Angiogram this Wednesday and valve/aortic aneurysm repair next Tuesday at Keck USC.
Worried about my preparedness but will work at keeping joyful about a successful recovery.
Appreciate the encouraging testimonies I’ve read here. Hard to believe !

Scheduled for open heart valve replacement surgery in 3 weeks. Not sure what to expect. I am a 72 year old male with a bicuspid valve and not a candidate for TAVR surgery. Would love some input as to what to expect after surgery. I have a great surgeon with years of experiences in this area as well as doing heart and lung transplants. He is very reassuring but would like to discuss with others who have gone through this surgery. Very concerned about the recovery process at my age.

To my Heart Warrior family OK my OHS for a Mitral & tricuspid repair or replace is in two days Wed I go in tomorrow for the final pre test and stay they night my surgery is at 9AM now I'm feeling very anxious, scared and almost numb I want to be on the recovery side so i know it all went well the fear of the unknown is killing me…. how did you feel leading up to your surgery tell me im not alone....

While enjoying a lazy holiday off work with the kids, my last Amazon order of surgery prepping supplies was delivered. I’m now the proud owner of a bathrobe, house slippers, and old school jammies (the kind usually not worn by anyone born after the 1940s). I’m officially now able to dress like my grandpa. What’s up with the pocket on the pajama top? I remember my grandpa using it to tote around his dentures before bed. I have all me teeth, so I guess it can be an iPhone pocket. Speaking of teeth, I hit the dentist’s office last week to be screened and cleared of any mouth infection, so that’s good I guess. And speaking of my grandpa, he gave me the bicuspid aortic valve. His lasted longer than mine, though. He was about 70 when he had his replaced with a pig valve about 30 years ago. I’ll never forget sitting in the waiting room for over four hours while he was having his surgry. I was a teenager in the pre-interweb days with nothing to occupy time other than a word-search booklet and the occasional cert or tic-tac from my grandma’s purse. Unlike Scarlet O’Hara with a handkerchief, through any of the toils of life, my grandma could always reach into her purse and produce a mint. Even so, It seemed like that surgery took forever. Leaving my family out there to wait like that is one of the worst parts of this to me. But I guess my Mom and Dad are old pros at this now. Running herd on my 4 year old son should help them pass the time, and they’ll all have the interwebs...ahhh they’ll be ok. Grandma has been gone for a few years now, so somebody had better bring the mints! As for grandpa, coincidentally, he would’ve turned 100 last week. He didn’t make it there by a couple decades, but it wasn’t the valve that did him in - so there’s that. I’m hoping to hit the century mark with fake valves, upcoming technology, and whatever other assortments of bionic parts I might need. I already have a remanufactued tibial plateau made of cadaver bone and titanium, thanks to a car accident ten years ago. Like Johnny Cash and his Cadillac, I reckon I’ll get it “one piece at a time”. Right now, an aortic valve. Anyway, I think I now have everything that was recommended to take with me to the hospital. Two weeks from tomorrow will be my last pre-surgery day at work before driving to Cleveland to check-in to the hotel for a couple of days of tests and appointments. For now, I wait. I’m glad I found my way here. This website, the people, and their stories are very helpful. Well done, Adam. Ok, I gotta go order my family some mints...

18 months post surgery for atrial and aortic valve replacement with mechanical valves. I can still hear or feel every heartbeat. Its worse at night and is beyond annoying. Anyone have suggestions how they deal with it. Obviously want my heart to keep beating, but as the doctor says, this is just my new normal and have to accept it.

Question to those who have been on the recovery side for a significant period of time.....how often do you see your cardiologist for follow ups and what do they do? I had double valve replacement in 6-2017. I had a follow up and echo 7-2017, then a quick visit on 1/2018 and 1/2019 where the doctor listened to the heart for maybe 30 seconds and sent me on my way. Guess I’m just surprised they don’t do more testing so curious if I’m just in the norm.

I’ve not been as active on here. I’ve been busy with rehab and weekly INR checks. Everything is progressing nicely except I am still short of air. I yawn all the time trying to get a deep enough breath. Chest X-ray was fine. Echo was fine. Oxygen saturation is fine. I am always short of air. Have any of you experienced this?

Hello my newly found friends! My name is Salvatore Cafiero, I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I have Mitral Valve Prolapse Regurgitation and it has become serious enough to require surgery. I love that this support network is available for all of us participate, share, learn and embrace. I will write up "My Story" very soon. At this time, I just wanted to say hello and I look forward to participating, learning and embracing with you!

Tommy James writes, "Hannah, I hope you already know this but I wanted to make sure you know that you are loved by Kathy & me, along with all of The Judah Riders, and that you are in our thoughts and prayers as you and Jeremy go through this time together. But above that you are loved by your creator, our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ! You are in His hands! "

Next step for me is attempting to swing my clubs, been Nov last year since I have played on a course. I went out Sunday, thinking just chip , light pitch and putt. Warm up was good, light stretching, warming up. Well I am so happy to report that I was able to hit my 5 hybrid , almost full swing just like before. This put in in such a positive energy location I hadn't felt in a long time. I needed to get out there and prove to myself that I could put my mind to this and conquer my fears. This morning no pain in the sternum. Going to rehab and celebrating with my fellow golfers there who have been so encouraging. It seems like recovery is conquering small goals to finally reach the big one, satisfaction with my new self.. new health.. and I am ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1