About Me (In My Own Words)
My hospital was Hospital of the University of PA (HUP)..I am now 6.5 weeks post op and doing extremely well, walking 2-3 miles daily, and feeling almost normal (well, maybe 85%-90%)..Until I push my activity (which I dont really want to do yet) I wont know for certain..I feel that heavier exercise such as swimming and going on training jaunts on my bicycle will have to wait until later, possibly a month or 2. My incision has healed nicely, so it appears as a thin red 8 inch line now. I had the full sternotomy per the advice of my surgeon, so he could also perform the MAZE procedure for my A-fib. The bone has healed to the point where I barely feel sneezes in my chest. My Xray on October 10th will tell the tale of exactly how far the healing process has gone.
The first 2 weeks post op were generally not fun, lots of fatigue, everything was a huge effort..Every week I felt a breakthrough physically, and energy has increased exponentially. My surgeon thought that eventually my bovine replacement aortic valve would outperform my old damaged valve, to the point where my endurance would be as good as it was 15-20 years ago.. I cannot wait to test this hypothesis! All in all, although I really feared the aftermath more than the surgery itself (how can you fear something you're not even awake for??) my fears have been mainly unfounded.
Here are some takeaways I could pass along.
-find a surgeon who has done the most (or at least a very high volume) of the procedure you are going to undergo. My Surgeon, Dr. Bavaria does 20-30 AVRs/month, the most in the state of PA. There is no substitute for experience.
-You obviously will need some pain meds in the immediate aftermath of the surgery. after that I would advise avoiding pain meds or at least minimize their usage..They will slow down the healing process.
-move, move, move..as much as you can..it will accelerate the healing process.
-visualize in your mind how you will be as you get better and better..you can reset your brain to assist you in your healing..the best healing is self-healing.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Chesterbrook
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My surgery date is:
August 22, 2016
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Regurgitation
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Atrial Fibrillation
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Maze Procedure
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