing unexplained weight gain you should speak with your doctor. 7 weeks is still early. Try and measure your improvement by the week rather than by the day......Good Luck and keep us posted.....Rob

Yvonne, I have had you on my mind for several days. Tomorrow is your big day. I’ve been praying for you and will continue to carry you in my heart. Sending you lots of hugs, wishing you peace in your heart and courage to get through this. You definitely can do it! ~❤️

Hi Yvonne......Wishing you the best on the 14th. I to had aortic stenosis and in the days leading up to my surgery I had the exact same thoughts and probably so has everyone on this site who has had heart surgery, nothing uncommon for you. The way I looked at it was, if you have to have something a least you have something that they can fix. They open the hood, make the repairs, close it up, rest up and your on your way. I had the Ross Procedure on January 4th and I was back to work May 1st. The post surgery care you will receive will be amazing. The people who will care for you are dedicated pros and the care and compassion they will deliver to you will amaze you the rest of your life. Keep moving as much as possible stay positive and before you know it will be like this never happened......You will recover in time......Looking forward to seeing your 1st post after surgery.......All will be well......Rob

Hi Yvonne, 
The waiting is the hardest part. Have faith in your doctors, and  the  health benefits you will experience once your procedure is done and you have healed. 

i was like you sept 2018

 What help me was i reserach my Surgeon team Was very confident  thus it made it easier for me GOT VALVE in the am walking the halls in the pm Went home nxt day

Hello Yvonne - my name is Heather Kelly and I was also in your shoes just a few short months ago. I am 52 in 10 days, and although I knew of my murmur ... I was not ready to hear that I had bicuspid aortic valve disease and needed surgery while I was still decent shape via Aortic Valve Replacement. I have two grandkiddos and a 15 yr old son at home and boy was I alarmed and frankly, scared. So, to answer your questions about emotions ... yes, they were all over the place and overwhelming! Knowing that your heart is being stopped (the very thing that gives life) and being put on heart/lung bypass for a long duration of time was intense for me to think of. What you are going through is NORMAL and all yours. It is ok to be nervous but just try not to let it scare you. A word of to the wise ... do your homework and when you go to consult with your surgeon be very candid with he/she. Don't be afraid to ask the personal questions. This is you hear and your life. I told my surgeon if I did not feel good about our consult when I left his office that day I was going straight to Cleveland Clinic where these are done daily and well practiced. Funny story was my surgeon did his residency there and stayed in close contact with the program there. 

You will have to have more tests prior to surgery. I had a TEE (Trans Esophageal Ultrasound-swallow a camera for better pics than an ECHO) ... very weird but not painful as they numb you good for it. Then a Cardiac Cath to make sure no other damage to my arteries. Again not painful at all just some pressure in wrist. Then a CT Scan right before surgery so they can tell where exactly your valve is and its approximate size. And another Echo. At least these are what I had.

They found my Bicuspid was from birth when I had TEE so honestly I had it all of my 51 years and didn't really know it. You will feel indifferent when you go in on Surgery Day but remember one thing - they do these AVR all the time; so many have been done and are very successful. I prayed with my family before going back and when they came out to get me I felt a peace and a strength; I was no longer scared nor nervous. As soon as the meds were given, I only remember waking up. Hospital stay was four days and then discharged home for recovery. Now waking up is weird but only because you are sedated but never once did I have pain. The staff who care for Cardiac Patients know how and what to do so you are not in pain and can recover quickly. I feel in my gut you will do well with yours.

There are some pointers for you for being home and recovering: Get a recliner if you do not have one sleeping is tricky for a bit. Get a shower attachment that you can remove from the shower head so not to get incisions wet. Make sure you have loose night gowns that are easy on/off. Stay hydrated (SO IMPORTANT), Take your walks and always remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Remember this: there are so many resources out there you can learn all about it and it truly puts you at ease to learn of the amount of people who have this done. I even went on U-Tube and watched videos of procedures being done so I knew exactly what was happening. Ya know what... I am so glad I did. I knew what to expect and I was looking forward to feeling a little less tired.

My surgery was 2/4/22 so 4 months ago and man I am so glad I had this done. I am so glad I educated myself and met people on this very site that helped me feel encouraged to go through this and not worry. I fell better than I have in a very long time and the funny thing is, I didnt realize I didn't feel good. Try to do some breathing for calmness and think positive thoughts. You are welcome to get a hold of me anytime day or night if you need to talk. You are going to be great and you will get through this!! I KNOW IT!!! WIll be praying for you and successful surgery. I will look here for updates as well. God BlessYvonne.

Hi Yvonne,  I knew I had aortic stenosis for at least 3 years so it was like waiting for the other shoe to fall. It did when I had a cath and two blocked arteries were found. The surgery was about three weeks later. I have a bovine valve.  I really didn’t get anxious 
until about two to three days before and 
had several talks with my support system which included a cousin who worked in cardiac surgery.  They all helped me off the cliff and that was five years ago. 
Best wishes to you and enjoy the new life you’ll be living. 

Honestly Yvonne

It's not that bad.... .truthfully

I got a replacement aortic valve and much of my aorta replaced as well 4 years ago.Still working as a teacher.Very successful operationxx