Beckie Jess - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

412 days ago

Ana K, Yumiko Ishida, Barbara deLoache and 2 others reacted to this

Sorry it took so long for an update! My surgery went well, and I am now 2 weeks post op with OnX valve. Doc also found ascending aortic aneurysm during surgery, ...Read more

Sorry it took so long for an update! My surgery went well, and I am now 2 weeks post op with OnX valve. Doc also found ascending aortic aneurysm during surgery, and repaired it. That was a surprise. Hospital for 5 days, 1 day in ICU. I was surprised at how much tougher pain management was after I got home, but seem to have things under control again. I am now able to walk almost a mile with improved breathing and stamina. I am on the road to recovery, but have a long way to go. I was also unprepared for the weird emotional ups and downs. It's like a Rollercoaster. I have emotional melt downs about every 3 days, but crying actually seems to help, so I let it happen. My spouse and our family and friends have been amazing help to both of us. I have learned to ask for and accept help when I need it. I have learned to put my recovery first. I am beginning to have a shift in the things that are important to me. But I think that these are all good things, and wonderful learning experiences. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers! They worked! You guys rock!

Karen Hommel Continue to put yourself first, i am fortunate i had hardly any pain post op. So proud of you valve W ... Read more

Karen Hommel Continue to put yourself first, i am fortunate i had hardly any pain post op. So proud of you valve Warrior!

Barbara deLoache You are doing great. I would love to be able to walk a mile after my surgery without extreme fatigue ... Read more

Barbara deLoache You are doing great. I would love to be able to walk a mile after my surgery without extreme fatigue & shortness of breath! You go girl🎉🌷

Kathy Ozio Glad you're doing so well and sounds like you are learning some great things. Thanks for sharing the... Read more

Kathy Ozio Glad you're doing so well and sounds like you are learning some great things. Thanks for sharing the ups AND the downs.

😊

Rita Savelis Please always let crying happen! You have been through a lot physically and now your emotions need to ... Read more

Rita Savelis Please always let crying happen! You have been through a lot physically and now your emotions need to be expressed. Take care.

Marie Myers Congratulations on your surgery! I also experienced the emotional ups and downs in the early post op ... Read more

Marie Myers Congratulations on your surgery! I also experienced the emotional ups and downs in the early post op days. The Surgery itself is such a massive experience to mind and body!

Pamela Gregory So glad everything went well! Emotions will be up and down for a while. You are doing great

Rose Madura A great update with good advice. Glad you are coming along well. You've learned some great lessons. ... Read more

Rose Madura A great update with good advice. Glad you are coming along well. You've learned some great lessons. 🪖❤️‍🩹

Valerie Allen Appreciate being warned about the crying jags. Been through a lot of that in the waiting room but I� ... Read more

Valerie Allen Appreciate being warned about the crying jags. Been through a lot of that in the waiting room but I’m sure this is different.
Glad you are doing well!!

Beckie Jess Thanks everyone. It's definitely a new experience! It's getting better every day!

Larry Peterson Thanks for the update, Beckie! My advice is be prepared for the long game - full recovery is a very ... Read more

Larry Peterson Thanks for the update, Beckie! My advice is be prepared for the long game - full recovery is a very incremental, months long process with lots of aches and pains. You're doing great if you can do a mile at this point.

Grace Mason Glad to hear you are doing well Beckie!

Beckie Jessposted a journal

443 days ago

Rob Elwood, Grace Mason , Yumiko Ishida and 6 others reacted to this

Surgery will be 2/15. I will be the proud owner of an OnX valve. Looking forward to being able to drop some anxiety and move on to the recovery phase! Also ...Read more

Surgery will be 2/15. I will be the proud owner of an OnX valve. Looking forward to being able to drop some anxiety and move on to the recovery phase! Also (of course) terrified. But, they say what doest kill us makes us stronger, watch out Superman, I'm coming for you!

Dan Fouratt Great success to you and your surgery. I love your attitude and frankness. I am in a like situation. ... Read more

Dan Fouratt Great success to you and your surgery. I love your attitude and frankness. I am in a like situation. My is scheduled for March 20 or 21 or 22, still trying to get the right day. My new body part is INSPIRIS RESILIA Aortic Valve. Did they give you an option or simply told you what you were getting?

Beckie Jess There were options, but because the OnX requires little Warfarin, I chose the mechanical. All other o ... Read more

Beckie Jess There were options, but because the OnX requires little Warfarin, I chose the mechanical. All other options were discussed.

Dan Fouratt Beckie, Good luck the waiting will be behind you in a couple of days.

