Carol's Journal

It's been one month and 2 days  since my aortic valve replacement via trans catheter(TAVR). I have gone to cardio rehab 7 times. Since I also received a pacemaker, I have not used any weights during my exercise. I am getting use to being on Plavex for 6 months and baby aspirin for life. I have more energy, sleep better, and overall feel better than I have in a long time. My daughter commented, " Mom, you are back to your old self!"  On a sad note, my 102 year old mother in law passed away 2 weeks after my surgery. With the help of my daughter and her fiancé and friends we were able to plan and have the out of town funeral and move everything out of her assisted living apartment. February 2022 will be a time to remember. I am able to spend a little time in AZ. I walked with friend in the sunshine and I could keep up with her and not be out of breath. Truly a miracle. Thank you, Jesus.  I'm now looking forward to my daughter and fiancé's wedding in Vail, CO this summer.

Thank you for all your prayers before, during, and after my aortic valve replacement and pacemaker surgeries at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. I've had a quick recovery. It's an absolute miracle. Thank you Jesus. Since I now have the pacemaker I cannot lift more than a gallon of milk and could not drive for 10 days. I'm now driving, walking around the block and start Cardio Rehab. tomorrow! Yea! My daughter and her fiancé from Denver continue to stay at my house as Doug's 102 year old mother, Ruth is now in hospice and I need their support and help.

It's me, Carol! Meredith drove me home from Mayo Rochester on Wednesday. Hard to believe I was in the hospital for only 24 hours! I had a little bit of a bump in the the road on Thursday when I felt "a little off", went to Urgent Care for an EKG. We then contacted the Pacemaker nurse at Mayo and figure out that the way I felt was ok. We were relieved. I do know I cannot drink my usual coffee! !I've been eating healthy with Luke, Meredith's boyfriend cooking wonderful meals for us. I walk around the house, rest a lot and sleep like a baby at night. I can really hear and feel my heart beat. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers before, during and after surgery. What wonderful family and friends! The Lord was with me during this surgery. I could not have done this without my faith and trust in God. I put it all in His hands. I now praise and thank HIm.

Mom was discharged from the hospital around noon today. We decided to stay at the hotel across the street tonight just to be safe and to catch up on some sleep. She has been resting most of the afternoon but is pretty much back to normal besides the restrictions for movement with some of her incisions. We plan to head home tomorrow. Again, thanks for the continued prayers as mom recovers!

The pacemaker placement was a success and mom got back to the room around 330pm! Nurses said she is doing great and everything went well. She wasn't put fully under so was pretty much back to her normal self by the time she got to the room! The area where they placed the pacemaker is pretty achey since they had to cut into her muscle, but otherwise she is not in any pain. She will have a few more tests done this evening and then tomorrow morning. If everything checks out she will be discharged to go home! Thanks for your continued prayers!

Hey everyone! Meredith here, giving an update. We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 this morning and were immediately taken to the hospital room where she will be staying tonight. She was able to get changed and prepped for surgery in here and they are letting me stay in here all day, instead of waiting in various waiting rooms. She left for surgery around 6:45am. Around 10, a NP came to let me know the surgery went well and that mom was already commenting on how her breathing had improved already! They kept her in the post-surgery area for awhile to monitor her heart rhythm as it had some gaps it in during surgery. The gaps didn't improve, so the doctors decided it would be best to put a pacemaker in. We knew going into this surgery that there was a higher chance this could happen since her original valve was bicuspid. She was taken in for the pacemaker placement surgery around 12 and I am now waiting to hear from the doctors once that is complete. Thanks for all of your continued prayers! I will post again later tonight.

My specimen/COVID test was negative today so we are officially "a go" for surgery tomorrow at 5:30 AM! I realized I put a lot of details about this surgery in the "MY STORY" section of this site. You can navigate there for more information, but the synopsis is that my anatomy makes me a candidate for the non-invasive TAVR (Trans catheter Aortic Valve Replacement) surgery. This surgery will require less recovery time so I can get back to doing the things I love sooner. Meredith's fiance, Luke and their dog Artemis arrived in Rochester this afternoon after driving from Denver this weekend. It is so nice to have them here to be with Meredith and support me!

