Al's Journal

Hello Everyone, it’s over 3 1/2 years since surgery and the heart is doing great! I stopped playing softball for reasons not related to my heart. Instead I’m playing a lot of Pickleball, Golf and Bowling. I’m lucky that I didn’t have any heart arrhythmia the last 3 years. I’m having cardiologist visits every 6 months with good reports. He says circulation is good. Does ekg most visits. Will do echo test next visit at 4 years after surgery. Guess he wants a baseline. All in all, life is Good!

Hello Everyone - It will be 6 weeks this Friday & I'm doing great. Walking 2 miles every other day because I'm watching the softball games the other days. I threw the softball some today & it didn't hurt my chest. I'll probably start throwing on a regular basis next week. I feel the same as before surgery because I really wasn't experiencing any symptoms before surgery. I guess stamina should be better now. probably my last post for a while since status isn't changing. Good luck to all future surgeries.

Had follow-up visits with cardiologist & surgeon assistant last week & past with flying colors. Bruising is gone in upper thigh where they took vein for bypass although its still a little tender. Cardiologist ordered blood test & chest xray. Boy, I saw about 8 loops of wire holding my ribs together plus another wire loop that is the frame for the new aortic valve. Walking about 1 1/2 miles per day but basically still just taking it easy. Only 1 more week of no driving. By the way - i didn't get the recliner & it worked out ok. as long as your couch is pretty upright, I don't think you need to rent the recliner.

Two weeks post-op & doing great. Walking some each day and trying to get the last incision to heal. Really can't complain about anything. Glad when softball starts again next week to give me something to watch during the day.

Yesterday, Day 5 was first full day at home. just took it easy and took my first shower. it takes a while getting all the tape & sticky stuff off your body. took a short nap but then couldn't go to sleep at normal time. just taking Tylenol for pain, so far so good. I'm surprised to find that you can sleep a little on your side & not just your back. food does taste a little different, wonder how long that will last. starting the outside walks today. gardeners are here cutting the back lawn. everyone says I should keep them after I'm fully recovered. hmmmmmmmmm.

Only 4 days after Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery and going home. What a great team that Dr Frank and Dr Foerester have here @ Mercy Hospital. Hope to get a few hours sleep tonight...

Hospital called & said I could come in early between 10-11 instead of 2:00PM, yeh... Blood tests & X-rays of chest completed a-ok. By the way - they shaved my whole body. Didn't read that anywhere on this website. they gave me a DVR to watch titled "Pre-op, First 6 weeks at Home & Emotions". See you all in a few days.

We had a great meeting with Dr Frank (call me Frank) Slachman today. Surgery is scheduled for Friday morning May 15th. He’s doing the Aortic Valve Replacement and a single bypass. Hospital stay is about 7 days instead of the 4-5 days that I've been reading about. I'm going with the bovine (cow) tissue valve. Dr Slachman does the Trinity transcatheter aortic valve system replacement but its in a study mode so we decided not to go with this valve. Need to spend 4-5 hrs day before surgery for lab work, x-rays, etc. Frank said to allow 3 months for full recovery.

I had my heart-cath test yesterday & they found 2 arteries that were partially blocked. So I guess I'm going to have valve replacement & a double-bypass. Waiting for surgeons office to call with appt. By the way, they had 2 emergencies yesterday so we had to wait an extra 3 hours for the test. Spent 10 hours laying in bed. The nurses were great!

ok, vacation is over so let the journey begin! I had a follow-up echo test March 18th and the valve opening is smaller then last Nov so surgery is a go. Yesterday had a carotid artery duplex scan. Of course the lab tech cannot tell you anything, but she did say my arteries were “textbook & easy to scan”. So i think they’re ok. Now I'm waiting for the cardiac catheterization procedure to be schedule. I'm trying to schedule surgery for the last week in April. Dr. Frank Slachman has been recommended but haven't talked to him yet. Apparently you call him Frank so I think thats a good start. By the way - I'm still trying to play Pickleball 3 times a week. I've notice some shortest of breath during the 1st game and my cardiologist said this is because your body isn't warmed up. After the first game, them I'm doing pretty good.

I found out in Dec that I need AVR. Since we have vacation scheduled for early March and I don't show any physical symptoms, I've scheduled more testing for middle of March. Wendy goes to a conference in early April so surgery will be about 3rd week in April. In the mean time I'm going to play Pickleball 3 times a week to build up my lungs and get in better shape for the surgery.