B's Heart Valve Journal

Hi everyone, It's been awhile since I've been on here. I have been ..as most are busy with work , joined Curves for exercise and have been dating a little bit.
I do wish I could find a nice man to spend the rest of my life with. It's no fun being alone...
But overall I have been feeling pretty good, no dizzy spells, have a new PCP, he says I have metabolic syndrome, can have 100 carb daily. Hope everyone a happy new year!

Good Morning Celia,
Overall a nice day here in Virginia. Well i hope your headaches get better i will keep my new blog buddy in my prayers. I have a problem with my weight also..i have been off my diet and was dizzy this morning. Do you ever get dizzy?
Hey, have a great day and it must be nice in Florida this time of year i lived there before in Gulf Breeze its near Pensacola. Hang in there and you can always get another opinion about the Metroprolol from a different Cardiologist or ask your PCP. BYE for now!

Would be to take meds exactly as prescribed...I know...
and watch the sodium.....I know...Gotta do it....
Have great day! God Bless...BB

I am curious about why I have had some dizziness the last few days and then numbness in left side of cheek area glad I was sitting down. Seen dr. today he reported no signs of any thing serious. The incident lasted last night for about 15 seconds. Could have been high on sodium levels, I had forgotten and taken metroprolol a couple times later than usual and warfarin off the clock also a couple of times.. BB

Hi, I got your message and am glad you share with me your thoughts and suggestions. Happy to have eight months out since surgery. I have been using a walking CD have not lost any weight but working on it.
God Bless,
BB

Yes, by all means I will be consistent. I don't think I made myself clear before but I will be on gaurd and want to be somewhere around 2.8 or so. This is where I will find a medium in between these two numbers that is 2.5 and 3.5. I know 3.5 is way high and higest I've been is 3.2. I think.. I know its dangerous. I would be satisfied at 2.8 and have veggies...gonna do like i said and give it a try two or three days before i go in for labs. Take care...BB

The nurse from Henrico Doctors ( they are fantastic by the way )..told me I could eat green vegtables three or four days before i get PT/INR done so it would be a more accurate reading..when.I'm ready to make the transition because I havent been since I had 1.7 labs and nearly passed out in April...since been off green vegs I have been holding levels anywhere from 3.1 to 3.3. But you know and I know it can jump up or jump down...like walking a tight rope here....!!LOL

Long story short i will begin to eat green vegs (small amount) once daily three days before my labs on the 24th ..so i will start on 21st maybe asparagus or small side salad..

I have been eating tomatoes, onion, very little lettuce once in a while, frozen corn, swt potatoe french fries baked, so all wish me well....

OH by the way, I would appreciate any input anyone out there has for me...BB

I like canned peaches, i catch them on sale sometimes...
I can have cantaloupes, water melon, no raisins, no cranberries, mandarin oranges, oranges, no salt roasted peanuts, remember palm of the hand amount=160 calories........
.Just saying....Oh, im beautiful...not ....but im not ugly either...just glad to be alive...57 yrs old...
Thank you Jesus.
BB

Yes, sodium is an area i wish i did not have to watch but i do. Yes, I take cumadin also..i dont even know how to spell it...but thank God for it.
I have to be careful...i did have three chest pains about three weeks ago...Hope nothing else comes my way...
Just eat in moderation, watch salt...everything has salt whether you cook with it or not...READ FOOD LABELS.
I use salt free spices, onion powder is good, ms dash also. Love to all...BB

Hi, its me..BB.. I am blessed and need to exercise everyday also... they say to drink 64 oz liquids this will include DECAF coffee, no caffiene tea or soda as well not to exceed 64 oz. total in liquids daily. Fish twice a week in a seven day span... I have grown to love honey nut cherrios/ whole grain is good. Not multi grain, (pittuiee). Use smart balance it has no trans fat in it it is more costly but worth it...I use 40 calorie bread it is fewer calories and sodium...i have to follow what is low in vitamin K because green veggies and lettuce (K )will lower your blood levels readings and they need to stay in a safe range ...for instance mine are between 2.5 and 3.5 since I have a mechanical heart valve...per PT/INR readings and make you don't want to go the dizzy route like I did. I don't know it all but I know what I have been through!!! God Bless you all and love to you who have gone through the surgery and just know every day you get stronger and hold on...:))

Well, as you know I had mechanical heart valve replacement and aortic root repair surgery back in Jan. I recouped fairly well getting my strength day by day, did cardiac rehab for three weeks then went back to work. All in two months I have watched what i eat and counted calories and SODIUM count not to exceed 2000mg sodium daily. Recently I had three weeks ago three pains in my chest, it didnt come back though/...I was glad not to have to call ambulance..I am having to watch my diet and keep sodium down ..that is the key because sodium can cause a blood clot....So mind your P's and Q's !!! Love BB smile God loves us!!!!

Hi to all, I am doing well....Hope all is going fine for everyone. BB

April 25th...2012
On April 9th as I was finishing brushing my teeth and had gotten ready for work is became dizzy and left side of my mouth felt numb.. I gathered all my wits about me and steadied myself and sat on commode a min before i could make it to the living room and then called rescue squad. I called my cardiologist secretary told me i did the right thing that was somehow comforting that I had her to twll me that. I had a ct chest ex ray and EKG .Thank God no signs of clot or brain damage.. Out come: Coumadin levels were too low, you see they can be too low or too high. mine was 1.72 and two weeks prior was 1.8..so i was riding on empty for a month taking dosage of 3.0 and eating salads everyday..I was sabotaging my levels...so no greens now and im on 4mg daily living ok without greens/ don't want VIT K to interfere with. levels in a week following were 2.4 and a week later 3.0 and today 3.5. Doc said to stay on 4mg five days a week and take two mg tomorrow and on Monday will see me in another week for levels check...So I consider myself blessed by God because he is looking out for me and I am thankful to him for saving and keeping me.
Chin up out there...you can do this...focus ..focus on God.

