David's Journal

Thought I would share the latest on my progression with all my symptoms and struggles with ANS recalibration. I hit 20 weeks post op yesterday. I am still struggling through migraines, nausea and heavy head all accompanied by some stomach discomfort. 


I’ve read and being told that valve patients can struggle until the 6-7 month period with this, especially with a thoracotomy where they move a lot a stuff around and affect many nerves and the nervous system. I am now 9 days into 10 mg Nortriptilyne, they are hoping this can be a bridge while my system recalibrates. That it will hopefully reduce migraines and subsequent symptoms. Of course I need to now get over the early side effects of that medication which they say is usually by day 14 or so. Always something.

my heart is doing very well. In rehab and running 4Km a day (2.4 miles) they have me sticking to 135-140 bpm for now. Now, if I can get everything else to catch up, I would be so grateful. All things of course I did not expect pre-surgery but I guess a surgeon‘s job is mostly about the heart and not about everything that accompanies it which I have learned the hard way.


Trying to stay positive, even though there’s many bad days, but I’m trying to rejoice in the good days where I have no symptoms and hoping that more good days start to outweigh the bad days sooner than later.

I am 16 weeks post thoracotomy mitral valve repair struggling mightily through autonomic nervous system recalibration and I’m wondering if anyone has experienced this