Danielle's Photos

Yesterday was my 1 year Heartiversary. I wore this shirt to work that was from an AHA fundraiser. I celebrated being able to do the basic things I was unable to do a year ago. The last 12 months were a journey and challenging but not impossible. Sending out well wishes to everyone who is undergoing heart surgery. It will make you so much stronger!

Everything went great at my Cardiology appointment! I gave my ACHD cardiologist a painting I did (in anticipation to a trip to Thailand a few years back) as a gift, with a thank you card. I feel so grateful that my CT and Echo resulted normal for being 9 mos post OHS! The color palette is the same as the failed wall mural I posted here a month back! Hope everyone is having a great week! Recovery feels great once you’re past it 😅

I am finally using the bands from Cardiac Rehab at home and an elliptical. I still struggle with opening heavy doors and push-ups but I think I need to push myself to get back to where I was prior to surgery. This photo is from last week when I actually did my hair for once. February 18th marks 8 months post surgery! Everyday is getting a little better. What a difference this is from just 4 months ago when I was struggling with motivation and energy just to get out of bed.

All my tests are back to normal. It’s almost 8 months now that I’m past the surgical date. Classes are going great and I’m about to start working out again. I have been snowboarding 3X so far this season! Everyone in the thick of decisions, pre-surgical date, and recovery, I hope you all are staying strong. It does get easier ❤️

Mission cookies at Mt. Sinai: They have been delivered, each with the google docs note that you all signed. I think my dad hand wrote everyone’s first name that was on the thread. 2 bags for 2 patients with heart surgery the same week! Hope Daniel and Matthew get to meet up for the recovery walks and that it doesn’t hurt too much to laugh (use your incentive spirometers!) Sending y’all the best wishes from Colorado.

I was trying to paint a mural - doing things I used to enjoy to get motivated for the semester starting. Someone online told me it looks liked a twisted heart and I should burn the wall 😳 I then picked an accent wall color but was a bit scared of going too dark… so now I have a beige accent wall in a white room. Here is the twisted heart and the finished project for your amusement. Updated photo in the comments.

It’s been 7 months and such a journey. I had open heart surgery in May, 2022 and did not think I’d make it out on the Mountain this season. It’s going wonderful and I finally feel strong again! My purpose in posting this is because we are all in different phases of recovery. I hope this can remind someone who’s anxiously awaiting OHS or slowly recovering, to see that you just have to keep on moving. Keep going forward! ❤️ Thank you everyone here for all of the support!

Almost 6 months post open heart surgery. Hope my anxieties are not contagious because I am grateful to have gotten through the worst and for my primary care physician facilitating tons of tests and referrals. I am also fortunate for my health insurance, which has approved everything as in-network and it’s been somewhat affordable. I’m nervous about having an abdominal sonogram this week on Wednesday to take a look at my liver and kidneys since my liver enzymes are elevated and my liver is inflamed. The red cell distribution CV on my blood work came back as 17.8%. My echo is not until December 1st. I still can’t walk and talk at the same time without being winded, I am also extremely fatigued. I am wondering if anyone else experienced this continuing after surgery. I really hope the echo rules out anything worrisome. The EKG showed the left atrial side of my heart is slightly enlarged. I really hope to get back to my high energy self soon. Photo the lab tech wanted to take because I told him the moment wasn’t Instagram-able

My primary ordered an iron study, ekg, echo and other bloodwork to help explain my insatiable fatigue. The results are coming back and a lot of numbers are abnormal around the iron study and other enzyme levels. He also ordered a sleep study which makes sense. I think the hardest part for me today was to hear my symptoms are expected for a chronic illness. I had never thought of a congenital heart defect as a chronic illness and hearing it made me feel like he was talking about someone else. I guess I’d always thought of needing heart surgery one day, just as crossing off an item from a to-do list. I had the surgery, and now even more recovery items need to be crossed off, it’s frustrating because my mind is ready to move past this but my body isn’t. Thanks everyone for the space to vent and the support ❤️ Photo is from a few Springs ago. 

I decided to start the process for a medical withdrawal this semester to heal emotionally, mentally, and regain aspects of my life back like meal prepping, meditation, seeing a therapist regularly, and attending cardiac rehab. This has been a wild year and I need time to get out of fight/flight mode. Here is a view from the University I attend. I’ll be back to classes in the Spring.

I found this surgical report from my surgery interesting. If anyone is curious about what happens step-by-step in the operating room, this is from my OHS. I had an aortic valve repaired and a graft. I was in circulatory arrest* (*correction) for around 9 minutes, and that’s all the time it took mechanically for isolating and repairing the affected area. The total down time I believe was somewhere between 3-4 hours but I’d have to decide where to start observing the report. I blurred out the names that were listed of individuals who were assisting the surgery. I’m hoping when I finish my Biology degree in May 2024 to apply to PA or CAA school. My primary physician wants me to apply to medical school but that journey might be too long for me and I don’t think my grades will be competitive enough. If anyone wants to see valve replacement manuals from medical school slides a med student gave me, I’ll try to find them and post next week - I used them to organize my questions for the pre-operative appointment.

I work at a hospital in a very entry level position (I plan to apply to PA school) and I noticed a lot of the patients on warfarin, Coumadin, and other anticoagulants tend to order the same food items for lunch every day (usually grilled cheese sandwiches) for the duration that they are in the hospital. Do you think patients in the cardiac unit would appreciate an anticoagulant friendly diet menu? I think the patient population is big enough - I would have to reach out the the coagulation program or dietary program (I would probably make the suggestion to a cardiac charge nurse though). Fancy grilled cheese sandwich picture for attention ☺️ Thoughts?

I’ve had a lot of challenges since learning I’d need OHS earlier this year. This group has been really supportive and I wanted to say thank you. When the storm fades and the water calms in my life, I want to look at this photo to remember the strength this obstacle took.

Posting a video of when I was stronger in 2020 and went ice climbing for the first time. I am going to skip the winter sports this season since I had OHS mid May. I usually push myself too hard and I’m unsure how much cardio my heart can handle if it’s constricted from cold weather. It’s going to be a shift when I start exercising again because in the past I enjoyed pushing myself to top limits. Any suggestions or advice for returning back to snowboarding and sports?