Karen Hommel Prayers for you today, for a successful surgery and a smooth recovery. Welcome to the heart warriors! ... Read more

Karen Hommel Prayers for you today, for a successful surgery and a smooth recovery. Welcome to the heart warriors!

Rob Elwood I hope you are recovering well. Best wishes.

Beckie Jessposted a journal

447 days ago

Valerie Allen, Mike McKenna reacted to this

Well have to say, having the heart cath was the single most amazing thing I've seen as far as medical testing. They did groin and radial, the rest of my heart ...Read more

Well have to say, having the heart cath was the single most amazing thing I've seen as far as medical testing. They did groin and radial, the rest of my heart looks good, but the doc says the valve has to go asap.

She told me they would be calling me to see the surgeon in a couple days. I am hoping that means forward movement. Waiting for this to get done stinks!

Marie Myers Glad to hear that you found the cath interesting and hopefully easy. I thought the same thing, yet wa ... Read more

Marie Myers Glad to hear that you found the cath interesting and hopefully easy. I thought the same thing, yet was worried about going through it. The waiting is a really hard, for sure… Yoga and meditation helped me through the preop wait time.

Sue Maize I thought the same thing Beckie—this time mine was through the wrist, had it through the groin abou ... Read more

Sue Maize I thought the same thing Beckie—this time mine was through the wrist, had it through the groin about 10 years ago, very different experience. I was more comfortable with the first one. I switched to a new surgeon so I’m waiting too, likely won’t have my surgery as soon as I would have with the first surgeon, just have to be patient. I’m with you, it’s not easy.

Beckie Jessposted a journal

453 days ago

Grace Mason reacted to this

Well, blood work done, heart cath on 23rd, working on a CT after that. Hoping for the best outcome, no additional problems.

Marie Myers Just take one day and one test at a time. You can do this!

Ana Brusso Agree with our cardiac nurse practitioner Marie. 👍

J Alexander Lassally Where are you having it all?

Thomas Sperounis Just had my cath done 2 weeks ago.Aside from a little bleeding issue it went I was super impressed ho ... Read more

Thomas Sperounis Just had my cath done 2 weeks ago.Aside from a little bleeding issue it went I was super impressed how smooth the whole day went.You got this.

Nancy Bukowski My heart cath went a lot smoother than I imagined it would- not as bad as I thought!!

Marie Myers I felt the same way as Nancy. The heart cath was a lot easier and less scary than I expected. Actuall ... Read more

Marie Myers I felt the same way as Nancy. The heart cath was a lot easier and less scary than I expected. Actually I felt the same way about the whole heart surgery experience. My mind had me so worried, and the experiences did not justify all my worries! Hope you find the same experience!

Nancy Bukowski Thank you for sharing your experience, Marie! That is very encouraging.

Beckie Jessposted an update

457 days ago

My AS is starting to be symptomatic. Seeing Cardiologist tomorrow. If he decides it's time, about how long will it take to get a surgery date?

Brady Busch Have all your preliminary tests been done?For me,between the start of those and the surgery,was about ... Read more

Brady Busch Have all your preliminary tests been done?For me,between the start of those and the surgery,was about two months.
Most likely,if more urgent needs happen,they will try to accommodate for them.

Richard Munson It also depends on how popular the surgeon is. Everyone is after the stars

Jennifer Fuller For me, it was two months from my first appointment with the structural heart program to my surgery.

Larry Peterson 2 months from symptoms to surgery for me.

Allen Carkner I think the severity shown on echocardiogram paired with how busy your particular surgeon is are the ... Read more

Allen Carkner I think the severity shown on echocardiogram paired with how busy your particular surgeon is are the key factors. It seems that under two months out could be realistic but can be longer from what I’ve heard.

Rose Madura For me, a little over a month. I couldn't wait according to my cardiologist. A lot depends on your ... Read more

Rose Madura For me, a little over a month. I couldn't wait according to my cardiologist. A lot depends on your echo and surgeon ability as others have said

Beckie Jess Thanks for the info everyone. Just worried about when to take time off, I work in medical field and w ... Read more

Beckie Jess Thanks for the info everyone. Just worried about when to take time off, I work in medical field and worry about the safety of my patient if I'm having symptoms! This info helps!

Thomas Brusstar I decided to wait for an open table with the famous mitral valve surgeon. I think it was more like 1 ... Read more

Thomas Brusstar I decided to wait for an open table with the famous mitral valve surgeon. I think it was more like 1 month wait time for me before I met with the best cardiologist (and surgeon that same day), and then 1 more month before surgery time.