We arrived in Rochester last night. Meredith is with me. Yea! So nice that her job has allowed her to work remote. Today I need to get the usual blood tests before the big day tomorrow. Earlier in the week when I had all the tests: echo, electrocardiogram, CT angio chest scan, etc. we stayed near the Gonda Building. Both of us did ok as we made our way through the appointments. However last night as we were checking in to our hotel near St. Mary's Hospital we had a difficult time remembering back to Feb. 2018 when we were at the same hotel and same hospital for my husband, Doug's biopsy and diagnosis of a brain tumor. We miss him everyday. Friday night at dusk Meredith looked out the window and there in my white pine tree (which Doug planted) was an owl! Maybe this was a sign that Doug was and is still with me .....looking down from heaven. I know the Lord is with me every step of the way as he guides the medical team.

So it has now been 3 years since my surgery! Hard to believe! Dr. Kevin Greason at Mayo in Rochester, MN was able to repair my ascending aortic aneurysm and save my bicuspid aortic valve. I continue to feel great and go to my 6 month appointments with my cardiologist where I get an echo yearly so they can check my valve. The repair of the aneurysm helped my valve work better but I know that in 7-12 years I will have to have my BAV replaced and hopefully it will be the TAVR. My 92 year old mom, Phyllis had the TAVR procedure back in Dec. 2014. She did very well with the procedure. She had a stroke in Aug. 2015. She had a nice recovery and we moved her to a care center which she enjoyed. She ended up having some problems with her pancreas, we brought Hospice into the center and she passed away peacefully in Aug. 2016. Through my many contacts, I hear about others who are needing open heart surgery. I always love to listen, direct people to this Web site and share my experiences. Remember that knowledge is power!

To my Family, Friends, and HVS Friends, It is hard to believe that on Oct. 8, 2013 I had my successful open heart surgery to repair my ascending aortic aneurysm. Dr. Kevin Greason, my surgeon and the rest of the team at Mayo- St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN were wonderful. I am feeling great and doing well. Another one of my cousins was diagnosed with the same thing and had the same surgery at Mayo in June of this year and is also doing well. My 91 year old mom had The TAVR procedure last Dec. She did have a stroke a few months ago and is now in rehab. Thanks to everyone who supported me through this journey. I'm thinking of all the new HVS community members who are awaiting their surgery. Remember that knowledge is powerful. Feel free to read my journal.

My mom had successful TAVR procedure/surgery. The procedure lasted 30 minutes. She was in the operating room much longer when they realized there was no pulse in her ankle. They found a blood clot in her leg, removed the clot and were able to put 2 stents in the artery. I took her home yesterday(Sunday) She can now talk without being out of breath and can walk without getting out of breath. It's amazing.

On Thursday, Dec. 18 my mom will have the TAVR( transcatheter aortic valve replacement) surgery. She is in good health for her age and her doctor thinks she is a good candidate. She could not handle OHS at her age. She was there for me when I had my heart surgery last year and now I'm there for her. Please keep her in your prayers.

Just an update about my family. My mom was diagnosed 2 months ago with heart valve issues. She is at the age where OHS is not an option, but since she is in overall good health, the doctors approved her for the TAVR procedure/surgery to replace her aortic valve. Please keep her in your prayers. Is there anyone out there who has had the TAVR procedure done? If so, what are your thoughts/ suggestions? With a heavy heart I share with all of you that I attend my cousin's funeral last week. We were both diagnosed 6 years ago with an aortic aneurysm. Both of us were monitored by our respective cardiologist. I had successful surgery Oct. 2013. My cousin's aneurysm was at 4.7cm for several years. Last week she collapsed with a dissection of the aorta and died as they were prepping her for surgery. I guess the AAA grew very quickly. To think... that she was scheduled for a CT scan this week! So sad! I am so thankful that I could give support to her immediate family at her funeral in Wisconsin. So, so sad. As Thanksgiving approaches I give thanks to God for my successful surgery.

