Was in the middle of mitral valve repair surgery one year ago today! Here's what a one year old scar looks like :) Thanks & best wishes everyone!
Rita Savelis Wow! Have to look hard to see the scar....or maybe I was just drawn to the shiny heart instead!
Lilly Black Barbara, the scar looks great...hardly noticeable! ๐
Penelope Bodek Holy smokes! I thought that was a before picture. You healed great. What's your secret?
Anna Jones Thank you. That is an amazing picture. You have to look really hard to see your scar. I'm so happy ... Read more
Anna Jones Thank you. That is an amazing picture. You have to look really hard to see your scar. I'm so happy for you that you are doing well.
Chris Purvis Wow thats looks really good! Canโt even see it.
Rita Savelis I still remember that when your scar was new, it just looked like cleavage anyway! Some people have a ... Read more
Rita Savelis I still remember that when your scar was new, it just looked like cleavage anyway! Some people have all the luck! xo
Civita Fahey Looks Great Barbara.. mine is still red! but then the scar from my foot surgery is just getting light ... Read more
Civita Fahey Looks Great Barbara.. mine is still red! but then the scar from my foot surgery is just getting light and that was 3 years ago.. UGH.. I have way too much pink in my skin... you would think having been born in Italy I would have some olive tones.. hahaha.. oh well if that's the worst I'll take it..
Michelle E Barbara that looks great! Nice to know we can make 'friends' with our scars - they are just part of ... Read more
Michelle E Barbara that looks great! Nice to know we can make 'friends' with our scars - they are just part of who we are now, with a survivor's story to go with them!
Barbara Wood Thanks! I had a pediatric surgeon - guess he knew how to take the tiny stitches, & I followed Ritas a ... Read more
Barbara Wood Thanks! I had a pediatric surgeon - guess he knew how to take the tiny stitches, & I followed Ritas advice & tried to keep it covered in the sun. Oh yeah, my cleavage scar...nice while it lasted:)
Melissa A Did you put anything on it after surgery? That scar looks amazing!
Barbara Wood Melissa, just regular body lotion - Burts Bees
Valerie Archual Awesome!!!! Can you believe we are a year out?! So glad youre doing so well!!!!
Sara Moyce Beautiful! As others commented above, gives me hopeโค๏ธ
Rosemary Hudson Amazing Barbara after only one year, Wow. :)
Diane Esposito Thanks so much for sharing this; I have been dreading the sternotomy scar, but yours looks great! Ma ... Read more
Diane Esposito Thanks so much for sharing this; I have been dreading the sternotomy scar, but yours looks great! Maybe mine wonโt be so bad.
Diane Esposito Hey, Barbara My incision is healed enough for me to look into minimizing the scar appearance so besid ... Read more
Diane Esposito Hey, Barbara My incision is healed enough for me to look into minimizing the scar appearance so besides keeping it out of the sun, Iโve ordered a silicone strip to use twice a day. Did you put anything on yours while it was healing?
Barbara Laurie Barbara!!! Fantastic! Wow kiddo, you. Did. Great! Yay! It takes awhile (I thought) for the chest to c ... Read more
Barbara Laurie Barbara!!! Fantastic! Wow kiddo, you. Did. Great! Yay! It takes awhile (I thought) for the chest to calm down, swelling, etc. I was on my back for 6 weeks so, I'm not a good example, but wow, I think you look great, and you have good color in your face, I'm very very very happy for you! ๐โค๏ธ๐โค๏ธ๐๐
Marie Myers Did you get your chest X Ray done? If so, did it look ok?
Barbara Wood Thank you all! Marie, I had my chest xray...it showed a small pleural effusion that he said will be a ... Read more
Barbara Wood Thank you all! Marie, I had my chest xray...it showed a small pleural effusion that he said will be absorbed, otherwise the lungs were clear, they were happy with it.
Soggy Rodent Barbara, with the pleural effusion, were you having a hard time sleeping? I also had a pleural effusi ... Read more
Soggy Rodent Barbara, with the pleural effusion, were you having a hard time sleeping? I also had a pleural effusion and felt like I was jumping out of my skin with oxygen hunger every time I laid down. I found it was easier to get oxycodone than it was to get oxygen...
Marie Myers You will feel so much better once that pleural effusion disappears! Even if it is "small" it still di ... Read more
Marie Myers You will feel so much better once that pleural effusion disappears! Even if it is "small" it still diminishes your oxygen carrying capacity.
Barbara Wood Yes, Soggy, I've been having a very hard time sleeping & the jumping out of your skin is a very good ... Read more
Barbara Wood Yes, Soggy, I've been having a very hard time sleeping & the jumping out of your skin is a very good description of the way I feel when I hit the bed. I'm not sure what causes it- afib, pleural effusion, the amiodorone I've recently been prescribed. I'll be curious after this cardioversion to see what stays & what goes away!
Sally Strand Hi Barbara sorry to hear about your setback but you are looking good and I love your attitude. I am a ... Read more
Sally Strand Hi Barbara sorry to hear about your setback but you are looking good and I love your attitude. I am also just 4 weeks past mitral valve repair and patience is something I am working on too!
Barbara Wood Hi Sally :) Yes we do learn a lot about ourselves during this adjustment period, don't we? And I thou ... Read more
Barbara Wood Hi Sally :) Yes we do learn a lot about ourselves during this adjustment period, don't we? And I thought it was going to be so easy!! Best wishes on your recovery, keep us posted on how it is going...
