Beth's Journal

June 2 2012 marked the 2nd year anniversary since I had aortic valve replacement surgery. I am so incredibly grateful for my life today. I am doing amazing and only have to see my cardiologist once a year at this point. I hope that my story and experience can give other people hope. Keep on tickin!!!

I can NOT believe that tomorrow will be one year since I had aortic valve replacement surgery. It has been such a life altering event and this year has changed me in so many ways both physically and mentally. Mentally I am feeling stronger than I ever have in my entire life and physically I have never felt better. Finally, I am truly starting to take care of my body the way I should: I am following weight watchers program with my husband and we are exercising about 5 days per week. I am trying to lose the excess weight for good this time and get my body in the right condition that it needs to be in. Today, I know that I can accomplish anything I want to and that I can walk through my worst fears. Open heart surgery was one of them and I pulled through with flying colors. It was NOT easy but I became stronger one day at a time.... I am so incredibly grateful for my life today and everyone who is a part of it. I am also grateful that we have this forum to share and be there for one another: It has meant so much to me. Keep on ticking!!!

I can NOT believe that it has almost been a year since I had aortic valve replacement surgery (June 2). Time really does go by quickly. I have been back to work since September 1 2010 and things have been going well. I am feeling well physically and mentally too. I am still going to therapy because I have had my ups and downs throughout this past year. I have had bouts with depression and have been taking antidepressants for about 6 weeks now. I am feeling more motivated now: my husband Adam and I joined weight watchers beginning of may and I have lost over 10 lbs this month. Last Memorial day weekend I was getting ready to go into the hospital to have heart surgery. This memorial day weekend I am relaxing and having fun with my husband, family and friends. Isn\'t it amazing the difference a year can make??? I will be going to see my cardiologist for my one year post op echo on this coming Tuesday... Hope everyone is having a safe and fun holiday weekend. Keep on ticking...

It has been a while since I last updated my journal here. This past week marked the six month anniversary since I had open heart surgery. I have been back at work for 3 months now and everything is going well for me. I felt extremely grateful over Thanksgiving to be alive and well. I feel great and very thankful. My husband and I went to Las Vegas last weekend and had a wonderful time. My husband Adam and I have decided to adopt a child. We are in the process of going through the orientation for adopting a baby. Will catch up with all of you later. Hope everyone is doing well.

Thursday September 2 2010 was 3 months post surgery for me. I returned to work on Wednesday September 1 2010. SO far so good. I have worked as a psychiatric social worker at the same hospital for almost 11 years. The love I received when I returned to work was amazing and overwhelming. It felt really good to be back. I was exhausted by the time Friday came around. My husband Adam and I went to Ventura for supposidly the weekend on Saturday morning for some fun and relaxation at the beach. I was exhausted and took a 3 hour nap on saturday afternoon. During dinner on Saturday night I bit the tip of my tongue and started bleeding. The bleeding did not stop on its own. We called our doctor and followed orders to ice my tongue. We wound up in the ER for two hours and had to have stiches put in (my coumadin levels were high this past week). We wound up coming home early... I am grateful for all my blessings today and hope that you are all having a great Labor day weekend.

Had an appointment with my cardiologist today. She has cleared me to go back to work this coming Wednesday September 1. Originally she told me that I would be on Coumadin for 3 months post surgery(which will be on September 2). Today she advised me that she would be keeping me on the Coumadin for another month and that she would like to follow up with me at the end of September. I still get heart palpitations at times. In terms of pregnancy, she told me that she would want me to wait 6-9 more months. I will be 42 this coming March and I am not sure if I will be able to get pregnant naturally and if so will it be too risky??? My husband Adam is an amazing man and he wants us to do what is in the best interest of my health and our future together. We have options.. and alternatives.. we are considering adoption as well. I am grateful to be alive today and to have made it through this surgery.I am grateful that I have quality decisions to make in life today. I feel very blessed. I am also thankful to all of you who have reached out to me... Enjoy your weekend and keep on ticking..