Hello family, friends and HVS friends, Today is my 1st Year Anniversary of my repair of my ascending aortic aneurysm and the saving of my bicuspid aortic valve at the Mayo Clinic - St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN. Today as I was walking around the block and watching the leaves fall, it really took me back to a year ago. I reread my journal entry of Oct. 7, 2013, the night before surgery where the title was: "Let's Light this Candle" - after knowing about my condition for 5 years I am so glad that I finally had the surgery. I want to thank my family and friends for praying for me and helping me before, during and after surgery. I could not have done it without all of you. My husband, Doug and my daughter, Meredith were there every step of the way, as well as my mom and brother. Thanks to Adam Pick and my friends here on this website. I even made Adam Pick's "Featured Patient" for several weeks! This website was/is very helpful for information and support. My journaling really helped to keep me calm. The Mayo surgeon, Dr. Kevin Greason and his team were the best. ( I think all patients feel that way about their surgeon!) For everyone preparing for surgery you are welcome to read my journal entires for guidance. In closing I would like to thank the Lord for giving me another year on this earth. He has guided me and protected me. The Bible passage that has guided me: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 2:5,6.

Check out my latest photo under "my photos" My daughter, her friend, my friend and I walked in the 3 mile Central Iowa Heart Walk today to raise money for research. It was great to see so many people walking. It's now been 8 1/2 months since my surgery and I'm doing great!

Wow! It is hard to believe it has been 6 months since my surgery. I feel so blessed that I survived 5 years knowing about the future surgery for my aortic aneurysm, planning for the surgery, having the surgery, and recovering from the surgery. I am so glad that I decided to have my surgery at Mayo Clinic- St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Mn- one of the top 2 places in the country for heart surgery- specifically repair of aortic aneurysms. My surgeon, Dr. Kevin Greason and his team were exceptional. I was so glad that they were able to save my bicuspid aortic valve for another 15-20 years and that the repair of my AAA helped my valve work better! I have been doing great in my recovery. I am now back to swimming laps, working out with my trainer using weights and gradually increasing the pounds, trying to walk everyday and climbing 3 flights of stairs with ease! It's a miracle! I do find that I still get some upper body tightness and soreness when I DO NOT stretch or use light weights for my upper body EVERYDAY. I will have to be careful this summer when I am at the pool that I use plenty of sunblock and cover the scar so I don't get a sunburn and/or get keloid. It is amazing how much more energy I have now. Not only did the surgery help with that, but they also took me off the beta blocker which I had to take for the aneurysm for the last 5 years. My husband calls me the energizer bunny! I could not have made it through this part of my life without my strong faith, trust in God, and the great support of my family and friends. To all my HVJ friends: thank you for being there. We all needed to cheer each other on!! To future HVJ patients: you will make it through this challenging time in your life.

Fellow HVJ Women: Remember to wear your GO RED dress heart pin from the American Heart Ass'n or just wear RED today! It's been 4 months since my surgery! Time passes quickly. I'm doing great but I do notice when I do too much upper body exercising. I then have to back off. I have enjoyed the warm AZ weather where I can walk outside everyday. I'll soon be back to the reality of the cold IA weather. Glad to hear all my HVJ friends are doing well. I'm always here for future HVJ patients who might need encouragement.

Happy New Year to all my friends in this community, friends and family. What a year this has been! We were able to see our daughter graduate from Univeristy of Denver in June and soon after get her 1st job! Not long after that I found out I needed surgery and had my aneurysm repair surgery on Oct. 8. I've been recovering ever since. We had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. (I will try to post a recent photo.) I have recovered and will return tommorrow to my trainer, Robin for 2X a week training sessions and return to my power water aerobics classes(I will probably just do my own thing for awhile!) I also plan to start tommorrow on the new Weight Watchers Simple Start Plan. At the end of January I plan to go to our AZ home for a month and enjoy the warmer climate. I have so much more energy now than I had over the last 5+ years! I wish I would have had this much energy when I was teaching! As I sign off I will add my favorite Bible passage which I put in "My Story" back in September, 2013 and said many times in the last 4 months. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Prov. 3:5,6 God is good!