Beckie Jessposted an update

458 days ago

Valerie Allen, c w, Susan Lynn reacted to this

Well, seeing the cardiologist tomorrow, hoping to be sent back to the surgeon to get this show on the road! Sick of feeling exhausted all the time.

Antoinette Weale Yes hoping not too long for you now.

Beckie Jess Thank you! Very nervous, but also anxious to get on the road to recovery!

Beckie Jessposted an update

463 days ago

For my past aortic stenosis friends: When you started having symptoms, what were they? And how long did you have to wait to be scheduled for surgery? Having ...Read more

For my past aortic stenosis friends: When you started having symptoms, what were they? And how long did you have to wait to be scheduled for surgery? Having difficulty working I'm so fatigued.

Rose Madura For me shortness of breath but I kept telling myself it was from aging. But the echo doesn't lie and ... Read more

Rose Madura For me shortness of breath but I kept telling myself it was from aging. But the echo doesn't lie and I had to face that. Godspeed.

Civita Fahey same as Rose. shortness of breath, some fatigue.. Kept saying it was the few lbs I needed to lose. ... Read more

Civita Fahey same as Rose. shortness of breath, some fatigue.. Kept saying it was the few lbs I needed to lose. NOPE. so the sooner we face it the better. SOB was gradual. my surgery was scheduled about 4 years after diagnosis. But, if your symptoms are really bad, they may do it sooner.

Allen Carkner Mine was subtle symptoms and only felt it occasionally. I would have a feeling of unease that I could ... Read more

Allen Carkner Mine was subtle symptoms and only felt it occasionally. I would have a feeling of unease that I couldn’t explain, as well as always feeling like exercise was unusually difficult. I just thought I was getting out of shape. Turns out it was critical aortic stenosis. With my echo numbers my surgeon got me in within two months.

Beckie Jess Thank you gor the info. I think I may be there too Allen. After years of being told I just had "anxie ... Read more

Beckie Jess Thank you gor the info. I think I may be there too Allen. After years of being told I just had "anxiety" I feel like I may have rationalized away alot more than I should.

Thomas Sperounis A bit shortness of breath here and there, more tired

Dan Fouratt I am new here and have not even met with my intervention cardiologist that is this Friday. As of now ... Read more

Dan Fouratt I am new here and have not even met with my intervention cardiologist that is this Friday. As of now I have no symptoms however I failed a stress echo. I am lucky. I had a heart murmur for 30 plus years, so stress echos have been part of my life. At home I can get through Bruce protocol level 4, during the test they stopped it at level 3 as my bp was dropping.

Allen Carkner I barely got to a brisk walk and they made me stop my stress test due to changes to the ecg as well a ... Read more

Allen Carkner I barely got to a brisk walk and they made me stop my stress test due to changes to the ecg as well as a drop in blood pressure. I was very surprised because I pretty much felt normal. Surgery less than two months later.

Jennifer Fuller Beckie, my experience was very similar. I dismissed a lot of the symptoms I was having, fatigue, exer ... Read more

Jennifer Fuller Beckie, my experience was very similar. I dismissed a lot of the symptoms I was having, fatigue, exercise intolerance, swelling, etc. I thought it was just a result of getting old and gaining weight. Well, turns out your body doesn’t function very well when your valve is severely stenotic and your blood isn’t circulating as it should! I also had a pounding, racing heart that I chalked up to anxiety. Well, a couple months after surgery and it’s completely gone.

Larry Peterson My symptoms were subtle, Beckie - slight out of breath feeling when sitting at my desk. Surgeon order ... Read more

Larry Peterson My symptoms were subtle, Beckie - slight out of breath feeling when sitting at my desk. Surgeon ordered an echo and recommended surgery for my bicuspid aortic valve and aortic aneurysm. Took about 2-1/2 months to get a surgery date.

Beckie Jessposted an update

465 days ago

New to this site, need aortic valve replacement very soon. Quadricuspid aortic valve. Toledo area. Anyone else in my area use Toledo structural heart center? ...Read more

New to this site, need aortic valve replacement very soon. Quadricuspid aortic valve. Toledo area. Anyone else in my area use Toledo structural heart center?

Brady Busch A quadricuspid valve.I had to check on that.It looks like there are at least seven variations.Really ... Read more

Brady Busch A quadricuspid valve.I had to check on that.It looks like there are at least seven variations.Really incredible how things form.

Beckie Jess Not sure of the exact configuration, but result is the same! Lol