Yesterday 8/25/10 was 12 weeks since I had aortic valve replacement surgery. It was also my 10 month wedding anniversary. This past year has definitely been quite eventful to say the least. I feel SO much better physically. I am walking approximately one to one and a half miles per day and I do not feel as tired and lethargic as I did in the past. I am going to see my cardiologist tomorrow 8/27/10 and if she clears me I am supposed to go back to work on Wednesday September 1. I am really anxious to get back into \"my life\" but at the same time I feel scared because I have not worked in 4 months. Emotionally I have had my ups and downs. I have been seeing a psychotherapist and have also been taking a small dose of an anti-depressant. I have been feeling quite overwhelmed in my life. I am 41 and a half years old and almost 3 months post open heart surgery. I have been married for ten months and truly want to have a child. I am not sure if the doctor will recommend me getting pregnant at this point of my life. We shall see... No matter what we will do what is best for my health and if we need to consider alternatives like adoption we are more than willing to do so. One day at a time.. Thank you for all your support. Keep on ticking!!!

Thank you all for your responses to my last post. It helps to know that we are not alone in this. I am supposed to go back to see my doctor on Monday July 26 about returning to work on August 2. I am a little nervous about returning to work because I work as a social worker in a hospital and I have been told that the day I return (if I go back on august 2) I will be covering the job of 3 people including my own for one month. My job on its own is challenging but I am not going to be ready to cover 2 other people when I first return after having open heart surgery. So we shall see what the doctor says when I see her on Monday. Hopefully, she will give me a few more weeks to recover so that I won\'t have to go back to a highly stressed work environment. Other that that, I am doing alright. I am less tired this week but still get heart palpatations a lot of the time.

July 14 2010: Today is 6 weeks since I had open heart aortic valve replacement surgery. I started driving last Friday and it felt so strange at first because it had been more than five weeks since I last drove my car. I have been feeling more tired and achey lately. I find myself napping more recently and my body feels like it is in pain at times. Maybe it is because I am doing more physically. I am supposed to go back to work on Monday August 2, 2010. There are moments I am concerned about this because when I get tired I feel as though I have to go right to sleep.. I hope that all this goes away soon. I am walking on a daily basis. I try to walk at least a mile per day in the early morning. Also, I am feeling a little more down lately and think I may go speak to a therapist because this surgery was life changing. I have good days and not so great days but overall I feel much better.

July 8, 2010: Today I went to see my cardiologist. Originally, she had filled out the paperwork for me to go back to work July 15. She said that I am doing well and can go back on August 2,2010. I am the one who still feels tired a lot and is concerned because I work with psychiatric patients in a hospital as a social worker and I do not believe I have the stamina to run all over the hospital yet. I will use this time to continue building up my walking and exercise. My doctor did not believe that I needed a cardiac rehab program so I am diligently building up my exercise on my own. This morning I walked over a mile and will continue to build it up daily. Going through this experience has changed me in so many ways. The little stuff is not worth making a big deal over. I need to work on relaxing and not getting stressed over the little things. It is just not worth it. Thank you so much for your comments and support on my first journal entry. I know that this will be an amazing support for me and I hope that I can help others along the way. Take care of you!!

July 7, 2010: Five weeks ago today I had open heart aortic valve replacement surgery. I am very grateful today to be alive and recovering from this surgery. I have good days and I have not so great days. I am walking a mile per day and slowly gaining my strength back. I am grateful for my husband Adam who has remained by my side every step of the way. He stayed with me every night while I was hospitalized and he has been there for me in every way possible. I am also grateful for my entire family and my friends. My parents, mother in law, my brothers, brother in law, and sister in law. Also Adam\'s family has been there for me and I am grateful for them. I feel so lucky to have such great friends who have been emailing, calling and visiting me. Today, I am looking forward to the future... and feeling better each and every day.