My Mayo Clinic surgeon, Dr. Greason called me last week to see how I was doing. He asked me if I had any chest pains(no), if I was short of breath(only when carrying a load of laundry up a flight of stairs) and if I had a good appetite(yes, probably too good) He was happy to hear I was doing so well, that my wounds were healing nicely, and that I did cardio rehab.He said that people in the long run do better with rehab. Dr. Greason said that he was bidding me au revoir! I graduated from cardio rehab last week and met my goal. I gained a lot of information and help from the cardio nurses and enjoyed talking to the other patients. I have been going to the gym and will return to working out with my trainer after Christmas. Jim J. and I have talked about the fact that we are both 80mph people. I must say that this week I feel like I am now at 80mph. Yea! I am looking forward to Christmas and spending it with all my family. My daughter, Meredith comes home on the 20th. I haven't seen her since my surgery. I can't wait to see her! My husband Doug really helped in my recovery. Also thanks again to all my friends and family and my new friends in this community for all your prayers. Onward and upward!

It is hard to believe it has been 8 weeks since my surgery. This past week I felt like I had so much more energy to exercise, shop, get the Christmas decorations up with a lot of help from Doug. I am usually an 80mph person and at 8 weeks I feel I am about at 65-70mph. It also helps that after surgery the Dr. took me off the beta blocker(which made me tired) I am still going to cardio rehab. They basically want to kick me out since I am doing so well with my heart rate, BP and resistance on the cardio machines, and weights, but said I could do a maintenance program for a week where they only check my BP 2X/session. Otherwise I am back to the Gym doing cardio and same pound weights I use at rehab. I now only take Tylenol before I go to cardio rehab or exercise at the gym. There are 3 things that Doug and I notice since surgery. I have more color in my face. My fingernails are strong and long. My toes do not get cold on cold days anymore. Amazing! I have found that when I tell people about my surgery I find out more people who have had aneurysm/valve surgery, or their aneurysm/valve is being monitored, or they have family members that had an aneurysm and didn't realize that they should be checked out also. I feel like I have returned to my profession as an educator! Always glad to hear how well everyone is doing in this community. Onward and upward!

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever! I'm taking time today to reflect on all the blessings we are receiving and the many things we are thankful for especially health, family and friends. I am especially thankful for my successful surgery, the surgeon, nurses and the rest of the team. Also thankful for my family who was so supportive: Doug, my daughter(who could not come home, but was there for my surgery), my mom, my mother in law, my brother, Phil and family, and the rest of our family. Also for all my dear friends who were there to lend a helping hand. Happy Thanksgiving to all in this community.

Well, I had my 6 week appt. with my new Des Moines cardiologist this week. He reviewed all my Mayo records/tests/surgery, did EKG and blood work, answered all my questions, and was pleased that my surgery/post op have been so successful. I go to cardio rehab 2 times a week and I have increased resistance with cardio and increased the weights. The nurses there and the constant monitoring of my vitals have given me a lot of confidence. After corresponding with Jim about both of us being 80mph people BEFORE surgery, I told him I was going about 45mph at this time! As I reflect on the last few months I've thought of things that might be helpful for FUTURE patients. PAIN RELIEF AND SLEEPING-   1.When I stopped my pain med Tramadol 7 days after surgery due to stomach upset I continued taking 2- 500mg of Tylenol every 4-6 hours. I tried to extend it to 8 hours but couldn't do that when I'm driving due to twisting or after cardio rehab. 2. ice packs helped with pain 3. I started taking Melatonin -3mg before bedtime and now have cut the pill in 1/2. They gave this to me in the hospital. I sleep like a baby. It is found at a health store. 4. I used a traveler's horseshoe pillow in the recliner and also in bed. 5. After 1 week in the recliner I then moved to the bed and piled pillows to make a wedge and slept on one side in bed for a long time and then all of a sudden I could move to my back and other side. 6. I used chiropractic adjustment 2 days after I got home and 3 times after that to help with back pain(he used massage and then gentle adjustment) MISC. AND OTHER IDEAS 1. I made it through the side effects of the pain pills by drinking tons of prune juice, eating lots of fruit. 2. I forced myself to walk everyday. Started out with 10, then 15min and then 30 min. Later expanded it to 2-3 times per day for 30 min. each. 3. I had trouble watching TV or rdg a book when I first got home so I listened to music or listened to audiobooks. 4. For Woman- if you can't find a sports bra that is comfortable I found this comfortable, easy to get on, soft, no wires, regular bra - Wacoal -Casual Beauty Wire Free Soft Cup (#852247) I found it at Dillards or you can go to Wacoal on line. I also wore shirts that buttoned down the front since I couldn't lift my arms above my head when I first got home. Hope this helps future patients. Thoughts and prayers go out to people with upcoming surgeries Continued prayers for Rachel and her family. Thanks again to Adam Pick for writing his book, sharing new research, and setting up this website. I don't know what I would have done without it.