Melissa Houser Hi Barbara - the scar looks great! Sorry to hear you have been short of breath (possibly from pleura ... Read more
Melissa Houser Hi Barbara - the scar looks great! Sorry to hear you have been short of breath (possibly from pleural effusion?) and had persistent a fib. I pray for quick healing and resolutions to these problems. I see cardiology tomorrow, so I will post an update for my 4 week mark tomorrow. Still working on a selfie here, just haven't felt ready for the camera.
Lise Bowles Wow Barbara,
You look great! I wish I had gone with the sternotomy! Isnt it amazing? I hope you are ... Read more
Lise Bowles Wow Barbara,
You look great! I wish I had gone with the sternotomy! Isnt it amazing? I hope you are feeling better regarding your breathing and lung issues. Remember, it takes time for our bodies to recover fully. Its been 10 months for me and I am still having to take it easy because of the pericarditis. I am on medication and hoping that when I try to go off in about a month and a half that it will be resolved. I was told by my cardio doc that excessive exercise can trigger pericarditis so even if I get a little "mushy" for now, I am taking things slowly. Be gentle with yourself!
Barbara Wood Thanks Lise, my lung & breathing problems have eased a lot. Life after ohs can be a hard slog! I hope ... Read more
Barbara Wood Thanks Lise, my lung & breathing problems have eased a lot. Life after ohs can be a hard slog! I hope too that when you come off your current medication that your pericarditis will be resolved & gone forever! I'm glad to hear you're taking it slowly, so am I- patience is a virtue:). Thinking of you, let us know how everything works out..xo
Barbara Helen Dance Hello Barbara (2), Hi, I do love you latest photo............ please can I have the same result pleas ... Read more
Barbara Helen Dance Hello Barbara (2), Hi, I do love you latest photo............ please can I have the same result please ??????-. Thank you for your support, it means a great deal, as I am sure you know, (having been there, done that and brought the t.shirt....haha.). You are looking good....I remember you waiting like me, and NOW look......xxx๐.
Barbara Helen Dance Hi Barbara, thank you for your advice, love and best wishes for my surgery, ( i'm afraid I am useless ... Read more
Barbara Helen Dance Hi Barbara, thank you for your advice, love and best wishes for my surgery, ( i'm afraid I am useless when it comes to technology, haha. I have managed to upload a photo...... but not to my profile....๐,and I think I now have my date sorted.....(I wondered why I couldn't enter my proper surgery date... haha). Thank you again.I am so glad your breathing problems are sorting themselves out, and you are hopefully feeling much better. Xx.
Barbara Wood Thanks! I'm so f-ing proud of it! My surgeon does pediatric heart surgery & he rolls it inward & stit ... Read more
Barbara Wood Thanks! I'm so f-ing proud of it! My surgeon does pediatric heart surgery & he rolls it inward & stitches under the skin so it hardly shows- it's such a dainty scar!
Henry Brouwer Positive thoughts and prayers for your surgery tomorrow, Barbara!
Kathy Blank This picture is beautiful! Prayers for full recovery! Let us know how you are doing as soon as you ar ... Read more
Kathy Blank This picture is beautiful! Prayers for full recovery! Let us know how you are doing as soon as you are able Barbara!
Barbara Wood Lise, I am so glad to hear you are feeling better!! Enjoyed talking to you so much! I've been thinkin ... Read more
Barbara Wood Lise, I am so glad to hear you are feeling better!! Enjoyed talking to you so much! I've been thinking of you, thank you for the prayers. My surgery went well, no scar tissue, no pain to speak of- a fair amount of naseua- hospital food doesn't help!
Barbara Wood Thanks, Henry, Cathleen & Kathy- I'm doing very well, there's a possibility of a pacemaker, low hb, b ... Read more
Barbara Wood Thanks, Henry, Cathleen & Kathy- I'm doing very well, there's a possibility of a pacemaker, low hb, but they'll observe it for a few days & see if it works itself out:)
Happy St Pats day! I can't take credit for the photo- it was taken by friends of my sister-in-law who rescue & place homeless dogs. Not technically heart valve ...Read more
Happy St Pats day! I can't take credit for the photo- it was taken by friends of my sister-in-law who rescue & place homeless dogs. Not technically heart valve related, but heart warming & ties in the dog theme we have going nevertheless:)
Jeannette McLaughlin Pets are "heartwarming" indeed and kudos to your sister-in-law for her involvement and caring of home ... Read more
Jeannette McLaughlin Pets are "heartwarming" indeed and kudos to your sister-in-law for her involvement and caring of homeless animals. It's sad to think that those pets were wanted and loved (for the most part) at one point. What is wrong with those people?!
Valerie Archual How are you doing Barbara? I have had you in my prayers with your surgery coming up.
Barbara Wood Thanx Valerie, you're in my prayers too:). I hit a small bump in the road- afib- so my surgery is bei ... Read more
Barbara Wood Thanx Valerie, you're in my prayers too:). I hit a small bump in the road- afib- so my surgery is being moved up- not quite firm on the date yet -Take care xo
Barbara Wood Thanks Jeannette & Phyllis- those guys are just too adorably cute!
Valerie Archual Sooner than April 3rd?? So what's a-fib feel like??? Please let us know when your surgery is. I've ha ... Read more
Valerie Archual Sooner than April 3rd?? So what's a-fib feel like??? Please let us know when your surgery is. I've had you on my mind alot lately. Prayers continuing!
Barbara Wood Kind of like a chipmunk running around inside your chest! Thanks Valerie, I'm thinking of you too:).