Daniel's Journal

My Update at just 5 days short of one year since my surgery to repair my aneurism, replace my aortic valve, a maze procedure and clipping my left atrial appendage. For almost the last year I have been very challenged trying to recover back to my physical athletic strength as a cyclist. Finally, my cardiologist ordered an echo stress test and guess what? my heart is great. I was able to do 12 minutes on the tread mill and exceed 100% of my target heart rate. So, I asked the cardiologist, why am I not cycling the way I did before the surgery? He didn't know but he said, It's not your heart! The following week, end of Nov., I did my blood work for my annual physical. Came back anemic with hardly any iron in my body. After meeting with my hematologist, she ordered an iron infusion and a battery of blood tests. I will have one more test this coming week to rule out anything very serious. Four days after the infusion I had one of the best 45-mile rides since the surgery. Three weeks after the infusion I have returned to my normal cycling regime. I feel great on my bike and I'm riding like I did when I was 50 years old. The hematologist said that I shouldn't feel the results of the infusion for 4-6 weeks. I can't wait to see what that feels like. I just wish that someone would have ordered a blood test to diagnose the anemia previously because during that time I was really struggling! I couldn't breathe like I needed to be efficient on my bike, I could barely get up a small hill. If I wasn't as active as I am my internist said I would have never known how bad the anemia was until it got really bad, passing out and needing a blood tranfusion.
The good news is that we finally found out what the issue is and the great news is that my heart is doing great! Thanks to my surgeon Dr El-Hamamsy and his team at Mount Sinai hospital.
I will update everyone after my next test to find out why I was so anemic. Thanks

Hi Everyone, It's been just over 9 months since I had my surgery. I did the surgery at Mount Sinai hospital and Dr. El-Hamamsy did my surgery. He replaced my aortic valve, repaired my aneurism, did a maze procedure and clipped my left atrial appendage. My recovery has been uneventful (thank God) with the exception of my return to cycling. I have been a competitive amateur cyclist almost my entire life. I stopped competing when I was 64, 9 years ago. Both my cardiologist and my surgeon said I would be stronger after the surgery than I was before the surgery. I was permitted to get back on the bike in mid April, giving the sternum time to heal. Now I'm back on the bike 5 months and have logged about 2500 miles. My aerobic capacity is coming back slowly my anerobic capacity is really far behind. I find myself much weaker than I was previously. I just started working with a personal trainer to help build my strength back to what it was. It was very discouraging at first but I'm starting to see some signs of improvement. I just never thought it would take this long to get strong again.
Has anyone in this thread experienced similar issues with their exercise capabilities? Am I being impatient or unrealistic? I know I have so much to be grateful for because I feel really good and I have the ability to get back to what I love to do. I just feel like I'm working so freaking hard and never really expected this since it's what I've done since I'm 13 yrs old. Thanks for your feedback and I hope you're all recovered from your surgeries or recovering successfully.

This week was 12 weeks since my surgery for an aortic valve replacement, aneurysm repair,  a maze procedure and my left atrium clip. I had my surgery at Mount Sinai hospital where my cardiologist Dr J Halperin and surgeon Dr. Ismal Hamamsy took great care of me. For me 12 weeks was an important milestone that couldn’t come fast enough. As I life long competitive cyclist, 12 weeks was when I could try and ride my bike again. I say try because the hope was that I wouldn’t have any pain in my sternum or anywhere else for that matter. 

Monday the mission was accomplished! I rode with my wife for her support and to make sure I didn’t overdo it. I got 7 pain free miles in. Today I was able to ride with a few of my cycling friends 12 miles. My hope is to be able to ride up to 40 miles in the next 30 days. But my body will be the judge of that goal. I’m 72 years old and now have plenty of time to accomplish that goal. If you’ve just had your surgery I can share with you that after a week I couldn’t imagine that I would be able to ride again in 12 weeks. I felt so very weak! But day by day doing my therapy and walking every day I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel! So hang in there and work through it every day!!

I will update the community at the end of a month.  

Today was my first full day home after discharge Monday Jan 23rd. We are staying in NJ until I meet with my doctors at Mount Sinai on Friday. If everything is good we are heading back to florida on Saturday, Everyday away from the surgery is a better day! I’m eating a little and taking all my med and starting to come back to life! This website has been amazing for me ! When I felt I was going through it alone, I just read some of the previous posts! For sure the doctors that have trained to do cardio thoracic surgery are a miracle ! My grandfather died when i was 13 yrs old as a result of some kind of a heart issue. I’m sure todays medicine  would have saved him! If you have upcoming surgery and your on this website, you did your research just leave it in your surgeons hands and fight hard to recover and you will!! All the best!! 

Due to the New York nurses strike my surgery at Mount Sinai was postponed until Tuesday Jan17th. I did all m pre operative testing today and just await the results of my Covid testing. I’m scheduled to have my aortic valve replaced along with my ascending aortic aneurysm repaired. The surgeon is adding the Maze procedure with a left atrial appendage. I believe this is to stop a couple of AFib episodes I’ve had in the past. Will keep you posted after my stay in n the cardiac ICU.