Aaron's Posts

Hi Aaron. I got called for jury duty a week or two before my surgery and remember the stress it caused. Can only imagine what you must be going through when it's the surgeon! Hang in there and take it slow and steady. Everything will work out. Thinking of you and hoping for the best.

I have not had open heart, but a balloon valvuloplasty to a critically scenic valve. For weeks prior I had a sensation of an elephant sitting on my chest. The difference was immediate upon waking. My chest felt much more normal although I still had severe stenosis. Over the next week's the pressures decreased and an open heart was not needed. There was fatigue for several weeks. I went back to work in 4 weeks. I have never had normal blood flow from birth. 2 stenotic valves. Still never able to run.

Weeks after my valve replacement, I was walking up hills and talking for hours on the phone. Before surgery, I was only able to walk short distances, like 1 block, stop and continue walking. Basically I had to stop exercising. Speaking was causing breathlessness, so I had to cut my conversations. It was bad.....but very soon after surgery, I noticed I had natural pink cheeks, and my stamina was amazing! you will notice the difference.....like you, I was also born with BAV, and never had a good blood supply. You may want to scroll down and click on different people's names to read their journal. You will learn a lot just by reading people's journals. Feel free to read mine....I have many entries over the 3.5 years post surgery. I wish you a great outcome on your surgery....you will feel so much better! All the best, Aaron!

Hi Aaron. Welcome to the site. I was also born with a bicuspid aortic valve. In addition, I had rheumatic fever which further damaged it. Long story short, I feel great now. I did have some complications after surgery (You can read my entries) but it seems I'm very symptomatic so the way my body reacted may not be the way yours reacts. But the important thijng to note is that I feel really great now. So the surgery was worth it. I've always called it my "journey". Keep us posted.

I had OHS on Feb 6. Went on a 30 mile bike ride this past weekend. (Mostly flat, but I did it easily.) lifting weights again and running a bit. I got in rehab as soon as they would let me (9 days) and haven't missed a day of it. They gave me the confidence to do things since they were monitoring me. The surgery was not horrible and sleeping got easier every day. Rent a recliner and I also had a back massager that fits in a chair that I had gotten from Bed Bath and Beyond a few years ago. It proved so helpful. I had backaches for several weeks. Let everyone do for you and be pleasant😜. I am 60 and not the fittest person...You CAN do this! Don't sweat the tubes either.

Aaron, I just had my bicuspid valve replaced on April 4th (3 weeks today) and I feel great and will begin working from home tomorrow. After surgery I spent 4 days in the hospital, 1 day in ICU, 3 in the step down unit. You'll have some pain but they do a good job of controlling it with drugs, I was mentally there basically from when I woke up in the ICU, but was tired and groggy so certain things are foggy when I think back. Once you are in the step down room, it's basically getting up and doing a few walks around the hall , getting appetite back, follow up tests, sleeping, watching t.v.. After you are released you'll still have pain but they send you home with some drugs to take of it, I think by day 8-9 I was only taking Tylenol for pain. The next week I slowly got better day by day, (watched a lot of t.v., read, went for a few walks). 3rd week was about the same, I felt like I could do a lot of "normal" activities ( grocery store , run errands, go out to restaurants, etc.) . I also feel like my sternum had finally made a solid bond after being split. For me walking is getting easier but if I pick up the pace or go longer distances I start to feel like I need a rest. I started cardiac rehab on Monday and was able to walk 2 miles in my first session (3.5 mph) so a fairly normal walking pace, hope to get to jogging in the next week or two. Obviously everyone's experience is different but so far my recovery has gone much better than I had envisioned prior to the surgery.

Michael, i have not had the surgery. it is coming up . It has been a bit of a roller coaster. I was scheduled to have it done on April 12th and I was told that they wanted to wait and watch 2 weeks before my surgery date. My surgeon recommended a second opinion from the head or Thoracic Surgery at the U of U in Salt Lake City and he recommended that i do it sooner than later. I have a follow up appointment on may 8th to schedule it.