Through God's grace he got me through the ordeal on January 10th. Like I said earlier I was blessed by God and also received a great check-up from Cardiologist as he said he'd see me in a year for annual check up. I am tracking my food intake still and probably will forever for safety sake.
Good Luck and God Bless

Hi to all,
I seen my cardiologist on Thursday April19th. Overall good check-up. Staying on low caloric intake, low sodium diet. The main thing is to have very lw vitamin K in your diet as I had a run in this last week with dizziness and found my coumidin level too low, The main thing is to only eat small amts of K and the only thing I had was salads and thought if one at lunch is good one at dinner is good also.....no so. limit K limit salads to small one every other day.

Yeah, I'm mighty glad I got through it myself. I have a different perspective on life. Actually, eating a better diet overall and have lost twenty pounds. I drink a lot of water also now more than before about four to five glasses a day to stay hydrated. Better that you drink water but not so much you dilute the medicine....I feel fortunate to have a second chance and I owe it all to God for giving the doctors the knowledge to help me make it through without any nerve damage what so ever. Thanks for reading. BB

Actually my diagnosis also included an aneurysm and I had the root of the aorta repaired at the same time as heart valve replacement. Boy do I feel fortunate to be able to function at all especially this well within a month.
Did I tell you there is some shortness of breath that may occur after the surgery and in the recovery phase. I used the spirometer I was given and soon was over it. Use it four times a day and do the exercises you are told to do four times a day. Follow the doctor orders and cut back on the sodium intake, I was given a 2,000 mg limit but I only take in 1,000 to 1,500 a day. This is to off-set blood clots.
Another thing to do to help yourself is to document your food intake along with the sodium and coloric intake. This is what I have been doing. Oh, and don't rush, just get well. Thanks for reading my blog, BB.

Thanks for everyone's sincere prayers....

Well, dear hearts I made it with the help and guidance of our dear Lord and savior. I have no doubt that God was right there guiding my doctors while I'm on the operating table. I took a very real leap of faith hoping and praying all the while I could have that "second chance" at life again. I owe it all to God my being here to even write this. I had a heart rhythmic problem on or about the time I was to be discharged from hospital. It is good now. I am one month out and am feeling better every day. I still have to sleep in my recliner due to the "pull" of my scar. I'm fine and getting better everyday. Happy times and good family really helps a lot! Thanks for reading this, BB

Well, I am getting prepared for the tenth. I am optimistic as well as I can be and keep praying all will work out fine. Good luck to all with your surgeries and getting back in the swing again...

Hi to all of you dear hearts, I had a nice Christmas with family and friends and hope all of you did also. I have began to self talk (silently) and believe there is a reason for everything under God's guidance. He is a miracle worker and I have depended and continue to depend on him for my life as I have for the past 56 yrs. I am happy for all of you that have gone through the surgery and come out doing much better than before you went in and happy for me because I have a good location and great doctors to take care of me. They are well known and very advanced at Henrico Doctors Hospital in Richmond Virginia. Yes I will keep you posted before I go in and will go for rehab for a week after the surgery then return home. My computer is a desk top so I will not be able to keep posting once I go in on the 9th of January.. So look for me to try to post after I am back home...God Bless each and everyone of you and thanks for being there...

If you are there JH please keep in touch...You make a lot of sense especially since you said you had the same DX as me.
And you offered if I had questions to feel free and ask...I dont see you in any of the journals???Help

Pretty calm most all the time but not so last couple days and am nervous,
I have questions and think about so many things seem like they come one right after the other....Anyway I am hanging in here and by darn gonna keep positive to!!!!!!!.........................
This may mean I have to walk the stores looking at all kinds of
pretty bobbles and things, you know like girls do??
I'm on the edge here...

Well, today is December 21st...I am getting myself prepared as I possibly can with all a person has to do before going in to hospital..on Jan. 9th then surgery on the 10th..I would be lying if I said I am not in the least bothered and anxious about it. We're not robots. I know God is in control and he knows what the outcome will be, I don't.
Let's just say all will go well and I will live my life to the best of my ability. Think Positive and Pray...Thanks for any advice...BB

After a regular check up my doctor suggested getting routine echocardiagram "to be on the safe side"since I had to have one last year before foot surgery due to a heart murmur, I thought nothing of it ...Mind you, I have had anxiety episodes for last yr at least. Several days later I had a strong "anxiety episode" and made a call for consultation next day and this got the ball rolling.... I have been diagnosed with congenital bicuspid aorta with severe stenosis. Mind you, I have had three echocardiagrams in last few yrs since my sister died from a massive heart attack. I was never once told I had a congentital heart defect from birth... I had a consult with dr that suggested I have a heart catherization and I did. The surgeon advised me to have the surgery.... Next, I got a second opinion and this doctor had me to do a stress test, I had my records sent to him and the heart disc, he reported he hadn't looked at it but read the print out, overall after the stress test he told me I could wait and see and in two to three years I would need the surgery.....I'm off to get a third opinion at this point with conflicting stories and third opinion (surgeon) told me I will need surgery sooner than later and need to have an aorta valve replacement and was told the base of aorta is enlarged as well that will need to be "trimmed". It is a scary situation for me, I thank God for being in control... I have an appointment for a cat scan and will be admitted on the 9th of January and am scheduled for surgery on the 10th.