Can't believe it has been 5 weeks since my surgery! I started cardio rehab. two times per week. I found out I could do more upper body exercises then I realized I could do. I continue to walk everyday. I began driving and found that turning the steering wheel and backing out of a parking place are both a bit of a challenge. I was really sore. After I talked to the cardio rehab. nurse I realized I still have to take 2 Tylenol every 4-6 hours when I drive or when I do upper body exercises in cardio rehab. I was trying to take Tylenol every 8 hours or not at all....doesn't work! No more pillows to prop me up in bed. Sleeping is wonderful!!! I'm getting 8 hours of sleep a night and a short nap in the afternoon. As my husband says, "You've graduated! You are not a 'princess' anymore." I continue to be a "Recovery Animal." Thoughts are with all in this community who are going into surgery or recovering from surgery. Glad to see that Terry Florian is now home after rehab.(update is on his Guestbook section) My prayers go especially to Rachel in England and her family as she fights for her life after surgery.

I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since my surgery.Jim Jones referred to me as the "Recovery Animal." My husband, Doug really liked that term so he has been calling me that ever since. Glad to see that Jim Jones is now the "Featured Pateint." This weekend we enjoyed a beautiful fall day down on Doug's family farm. See the latest photo that I added. My sleep pattern is getting better all the time. Along with my usual nighttime Tylenol, I started taking Melatonin at night about 4 days ago. So for 2 nights I slept better. I only awakened 1 time in the night, turned in the night from left side, back, to right side, and I had NO night sweats. Yea! LAST night I actually slept from10:30pm-5:00am and realized I had turned in the night from left side, back, to right side. I went back to sleep and slept til 7AM. What a wonderful night's sleep! It's the best sleep I've had since before surgery. For those of you just completing surgery.....there is hope for a better night's sleep down the road. I again want to thank all my wonderful family members and my dear friends. All of you have been so supportive with your thoughts and prayers, flowers, gifts, nice cards, and phone calls. Also many of you have dropped off meals, stopped by my house for a visit, driven me places, and delivered my Starbucks Decaf. nonfat latte! I have such a wonderful support team. I am so blessed. Thinking of all my HVS friends who are having surgery this week. Signing off as.....Recovery Animal

I had 2 great nights of sleep this week. I only woke up one time in the night, was able to move into different sleeping postitions without hurting, finally had no night sweats and got a total of 8-9 hours of sleep each night. I also got a short nap in both days. I think I'm catching up for all the days and nights when I didn't sleep well. I didn't reach my 10,000 steps yet. Hope to do that this coming week. I will start Cardio Rehab this coming Thursday. The best to all my HVS friends.

Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks since my surgery. We enjoyed a warm beautiful fall weekend. On Saturday while Doug raked leaves I walked several times around the block enjoying the beautiful fall colors. Later we both took a walk on the bike trail. Using my pedometer I got a total of 7000 steps that day. On Sunday we again walked around the block and bike trail and I got 8500 steps in. My goal is 10,000 steps by Wednesday. I still have trouble sleeping at night since I have pain on my right chest and the back between my shoulder blades. My chiropractor has really helped relieve my back for awhile but then I sleep in contorted positions and it's back to hurting again. I find that I do better if I can take a short nap in my chair during the day(where I don't have any pain.) I heard from cardio rehab and found out that since I only had surgery on the aneurysm that insurance won't cover it. I decided to go ahead and pay for 6 sessions on my own. I just want to make sure I am exercising correctly and doing the correct exercises. My first session is Nov. 7. I enjoy following all the other heart patients on this site who either have or in the process or will have surgery. Again, thanks Adam for this site. It is just as helpful to me now as before surgery.

