Debbie's Journal

Mike Dotson  Best of luck Debbie. You’ll be on the other side of this tomorrow evening and on your way to recovery. You’ve got this.

Rose Madura  It's very normal to be nervous. Try to remember that the doctors are very experienced and do this every day. The odds are in your favor. If you prY, ask God to give you peace. Sometimes our imaginations can be very cruel. God bless you.

Deena Elani  I also had my mitral and tricuspid valves repaired by Dr David Adams. Awesome surgeon and ICU. Everyone is nervous, but as Rose said, the stats are way in your favor. Expect to be incredibly exhausted, but in less pain than you would think. You will get through this. In the meantime, do whatever calms your nerves. Everyone is different in what they find soothing. I took LONG walks every day. Godspeed.

Susan Lynn  Debbie - We were all nervous, but when it's your day, you'll be ready to put it behind you. Surgery will feel like a one minute nap and you'll be done! I found the whole process to be completely tolerable. Remind yourself that this is a small investment of your time and a little inconvenience for a long life of good health! You can do this!! ❤

Richard Munson  Cannot imagine anyone not being nervous prior to heart surgery. When they called my name in the waiting room the day of, i considered not answering. Alas my wife had already driven off due to covid so i had nowhere to go. There are so many great outcomes after surgery. Think about those. It’s also a lot easier to give advice after you have already had the surgery.

Patsy Stewart  I think being nervous and under a lot of stress is normal when you’re waiting for OH surgery. The surgeon will tell you how many days he anticipates, but keep in mind that it could be longer. I would say to plan on at least 5 to 7 days….depending on how you do. In the meantime, you could get your house ready for when you come home. It will be several days before you will be able to do much. If you have a sternotomy, you won’t be able to use your arms for a couple of months. Try to have a little fun beforehand. Enjoy the outdoors and try to keep yourself busy so your mind won’t take you on a trip. You can do this! I’ll remember you in my prayers. ~❤️

Marie Myers  I listened to calming videos and meditations on Utube, and did yoga to Help relax. A massage is a great way to distress also. I did eventually ask for some alprazolam to help me calm down when other ways were not working.

Peter Linn  I have started to meditate every day. It's not easy to calm the mind and it takes practice but I have been getting better at it. It has provided me with some moments of peace that last even after the meditation. I started by using guided meditations. I hope this might help you.

Deena Elani  Debbie, I had the same two valves repaired this March. All good! Pain not awful at all, due to painkillers:). I took walks every day while listening to podcasts, stayed on this site daily(!), and focused on the stats. The stat is over 99 percent chance of survival. That said, everyone has their own way of managing stress- do what feels the best to you!

Richard Munson  Anyone not stressed before heart surgery is a better man than me. Try to deal with it but it will be there.

Cameron Peek  I just had the same three procedures done on 5/21/21 at Mt Sinai with Dr David Adams team. I was in the CICU for three days and the step down unit for three days. Once I was discharged we stayed in NYC until the following week for my post op. I saw a visiting nurse every other day. I was extremely nervouse in the months leading up to the surgery. I found this site and becoming educated was both helpful and nerve wracking. Once we were actually traveling and all my preop testing began I finally began to relax. I felt so confident in my surgery team and hospital. I met with the CICU nurse lead to ask a thousand questions. I also spoke to another patient who gave me lots of details about what was going to happen. Feel free to reach out if you would like to connect by email or phone.