Two weeks ago today on Oct. 8 at this hour they were wheeling me into ICU at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN after Dr. Kevin Greason replaced my ascending aorta with a 28mm Dacron graft and where he was able to save my biscuspid aortic valve. Today I went to my GP, Dr. Honsey to have the stitches removed, check vitals, have him put in a call for cardio-rehab. and tell me how great I was doing! Reflecting back on the last week I quickly had to make some changes. I got sick to my stomach with pain meds so stopped those on day 9 after surgery. I only take TyIenol. I could not get a good night's sleep in the recliner, so moved to a bed on day11 propped up with pillows and finally got some sleep. Also on Day 11 post op I went out to dinner and went to church on Day 12 where everyone was so surprised to see me and couldn't believe how well I was doing. I'm up to walking around the block 2-3 times a day and can now take a shower on my own. I still need assistance with many things and have to be sure to ask for help. I can hear and feel my heart beat, so I have Pandora easy listening playing all night. I Skyped with my daughter the other night so she could see me walk and see how much my 8 in. incision/tube incisions had healed. She was so surprised how far I had come. Thanks to my strong family(Doug, Meredith, my mom, my brother) and all other family member and friends for all their support and prayers. Thanks to amazing Dr. Greason, his team(PA, NP) and all the cardiac nurses on my floor. And thanks to all my new friends on this website who have or will have surgery. Carol

So happy to be home but not in my own bed! I'm sleeping on my back in the motorized reclining chair. First night I slept very little ..not in pain but body/heart was wide awake. Now I understand from previous patients how important it is to take your pain medicine. I took the pain meds and I fell asleep for 3 hours! I'm so glad that Doug got someone with nursing experience to come into the home to help me awhile during the day since he had to get back to work. Kathy has been invaluable and she says it looks like everything is healing nicely. My mom then stops by for a visit for couple of hours. I'm able to take the stairs slowly one time a day. My 2 days have consisted of sleep, eat, breathing machine, cough, talk, rest, walk, shower, sleep, etc. I feel a lot stronger today. I miss having my daughter around to help with things and journal for me! Its great be at home with Doug. He is still trying to catch up on his sleep too. I am blessed. Carol

I did not sleep well on Sunday night, maybe thinking about sleeping at home soon. Said a fond good bye to my night nurse who had been with me 3 days! Started the day with a great appetite for breakfast! Hoping to get a shower in but the day nurse thought they would try to get me dismissed if all the "ducks fell in a row." I had a CT scan, came back to room, madly ate 1/2 my lunch and then went for my Echo. The hardest part was laying, turning on those darn exam tables! Returned to room where Doug had stayed and got information from different staff about walking, no lifting, no driving, cardio rehab, etc. Quick took a shower and dressed in "normal clothes" glad I brought lose clothing. The new day nurse slowed everything down since it was her first day with me and she didn't know my case. Anyway, I ate dinner and finally got checked out. As I was leaving the room my surgeon, Dr. Kevin Greason came by to say that the aneurysm repair looked good and had improved the function of my bicuspid aortic valve hopefully for another 15- 20 years. Doug shook his hand and I gave him a hug saying I was so glad that I had come to him 4 years ago and I had consulted with him until it was ready. Told him he was THE BEST. God was working his wonders! At 7:15pm on Monday Oct. 14 we drove away from St Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN. We are now 1/2 way stopping to walk around the car. I will continue to wiggle my toes, move my legs til we get back to Des Moines around 10:30pm I have been trying to respond to people writing in my guest book and I will get it done! Right now I'd like to thank everyone for their prayers and loving support during this week Carol

Today was another great day for Carol. She lapped the ward 8 times today, without a walker! She also said she has gotten some of her taste buds back too. Fruit still tastes the best but she enjoyed her lunch more today… as much as you can enjoy hospital food! They are keeping her in the hospital a few more days. They want to make sure they can regulate her ECG numbers before sending her home. She can’t thank the surgeon, nurses and staff at St. Mary’s Hospital enough. They have been so caring and have taken the time to explain everything to the whole family. They really have been invaluable during her recovery process.